Certificate in Wedding Planning

Learn to plan and run weddings professionally, from the first client conversation to the last vendor invoice. Three modules covering the foundations of event planning and the full wedding process: service levels and pricing, venue and budget, design, vendors and production, the wedding day itself, and modern formats including cultural, LGBTQ+, micro and destination weddings.

Self-paced
100% online
~6 months to complete
Certificate + transcripts

$795paid in full

or 6 monthly payments of $145.

See the curriculum Enrollment opens soon

Free AI Starter Kit →

25 prompts, a client contract template and a pricing calculator.

The IIEM Certificate in Wedding Planning, a cream sheet inside a deep purple border, showing the institute’s name, the award line and the gold seal

“The program really taught me things I couldn’t just learn in the field. I thought I was already ready to be the best wedding planner without the program, but it has really made me step up my game and be more accurate.”
S. GonzalezWedding Planning, Mexico

Who this is for

You want to start a wedding planning business
You are already assisting and want a credential
You are changing careers
You want a US certificate you can earn from your own country

What you’ll be able to do

Each of these is assessed by a written assignment you submit and get individual feedback on.

Run a discovery call and close the booking
Build a wedding day timeline that holds up
Negotiate and manage vendor contracts
Price your packages to make a profit
Fix problems on the day without panicking
Set up and market your own business

The curriculum

3 modules, 20 lessons and 9 graded assignments, about 24 hours of coursework. Open any module to read every lesson in it.

Module 1: An Introduction to Event Management
7 lessons, about 6 hours, 3 graded assignments
1. What Event Management Actually IsThe full event lifecycle, and why it resembles directing live theater.
2. The Industry You’re Stepping IntoWhere the work lives, the career paths, and current BLS data.
3. Do You Have What It Takes?The core traits, the modern additions, and a twenty-question self-assessment.
4. Corporate, Social, and Virtual: Choosing Your LaneHow the three differ in money, hours and client type.
5. The Events You’ll Work OnThe major event categories and what each one demands.
6. Breaking In: Portfolio, Applications, and the InterviewRealistic entry points, building a portfolio from day one, ATS-readable résumés, structured interview prep.
7. Your First 90 DaysHow to be useful before you are competent, and what new coordinators get wrong.
Graded assignments in this module
- Personal fit statement (20 points)
- Interview preparation brief (40 points)
- Real event observation (40 points)
Each is marked against a four-criteria rubric. Pass mark 70%, one resubmission permitted.
Module 2: Fundamentals of Event Planning
7 lessons, about 9 hours, 3 graded assignments
1. Start with Why: Objectives and ROIFive kinds of objective, KPIs, and the ROI formula with worked examples.
2. Timelines: The Plan Before the PlanMilestone-first planning, task ownership, and why a timeline does not end when the event starts.
3. The Venue: Finding It, Walking It, Seating ItThe site inspection protocol, and seating layouts matched to purpose.
4. Design: Making the Space Do the WorkDécor, key suppliers, lighting, and building ambiance on a real budget.
5. Contracts: Protecting the Event and YourselfWhat a contract protects, and where the fee traps are.
6. Invitations and Food & Beverage: The CommitmentsInvitation sequences, RSVP design, menu strategy, and alcohol and dram shop liability.
7. Risk Management: The Thing That Separates Amateurs from ProsIdentification, assessment, mitigation, insurance, and contingency drills.
Graded assignments in this module
- Event research report (30 points)
- The 100th anniversary gala, or the two-family wedding (50 points)
- Contract and risk exercise (20 points)
Each is marked against a four-criteria rubric. Pass mark 70%, one resubmission permitted.
Module 3: Wedding Planning
6 lessons, about 9 hours, 3 graded assignments
1. Wedding Planning FundamentalsThe coordinator’s real job, service levels, compensation models, and the six-phase lifecycle.
2. Venue, Budget and Financial ManagementVenue typology, site visits, budget architecture, who pays and what that means, the hidden-cost audit, negotiation, wedding insurance.
3. Design, Décor and the Wedding AestheticThe design brief, style directions, florals, cake, attire and photography.
4. Vendors and ProductionCatering and service styles, the bar, photography timelines, music, transportation, favors.
5. The Wedding Day and BeyondThe twelve-month timeline, guest list and invitations, the wedding website, run-of-show, day-of coordination, post-wedding wrap.
6. Modern WeddingsThemed, cultural and multicultural, LGBTQ+, micro-weddings and elopements, destination, hybrid and livestream.
Graded assignments in this module
- The Wedding Proposal (60 points)
- Crisis Management Scenario (20 points)
- Reflection (20 points)
Each is marked against a four-criteria rubric. Pass mark 70%, one resubmission permitted.

An AI task in all 20 lessons

Modules 1 and 2
Prompting
Using AI as a drafting assistant. Give it context, get a first draft, edit it into something you would send to a client.
Module 3
Workflows
Chaining tasks and working from real documents, a brief, a contract, a guest list. The output is a finished file.

What you get

How you study
- All course materials, yours to keep
- Written assignments with individual feedback
- Faculty consultation when you need it
- Lifetime access to curriculum updates
What you work from
- The AI prompt library, eleven planning workflows
What you end up with
- A digital certificate and official transcripts
- A digital badge for LinkedIn

Pricing

Pay in full

$795

One payment. Total cost $795.

Monthly payment plan

$145/mo

6 payments of $145. You get full access from the first payment. Total cost $870.

Enrollment opens soon

We are not taking enrollments for this program just yet. Everything about it is here to read in the meantime, including the full curriculum and what it costs.

No application fee, no exam fee, nothing extra to buy. You have up to two years from enrollment at no additional cost. Read the refund policy.

Questions about this program

All FAQs

How long does the Certificate in Wedding Planning take?

Most students finish in under six months studying part time. You have up to two years from enrollment at no extra cost, so you can slow down when life gets busy.

Do I need experience to enroll?

No. The requirements are English reading and writing, and an internet connection. Many of our students are changing careers with no events background at all.

Is this recognized in my country?

IIEM is a California institution and the certificate is issued from the USA. It is a professional certificate, not a license or a degree, and no country requires a license to plan weddings. Our graduates work in 70 countries.

Is there an exam?

No proctored exam. Each module ends in three graded assignments, marked against a four-criteria rubric with a 70% pass mark, and you may resubmit once. Every assignment comes back with written comments on your work. That feedback is where most of the teaching happens.

Is the certificate digital or printed?

Your certificate and official transcripts are issued digitally the day you finish, along with a digital badge you can add to LinkedIn. A printed copy can be ordered and posted to you for an additional fee.

Can I pay monthly?

Yes. You can pay $795 in full, or 6 monthly payments of $145, which comes to $870 in total.

What if I need longer than expected?

You have up to two years from enrollment at no extra cost.

What is the difference between this and the Master’s Certificate?

This certificate covers weddings specifically. The Master’s Certificate in Event Management covers corporate, social and wedding events plus the business of running an event practice, and completing it awards the GCPE® credential.