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All couples want their wedding day to be the happiest day of their lives, and so it's important that everything from the flowers to the cars and the food to the photography goes smoothly and without a hitch.

But many couples today are simply too busy trying to balance their professional and personal lives to oversee the details necessary to create the wedding of their dreams. That's why increasing numbers of brides and grooms-to-be are choosing to employ the services of a wedding planner to help take some of the pressure off preparing for their special day.

Statistics show that over half of all couples in the United States use the services of a planner or consultant for their wedding, so investing in a wedding planning franchise could not be a better opportunity for those who want to run a lucrative business whilst also making a difference to people's lives.

Successful franchisees should be friendly and people-orientated and they must exhibit a high level of personal integrity. There is nothing more personal than planning someone's wedding, so being able to forge good, trusting relationships with clients is essential.

While the majority of franchisees will benefit from ongoing training and support from the franchise company, organisational skills are paramount to running a successful wedding planner business. Franchisees must also have a good head for business and the ability to drive a hard bargain in order to get the best deals for their client and themselves.

Managing cashflow is also an important skill to posses, since franchisees will have to budget carefully for the winter months when less couples choose to wed. Previous experience handling finances will certainly prove valuable, since clients will be coordinating budgets and overseeing finances for clients as well as taking care of the details of running their own business.

One of the benefits of getting involved in the wedding planning business is the ability of franchisees to work to their own schedule and on their own time. But of course wedding planning is a time consuming job and during a busy summer period when there are many occasions to plan, it is most definitely not a nine to five job.

However, while planning a wedding is hard work, the rewards can be extremely attractive, not just personally but financially too. With couples now spending more than ever on their weddings, reputable franchisees have the potential to make lot of money.

"The earnings potential for wedding consultants is awesome," Richard Martel of the Association for Wedding Professionals International tells entrepreneur.com. "Those who are better-connected and better-educated will do the best in this business, as will those who network as a way to build their reputations."

As Mr Martel points out, networking is essential in the wedding planning business, since most clients will hear about a business from other customers. But franchisees will also benefit from an established brand name as well as marketing and advertising support, so building up a client base will be slightly easier than if they were to go it alone.

All in all wedding planning can be a rewarding job for perfectionists who love to work with people. Couples across the world get married every day so there are always plenty of opportunities to capitalise on. But franchisees should make sure they do their homework and find out where there is most demand for their services before jumping into a deal.

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