Organized
Above everything else, a good wedding planner is organized and has excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills. Wedding planners must be able to work on several different weddings at once, keeping the details of each separate to avoid confusion. She must stay physically organized as well, keeping track of important documents, paperwork and contracts for each of the weddings she works on. Most of the time, wedding planners have several months to plan a wedding, but occasionally that time frame may be only a few weeks, and a good wedding planner must be able to work under pressure and on deadlines.
Knowledgeable
Wedding planners should have a passion for weddings and be knowledgeable in all of their aspects, from the engagement party to the honeymoon, and everything between. Many couples want budget weddings, so wedding planners should know how to get the best deals in their area and cost shortcuts that can save the couple money. The wedding planner should know a little about all the vendors in the area to able to match up couples with the vendors that best suit their needs. A good wedding planner also understands the faith and other traditions for weddings, such as Jewish, Muslim, Christian, military.
Interpersonal Skills
Good wedding planners possess excellent interpersonal skills that aid them when interacting with all parties involved. They should be friendly, outgoing and willing to work under pressure. Weddings bring out the best and the worst in people, and a wedding planner calms stressed out brides, assures jittery grooms and placates emotional parents. Additionally, wedding planners must have excellent communication skills to negotiate with vendors and merchants.
Business-Savvy
In addition to wedding planning skills, a wedding planner should have business savvy. Most wedding planners work independently, operating their own small businesses. Along with wedding planning, they must be knowledgeable in running a business. Business skills needed to work as a wedding planner include finance, which keeps a wedding on budget and knowing how much to charge clients, and marketing, to bring in new clients and expand the business. Wedding planners should also have some knowledge in human resources for hiring additional help if needed. They also must handle contracts, as wedding planners sign a number of contracts between themselves and the client and with various wedding vendors on behalf of the clients.