Wedding Planner

Meeting the couple and families to understand budget, rituals and taste. Choosing venues, caterers, decorators, photographers, artists and travel. Making schedules for multi-day functions, managing guest stay and transport, and running the wedding days on site.

A day in the work
Your morning might start with calls to a decorator and a caterer, then a visit to a venue to check the stage, power supply and parking. In the afternoon you update the budget sheet and send the family the next day's schedule. On a wedding day you are on your feet from early morning, fixing a late florist, a delayed band or an upset relative, while the couple stays calm. At night you check that the vendors are paid and plan the next function.

1. Step 1 · Class 9–12Take any stream. Build the habits this work needs: clear English and Hindi or your local language, simple budgeting in Excel or a notebook, and a design eye. Help plan a family function or a school event, because that is real practice.
2. Step 2 · After Class 10 or 12Pick a training route that suits your money and time: a short certificate, a 6–12 month diploma, or a 3-year event management degree. Course fees range from a few thousand rupees to over a lakh (reported). The industry skill standard is the MESC 'Event Planner / Event Manager' pack at NSQF Level 5. (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · 1–3 yearsWork under an established planner or event company. You may start as an intern or assistant. Learn vendor calling, costing, site checks and handling problems on the wedding day. Many Indian planners say this is where they really learned the job (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · OngoingBuild a vendor network and a portfolio of photos, budgets and client feedback. Clients mostly hire on references, so your reputation is your main asset (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · When you go soloSet up your own small business. Use written contracts with clients and vendors. Register for GST once your yearly turnover crosses the limit, which is ₹20 lakh for services in most states (reported). Check the current rule on gst.gov.in or with an accountant. (reported — check with the official body)
6. OptionalSpecialise in destination weddings, luxury decor, or a community's traditions. Or move into corporate events or a hotel's wedding team.

• Course firstCertificate, diploma or event management degree, then internships and a first job at an event company.
• Learn on the jobStart as an assistant or intern with a local wedding planner. Pick up skills and contacts while earning little at first. Add a short course later if needed.
• Through a venue or hotelJoin a hotel or wedding venue as a wedding or banquet coordinator. Learn how large functions run, then move to planning or freelancing.

Fees from: WeddingKart: How to become a wedding planner in India (reported) · IGNOU DEVMT Diploma in Event Management programme page (official admission portal) · Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University, BBA in Tourism and Event Management fee page · MGM University Institute of Hotel Management, Diploma in Event Management fees. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Earnings are uneven: beginners and assistants earn modestly and may work unpaid at first, while planners with a strong name, big-city or destination clients and a steady vendor network can earn much more, and income rises and falls with the wedding season.

• Class 7–9Plan a small family function on paper, such as a birthday or festival meal. Write the guest list, a budget in rupees, a time-wise schedule and a back-up plan if it rains. Then ask a parent to check your numbers.
• Class 10–12Join the organising team for your school's annual day, farewell or a festival. Take charge of one job, such as decor, seating or timings. If you are 15 or older, you can also look for youth volunteering on the MY Bharat portal.Open link ↗
• College or afterAsk a local wedding or event planner if you can help as an unpaid or low-paid assistant for one wedding season. Keep a notebook of what vendors charged, what went wrong and how it was fixed.

• There is no licence, and the title 'wedding planner' is not regulated. Anyone can use it. That is why your portfolio, reviews and references matter more than a certificate.
• Wedding work is seasonal. Demand is heaviest in the winter wedding months, and quieter at other times, so plan your savings and cash flow.
• A course does not guarantee clients. Check what a course actually teaches, whether it includes real events or internships, and speak to its past students before paying.
• Around 46% of Indian couples are reported to hire professional wedding planners, so the market is real but also crowded (reported, 2026).