Your Slice of the Billion $$$ Wedding Industry
This Week: We are exploring the odd jobs you can do to make $$$ in the $50 billion/a year wedding industry
Today, we’ll chat about how you can make cash bringing skills you have into the wedding industry. On Friday, I’ll share odd jobs hiring in the wedding world so you can dip your toes into a lovely industry.
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I just worked a wedding in Boston and make a lot of money as a professional bridesmaid.
Before I started Bridesmaid for Hire, the role of a hired bridesmaid did not exist. There wasn’t any other company offering strangers a service where you could hire someone to be your actual bridesmaid.
I got the idea because ALL of my friends got married and I was their bridesmaid. Then, distant friends got married and asked me to be a bridesmaid. Being a bridesmaid costs, on average, over $1,000. So when people I was hardly close to anymore asked me to wear a taffeta dress and party with them in Vegas, I figured this could be something I charge money for.
I was right.
How did I know this would work? I didn’t. I just tested the idea and the idea resonated with people who needed this service.
How did I know i’d be good at it. I didn’t. But I was a decent bridesmaid for my friends, I always loved strangers, and I enjoy chaos (weddings are chaos). I applied my roster of skills to the gig and have grown over the years to be a true expert at my job.
Enough about me.
Let’s talk about you.
Right now, I promise you, that you have a skill you’re sitting on that could make you cash in the wedding industry.
I’ll break down my brainstorm below but get this.
The wedding industry is a $50 billion + a year industry. More people are trying to get married right now than usual because of the pandemic. There’s $$$ to be made and a big trend in weddings is standing out and adding unique elements to your big day.
Here’s what I’m thinking for YOU:
The Odd Jobs Brainstorm
Here’s where I brainstorm 10 random skills that can be morphed into odd, yet money-making, gigs in the wedding industry. You can start them on your own, make a website, and use social media to promo - or you can use a website like GigSalad to post your profile and hope someone finds you.
Art
A cool unique thing at weddings these days is hiring someone to paint a live portrait of the couple during their first dance or the venue. If you like art, paining, sculpting, etc. come up with a cool bizz where you do this at the wedding. It serves as entertainment and a fun keepsake for the couple.
Preform
If you are creative, musical, or have any type of unique talents, use them as a way to get hired to entertain at weddings. People want this at their wedding! If you play the violin, you can get hired to play during the ceremony. If you’re a hula hooper, you can be an entertainer for the ceremony. If you’re into juggling, that could be a good service to offer to spice up cocktail hour.
Weddings have become stale and hiring unique entertainers is at the top of a lot of people’s lists.
Money
Good with money, accounting, financial planning? Couples getting married need this. Offer a service where you do people’s wedding budgets based on a survey of questions they fill out (most people don’t know how to make a budget for their wedding that will make sense). If you’re solid at financial planning, offer a service where you help people plan how to pay for their wedding.
Style
If styling is your “thing” become a wedding stylist where you help the couple pick out their outfits for the entire wedding adventure, including accessories. If you’re awesome at this, do this service because people want to look good on their wedding and need help.
Bridesmaid
That’s my wheelhouse. If you want to be a hired bridesmaid, I teach people my secrets.
Social Media
Can you make a rad TikTok video or take good pics for Instagram? Are you creative at coming up with wedding hashtags? Consider starting your own social media wedding agency where you become the couple’s social media assistant for their wedding, capturing and posting content for them.
Law
Have a law degree? Become a lawyer who specializes in wedding contracts. Couples right now will pay you to make sure their new vendor contracts have pandemic clauses in it so they don’t lose money if COVID sticks around.
Preservation
Post-wedding, couples want to save their flower or outfits and need to preserve it so it lasts for 50+ years. I don’t know what skills you need for this but if it interest you - this is your sign to research for more!
Pet Chauffeur
Couples with pets often want those pets part of their wedding. They will hire you to hang with the dog, cat, bird, or snake during the wedding as the sitter and even (maybe) walk it down the aisle.
Guest
A gig for everyone? Be a hired wedding guest. Skills needed? Just being a human - bonus if you like to dance, eat wedding cake, and make small talk.
Jen Glantz is a whimsical entrepreneur, 3x author, podcast host, and all-around pizza-obsessed goofball.
Here's what she is currently working on:
You're Not Getting Any Younger Podcast
The First Years of Marriage Newsletter
The Monday Pick-Me-Up Newsletter
Jen & Juice Business & Life Coaching
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