A Day in the Life of Wedding Planners

What do people think of when they hear about event planning—or, more specifically, wedding planning? Personally, it always sounded like a stressful affair, with multiple people running around trying to manage hundreds of tasks that seem to exceed human capabilities. While there’s some truth to that, it’s not always the case. If the event industry operated like this every day, I’d definitely lose my mind! But jokes aside, planners do an incredible amount of work. They are the most important people on the vendor list, overseeing logistics like a conductor to ensure the event runs smoothly for the guests. But what do we do when there are no weddings happening? Let’s take a look together.

A typical Monday for us starts at 9:30 AM. There are two of us: a wedding planner and a coordinator—a trusted friend who knows just as much as I do and is always ready to step in and handle processes and issues. However, today we don’t have any weddings, which doesn’t mean we can relax. In fact, the work continues! My day begins at 6:30 AM with a refreshing shower, followed by a 15-minute stretch, a 45-minute meditation, and a prayer session. After breakfast, I wait for my coordinator to arrive at my apartment—that’s where we work. My coordinator, by her own admission, prefers a more “laid-back” morning, with just a shower and a glass of water. Who can blame her when her commute takes around two hours? Once she arrives, we grab some water (or tea, in her case) and dive into work.

But what exactly do we do? Well, it varies. We have a list of tasks to do every day. While they may not be as hectic and demanding (and let’s be real—fun) as working an actual wedding, they still require our attention to make sure our clients are satisfied with our services.

Take research, for example. Does it require our immediate attention? Definitely not. But it needs to be done anyway so we stay well-informed and can serve you, our clients, better. My coordinator starts her working day by burying herself in PDFs and online articles about Hindu wedding trends. The event planning industry is dynamic and constantly evolving, throwing new trends at us almost every day. So, research is key to keeping us up to date.

A little tip for new planners: no matter how many weddings you coordinate in the future, your knowledge base should always be updated (maybe not daily—let’s be real, we have dozens of other tasks to juggle—but at least weekly). This holds true for us; we’ve organized  weddings for friends and clients, coordinated birthdays, and even planned gender reveal parties, yet we never stop learning.

Now, back to her trend research. Gathering information is one thing; storing it is another. So, she creates several files, both handwritten and typed, to save all the knowledge she acquires each day.

My tasks are less exciting than hers, as I have to think about payroll, track working hours, set up chat spaces for our new clients, and contact the authorities for licensing. As tedious as they sound, these tasks are essential for keeping the business running—and, no surprise, they take up most of my time. Think of the backend of an app: there’s nothing flashy about it, but it’s the backbone that helps everything function. Basically, that’s what I do on a daily basis (and sometimes, unfortunately, way past my working hours).

This post isn’t meant to discourage new planners from pursuing their passion, especially since the planning process is the most exciting and rewarding part of our jobs. Getting to work with different clients, learning their love stories, and discovering various cultures—that’s what we’re all here for, right? But we all have to be prepared for the dozens of smaller tasks that ultimately help us achieve our event-planning goals.

So, here’s the takeaway: behind every stunning wedding is a mountain of paperwork and planning that makes the magic happen. Embrace the chaos, find joy in the little things, and remember that even the most mundane tasks are stepping stones to creating unforgettable moments. Happy planning!