Get Into The Business Of Weddings
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For many women, no day is more important than their wedding day. After all, a wedding is a sacred event, a joining of two people who wish to show their commitment before God and state. A lot of work goes on behind-the-scenes to get to that point when the happy couple says, “I do” and exchanges rings and much of that work is done by a staff of people—from the wedding planner to the photographer—who do at least part of their work from home.

If you are concerned that working from your home may be an issue with wedding industry clients, don’t worry. In fact, Alan Fields, who penned Bridal Bargains and a host of other titles with his wife Denise, says it’s a benefit. “If you have a professional meeting space in your home, you can create intimacy that you couldn’t create in a shopping center,” says Alan. “You can’t have pets running through the office, or babies screaming in the background, but if you can keep it professional, you have the opportunity to create that personal connection that’s the hallmark of a great wedding vendor.”

Weddings Are Big Business
Unlike other industries, the wedding business is not dominated by big box retailers. According to Fields, the bridal industry is still largely made up of local "mom and pop" businesses, making it easier for entrepreneurs to break in. "When you hire someone to do flowers for your wedding or take photographs," he says, "these services are usually provided by small companies. It’s a natural fit for people who work from home."

For instance, Linda Holstein, owner of Doing Personal Favors, said she started marketing her personalized chocolate bar labels on eBay and found an immediate demand for wedding designs. Today, her business has expanded to include water bottle labels (a big hit for outdoor weddings), favors bags with labels, mint books, teabag labels, and more.

Online marketing also plays a role in the success of wedding industry endeavors, making this industry a perfect fit for work-at-home moms who enjoy networking online. "Brides today are more web savvy," says Fields. "Even though your customers are essentially one-time customers, brides are on message boards all the time. They talk to one another and they can quickly figure out who's taking care of business and who's not."

According to David Wood, President of the Association of Bridal Consultants, more than half of all wedding coordinators work from home and they work with other work-at-home businesses, too. Businesses like:

• wedding crafters (ring bearer pillows, money purses, etc.),
• jewelry makers,
• photographers,
• videographers,
• scrapbook artists,
• wedding journalists, and
• virtual assistants for brides.

• Graphic Designers: That feeling, brides are looking for, often begins with the wedding invitations. Stock designs can be sold inexpensively, or you can create custom designs for brides willing to extend their budget in order to make a strong first impression. You can then connect with local printers to offer “full-service” wedding invitations, or supply the files at a reduced price.
  
  
• Scrapbookers: Connect with wedding photographers to create a great up-sell and make a bride with no time or inclination to scrapbook extremely happy.
  
  
• Bridal Virtual Assistants: Virtual assistant services aren’t just for high-powered executives. Women who don’t normally need someone to look over the details of their lives may need a helping hand when it comes to wedding planning. You can make a bride's wedding less stressful by charging an hourly fee to confirm vendors, book honeymoon travel arrangements, and take care of other small but crucial details.
  
  
• Wedding Journalism: To carve out a niche in wedding writing, pitch story ideas to local and regional wedding magazines. Once you accrue some clips, you can take the step to query national wedding magazines. A wedding blog can also give you legitimacy as a writer; with a professional-looking blog and high traffic, you may be able to skip regional publications and go directly to the big leagues. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert in the field, you can also profit from books, e-books, and personal speaking appearances.
  
  
• Wedding Planners: Wood believes that wedding planning remains the most profitable work-at-home opportunity in the industry. “You have so much flexibility and you can design any wedding to fit any budget.”