Wedding Planning and Start Your Own Business

CHANGE YOUR LIFE. MAKE MONEY. HAVE FUN.
This is a great opportunity to totally change the direction of your life. Ever fancied being your own boss? Well, now’s the time to make money and have lots of fun at the same time. If you’re hard working, enjoy socialising and are a good organiser, you’ll find that your future career may lie in one of the most exciting and rewarding businesses around – Wedding Planning.
So why study Wedding Planning from UK Open Learning? Answer in one word: ‘demand’.
You’ll be surprised at just how few professional event planners there are out there.  Suffice it to say, the demand is incredible. As you know, people lead busy lives these days and don’t have the time or want the worry of having to organise a party, christening, business conference or whatever. That’s why they are looking to people like you: someone who can ‘deliver’ by organising a successful and memorable occasion for them.
Undertaking a course in Wedding Planning from UK Open Learning, one of the UK’s leading distance learning providers, could be one of the best decisions you will make. In no time at all, and for very little cost, you could soon be running your own successful Wedding Planning business, enjoying the glamour as well as the ‘buzz’ of making other people happy. And the great thing is, you get paid for it!

Wedding Planning is in THREE sections:
Part A:         Wedding Planning
Part B:         Start Your Own Business

PART A         Wedding Planning                
Unit 1 Many different weddings

      The History of Weddings
      The Law of the Land

Unit 2 Starting Your Career

      The Business of Wedding planning
      A professional approach
      Be a people person
      Challenges and rewards
      Wedding planner test
      Will you be successful?
      Tips on how to start
      Wedding planning skills
      Day-to-day activities
      Paperwork
Unit 3 Preparing your portfolio


      What should be in your portfolio
      Examples of Wedding planning packages
      Bridal and wedding publications
      Your costing
      Paperwork
Unit 4 Meeting your clients

      Code of Ethics
      First contact
      Your first meeting overview
      Get the details
      Write up the Brief
      Hand over a Contract
Unit 5 Budgeting and Planning

      Time line
      Breakdown of the budget
      Insurance planning
Unit 6 Venues

      Introduction
      What to look out for in a wedding venue
      The Law regarding licensed venues
      Choice of venues

Unit 7 Wedding Themes
                   
      Introduction
      How to choose a wedding theme
      Theme invitations
      Things to consider about a Theme Wedding
      Theme ideas
Unit 8 Catering

      Introduction
      Sample menus
      What to consider when catering for a Wedding
      Choosing a Wedding cake
      Types of Wedding cakes
Unit 9 The Wedding Dress

      Introduction
      East versus West in Wedding dresses
      Choosing a Wedding dress
      Selection of dresses
      Where to shop for Wedding dresses
      What the Bridal party should be wearing Checklist
Unit 10 Flowers

      Introduction
      Planning the flowers
      Flower ideas
      What flowers does a wedding need?
      What different flowers mean
      Selecting the right florist
Unit 11 Transport

      Introduction
      What to look for in hiring a limousine                
      How much does Wedding transport cost
      Alternative means of transport
Unit 12 Invitations
      Introduction
      The correct wording
      Who to invite
      Wedding invitation designs

Unit 13 Wedding Hire

      Introduction
      Tips on hiring
      Marquees
      Ceremony hire package
      Hire catalogues
Unit 14 Photographers

      How to select a photographer
      What photographs should be taken
      Fun pictures
Unit 15 Entertainment

      Bands
      DJs
      Soloists
      Praise singers

Unit 16 Gifts

      How to arrange a Gift List service
      How to select a Gift List
      The Gift check list

Unit 17 The Big Day

      Duties of the Bridal party
      Wedding Day traditions
      Checking the event is ready
      Smooth flow for the Day
      Clearing up
      What to do next
Part B:         Start Your Own Business

Course Syllabus
Your course covers the following syllabus:

Unit One - Starting your own business

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:

• think about the benefits and problems of starting a business


• look at the practical aspects of setting up in business


• look at the qualities you will need to succeed

Unit Two - Ways of starting a business

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
       
      think about the legal aspects of setting up a business
      look at the different possible ways of buying a existing business
      consider franchise and multi-level marketing operations
      understand the difference between multi-level marketing and pyramid selling
      look at how best to protect and exploit an original invention

Unit Three - Recruiting Staff

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
      know when you need to take on staff
      consider the problems and advantages of working with people you know
      understand the recruitment process
      learn to write a Job Description and Person Specification
      learn to select employees successfully by interview
      know what to put in a contract
Unit Four - Dealing with Staff

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
      determine appropriate pay rates and methods for staff
      look at providing benefits
      understand the importance of obeying the law on employment
      consider the issues of discrimination and trade unions
Unit Five - Fraud and Theft
The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
      spot whether your business is vulnerable to fraud
      prevent employees having the opportunity to commit fraud
      set up financial controls
      prevent theft of stock and equipment
      protect intellectually property
      promote Your Business
Unit Six – Marketing

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
      understand what is meant by marketing
      analyse your market
      understand market research procedures
      develop, price and package your product
      work out a marketing plan
Unit Seven – Advertising

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
      know what advertising is
      recognise different types of advertising
      know the rules governing advertising
Unit Eight - The Business Plan

The aims of this unit are to enable you to:
      understand the role of business plan
      list several reasons for developing a Business plan
      identify sources to get help in developing a business plan
      identify the type of information to include a business plan
      prepare an outline of a business plan
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q. I have no experience of Wedding Planning nor have ever worked for myself. Would this course be suitable?

A. Yes, we will teach you all you need to know to start your own business as a Wedding Planner.

Q. Do you send all the course materials in one pack even if I pay in instalments?

A. Yes, unlike some companies, we will send you ALL your course materials together.
Q. What type of support will I receive?

A. You will be allocated an experienced tutor who will guide you through the course, mark your assignments and generally help you with any problems you may have. Your tutors can be contacted via email and post. If you need to speak to a student advisor, you can telephone UK Open Learning.
Q. Is the course properly accredited?

A. Yes, on successful completion of this course you will receive a Level Three  Award in Wedding Planning and Starting your Own Business as well as a UK Open Learning Diploma.
At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Level 3 NCFE Award certificate of achievement. That means that it is independently accreditedata level of learning equivalent to level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland'
Q. Can I use letters after my name?

A. Yes, you can use the initials Dip.WP.

Q. How do I send in my work?

A. You can post or email your assignments for marking. It is best to send your assignments in one at a time so the tutor can mark one and give you the feedback.

Q. If I fail an assignment can I retake it?

A. Yes, your tutor will ask you to resubmit your assignment and give you some pointers as to where you could improve.
Q. What do I receive once I order the course?

A. We will send you ALL the course materials. This consists of a 400-page course delivered to your door within 48 hours. You can start your studies straightaway.
Q. Is there a time limit or any deadlines?

A. We do like you to complete the course within 12 months but we can extend this if you check with your tutor. If you allow 100 study hours, this will give you a good guide. There are no deadlines to meet.
Q. Is there a word count for my assignments?

No, there is no specific word count but you have to prove to the tutor that