How to connect with wedding planners?

I'm having a hard time connecting with wedding planners. Does anyone have a tried and true method of contacting wedding planners without seeming too overbearing.

Steve

Do you really need to?

I saw a seminar with Joe Buissink, who said that he didn't bother, because they want to earn a commission from you in order to refer your name.

So I guess paying them, would be a tried and true method.

Interesting to see what other opinions people will have for you though.

I don't. A good wedding planner should recommend the very best for their client without the need for a kickback. If they are the type who only recommend their buddies or those who pay them commission then they aren't the standard of operator I would want to be associated with anyway.

jimeuph1 wrote in post #17412257
Do you really need to?

I saw a seminar with Joe Buissink, who said that he didn't bother, because they want to earn a commission from you in order to refer your name.

So I guess paying them, would be a tried and true method.

Interesting to see what other opinions people will have for you though.

I once offered to pay a finder's fee to a wedding planner who objected saying it was improper to offer or accept "kickbacks". I said I never thought of it like that. I have not made that offer since. Don't want to be misunderstood.

Along the thought that memories had, if you swapped business cards with the planner, and sent them an email linking to the photo's you took at that wedding...

If the work was good enough in the opinion of the planner, they then might add you to a list to give to clients.

Beyond that, I would consider it pushy.

Good to know some planners have an ethical stance on these matters.

The best way is to just keep working on your craft, and become one of the most desired in your market. Then the planners will just start contacting you out of the blue about your availability for their clients. There is no short path to anything in life. Work your ass off and be as good as you can be, and hopefully, it is good enough to bring you whatever you need. That includes planners referring you without any kind of expectation of kickback.