With more couples opting to hire help in arranging their nuptials, Wedding Planners Guild UK is encouraging ‘budding’ wedding planners to consider training in their field.

The wedding industry, which is currently worth over £10 billion in the UK alone, has experienced a growing trend in couples outsourcing the planning element of their big day, as a result of the professional bodies available.

A recent study undertaken by CASCAID has found that that the average wedding now costs £19,500 and takes approximately 250 hours to plan – with 26% of couples using the services of a wedding planner.

Director of Wedding Planners Guild UK Yvonne Bennett said:

“The industry has seen rapid growth in recent years and we’ve certainly witnessed an increased demand for qualified wedding planners.

“Wedding planning can be such a rewarding and fulfilling career, allowing planners to use their creativity and organisational skills to help couples ensure that their ‘happiest day’ is entirely stress free. There are plenty of benefits to the job role, as 25% of wedding planners report flexible working hours with some bringing home earnings of up to £40,500.

“It is important as a wedding planner to obtain professional skills and training that is backed by relevant qualifications – and this is where Wedding Planners Guild UK steps in.”

As the first wedding business to become an IOEE Academy for the prestigious Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs, Wedding Planners Guild UK is a training program that aims to bring new standards to the industry to ensure professionalism and regulation.

Those who undertake a course with Wedding Planners Guild UK will gain an Award in Professional Wedding Planning and are also required to create a portfolio to demonstrate their newly acquired skills in practice and tangible terms.

Yvonne added:

“Aside from the three-day classroom based training, our students wanting to embark on a career in the wedding industry will complete a compulsory portfolio documenting their practical wedding planning abilities for assessment. This ensures that they can take what they have learnt and apply it to real-wedding scenarios which is certainly something that couples looking for a wedding planner will take note of.

“When one of our students successfully completes their training, they can also become an official member of the Wedding Planners Guild UK, allowing them to take advantage of a range of benefits including online forums, industry meetings and the opportunity to connect with a number of relevant industry outlets – another benefit for brides and grooms planning their big day. Here at Wedding Planners Guild UK, we take pride in educating the future generation of wedding planners and seeing our students progress and grow into experts in their field.”

For more information about Wedding Planners Guild UK visit www.weddingplannersguilduk.com