Why Saying You’re A Proposal Planner Isn’t Enough

epic proposal idea
How Mike proposed to Candace with an intimate New York floral rooftop proposal at Ink48 and planned by The Heat Bandits Photo credit: © Petronella Photography http://bypetronella.com

I’ve been in this industry a long time. 10 years to be exact. I have seen many “Proposal Planners” come, and many of them go. The reason that I think they end up quitting is this. A lot of people think that you can simply add “Proposal Planning” services to your website and you will start getting Proposal clients. But the truth is, if you want to become a Proposal Planner, that’s not enough.

The reality is that there are several very reputable Proposal Planning companies on the market now. So if you want to throw your hat in the ring, you are going to have to do a lot more than just use the term on your website.

Now, I know what you might be thinking.

You might be thinking, UGH, this is too much work. But the reality is that anything worth having does take some time and effort to build. But successfully marketing Proposal Planning doesn’t have to be some huge, impossible, overwhelming undertaking.

In fact, in my upcoming course Proposal Planning Formula™ I will teach you everything you need to know about successfully marketing Proposal Planning.

But for now, here are some questions I want you to think about when you are wondering why you aren’t getting enough or any Proposal Planning clients? Get out a piece of paper and write the answer to these questions.

  1. Does your website and social media really speak to that audience? If not, what are some ways you can start doing that?
  2. Are you addressing their pain points? Do you understand their pain points?
  3. Do your assets make it seem like Proposal Planning is an afterthought?
  4. What would make someone trust you to plan their proposal versus other established companies?

Now I want you to really spend some time thinking how you can improve on your answer for each section.

In my upcoming course, I teach you how to properly address all of these things. But this is something you can also start doing on your own if you really want to create a transformation in your business.

I also created a FREE resource for you to help you get started on your Proposal Planning journey. It’s called 4 things you can start doing TODAY to start Proposal Planning. If you are serious about Proposal Planning, this is a great place to start.

I’d also love to invite you to our Proposal Planning Academy Tribe where you can ask questions and get support along your journey! When you join, leave a message letting us know you downloaded the resource and tell us what you are looking for in a Proposal Planning Coach.

I’ll see you there!

Think Proposal Planning Is Just Like Wedding Planning? Think Again!

marriage proposal in ballet theater
marriage proposal in ballet theater

For the established Wedding Planner, you’ve planned elaborate weddings with a lot of moving parts. (If you are new to Wedding Planning, don’t worry, this article is still for you!) You have executed flawless weddings with complicated timelines. And yes, that experience WILL definitely help you as you embark on this how to be a proposal planner journey.

But I am willing to bet that MOST of you haven’t had to organize the entire cast of the Nutcracker and make sure the proposer hits his knee as soon as the song crescendos with NO REHEARSAL! I am getting hives just thinking back on it.

Or has anyone had to work with a magician and make a client disappear in a cloud of smoke to set off a scavenger hunt? Coordinate a rose petal shower with a drone? Dress up as a Knight to play a role in a medieval proposal?

These are just some of the few crazy things I have been asked to do in my 10 year career as a Proposal Planner. And this is one of the reasons I want to address a misconception that if someone plans weddings, they can easily also plan proposals. Now, I am not saying they can’t do it, but it is not as EASY as a shift as one might think. Here are a few reasons why:

1) No Rehearsals

One aspect of Proposal Planning that is COMPLETELY different than Wedding Planning is that with a marriage proposal, there are no rehearsals. Sure, if you are a lucky and your client actually lives nearby the proposal location AND they can sneak away from their partner, they may do a walk through. But the person he is proposing to will never be there so there will always be a chance that things could go in a direction you never saw coming. And because of that, you have to see everything coming.

2) One Person Is In The Dark

As I mentioned above, one huge challenge to Proposal Planning is that one person that will be experiencing the proposal is always in the dark. With weddings, for the most part, the Bride and the Groom are in on what is going to happen that day. Sure there might be a surprise here and there, but mostly they are on the same page. However, with Proposal Planning, the person being proposed to is NOT on the same page. They are not even on the same book. They have no idea what is going to happen, which way they should walk, how they should stand, how to react, how to dress, etc. And because of all of this, the Proposal Planner has to anticipate what she will do, how she will walk, where she will stand, how she will react and then have a plan B if she does not do any of that.

3) Requires Different Vendors Often

One thing that I love about Wedding Planning is that you can use the same vendors over and over again. You always need a venue, officiant, photographer, florist, musicians, and rental company. And with Proposal Planning, you do use some of the same vendors too. But as a Proposal Planner, you will be frequently asked to find vendors you have never worked with before. One day you may be researching a helicopter or private jet, the next day you are asked to find an opera singer, a fire dancer, or to rent baby pugs. You are just always on your toes with Proposal Planning, there is never a dull moment.

4) Demands A Different Marketing Strategy

The first 3 reasons I gave above are all in regards to how different it is to actually PLAN a proposal. The obvious elephant in the room is that before you can even start planning proposals, you have to adapt a completely different marketing strategy than what you use for Wedding Planning just to get the clients in the door.

And this is why most of Wedding Planners will throw in the towel and say, “I don’t have time,” “I don’t know how to market Proposal Planning,” “Or this sounds too hard.” But not you!

You are here because you are an innovator.

You take risks when you believe the risk will be rewarding.

So today, I challenge you to download my FREE “Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Now” PDF. You see, there is a way to learn how to leverage your existing skills and apply it towards being a successful Proposal Planner and Proposal Planning marketer. All you need is a coach, a cheerleader, a mentor. And I got you!! I am confident once you see the benefits to adding Proposal Planning to your services, you will be motivated to make time to get started.

I wish I had a Proposal Planning Coach 10 years ago when I first started Proposal Planning. But I am passionate about sharing everything I know about Proposal Planning with you so that you can learn from my mistakes and launch quickly.

Why Proposal Planning Is On The Rise

how to be a proposal planner
how to be a proposal planner

I remember starting The Heart Bandits, my marriage proposal planning company.  I started it back in 2010 and every time I would tell someone that I was a Proposal Planner, they would laugh or roll their eyes.  “A PROPOSAL Planner?” they would ask in a mocking tone, “People actually PAY you for that?”.  My husband and I would be interviewed by media and people would leave mean comments about how Proposal Planning was a joke and that no one in their right mind would pay for such a service.

Fast forward 10 years later and hiring a Proposal Planner is now a social norm and the industry is growing faster than I can believe.  Daily, I receive emails from lovers of love asking me how to become a Proposal Planner.  They contact me from around the world telling me that they want to start a Proposal Planning company in Colombia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. and they want me to teach them how to do it.


But WHY is the industry growing so fast and why should you claim your stake in it now? Here are the 3 reasons the industry is blowing up!

1) Social Media Influence 

Before social media, if someone proposed to their partner, only their closest friends would know how that person proposed.  Let me tell you, things have absolutely changed!  Now, when you propose, getting a photo of the moment is expected.  Having a videographer shoot it is even better.  And that photo or video will make its way to Instagram, Youtube, or Facebook, where it can be viewed by thousands or even millions of people.  How has this contributed to the rise of Proposal Planners?  Well, now there are thousands of examples on social media showing how people have proposed.  The would be “proposer” sees how his peers are proposing and it puts pressure on him to make sure his proposal is equally as good or better.  The would be “proposee” is also on social media and she is seeing how her peers are getting engaged.  Her expectations of her own proposal increase and again, more pressure is put on the proposer.  He wonders, “How will I come up with a better idea?”  “Do I have the resources to pull off something that epic?”  He starts researching how to pull this all off and that leads him to….you guessed it….a Proposal Planner!

2) Acceptance of Proposal Planning

Another hurdle I had to face when I first started my company was that men were worried how their partner would feel if they hired a Proposal Planner.  They were worried that they would be perceived as “not creative enough” or “not romantic” when that couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth.  In fact, they were creative and romantic enough to try to find a resource to make sure their proposal was impactful and memorable.  With the rise of social media and grand marriage proposals becoming commonplace, it has now become accepted that for someone to pull off an epic proposal, they are going to need some assistance. And truthfully, many of my clients hear about me FROM their partners.  Because hiring a Proposal Planner is an accepted norm, the demand for Proposal Planners is rising and the industry is on fire!

3) Media Attention of Proposal Planners

Several times a year I am contacted by major media outlets to collaborate with them about Proposal Planning articles and stories.  And every single time a Proposal Planning article is featured in the media, I notice 2 things.  One, I get a TON of new inquiries from potential clients that saw my article in the media and want to find out how I can help them propose.  Two, I get several inquiries from people that want to find out how they can become a marriage proposal planner and if I can assist them.  This is yet another contributing factor to the growth of the industry.

Now that you know the reasons the industry is growing so quickly, why should you start offering Proposal Planning services right away?  I think the question is, why would you NOT?  The industry is new enough that you could get started now and become a MAJOR player, but it is also seasoned enough that you don’t have to climb the uphill battle that I did to get noticed.  

If starting a career in Proposal Planning intrigues you, then I encourage you to head over to  www.theheartbanditsacademy.com and grab one of our FREE DOWNLOADS.  In them, we discusses the Top 3 Reasons You Should Start Offering Proposal Planning NOW and 5 Reasons That Proposal Planning and Wedding Planning is the perfect marriage.  This will help you find out if adding Proposal Planning to your Wedding Planning business could be right for you.  I hope to see you there!