25 Ways to Make Money Off of Weddings

We all know weddings are very expensive.

With the average cost of a wedding being over $31,000, it’s clear that people are willing to spend big bucks to make their big day perfect.

But have you ever considered how you could make money off of weddings?

Think about all the costs that go into a wedding. From food, music, venues, flowers, and more, it takes a ton of people to make the event happen. With that, there is unlimited opportunity to earn money from weddings.

Here are 25 ways you can make money off of weddings, whether as a side hustle or full-time gig.

1) Photographer

 
Wedding photography will always be in demand, and couples are willing to pay a premium for outstanding services. The best part about being a wedding photographer is you can increase your price as you gain more experience and skill.

Beginning photographers can still make over $1,000 for a day of shooting and photo editing. Many photographers in large cities charge upwards of over $5,000. Another plus of being a wedding photographer is that you can offer to travel. Often, photographers will forgo payment if a couple pays for their travel arrangements to a destination. This can be the perfect arrangement for anyone who is passionate about traveling!

2) DJ

 
Being a wedding DJ isn’t always easy, and it’s an important job, but if you’re passionate about music and partying, this could be the perfect fit for you.

DJ’s can expect to earn anywhere from $500 to $2,000 for a gig. And if you like to party, this might not even feel like work to you.

3) Wedding Planner

 
Wedding planners need to be extremely detailed and customer-focused, but they are in very high demand. Planning a wedding is stressful, and a wedding planner helps ease the burden.

As a full-service wedding planner, you can expect to earn anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 per wedding for your services. So if you charge $5,000 per wedding, you would only have to plan 10 weddings a year in order to earn $50,000. Not too bad!

4) Day-Of Coordinator

 
If full-blown wedding planning is too demanding for you, you could consider being a day-of coordinator.

A day-of coordinator is there to make sure everything runs smoothly during the wedding day. If any questions or issues come up, people will be directed to you. While you won’t be planning every detail of the wedding, you need to get a good understanding of the timeline of events and desires of the couple.

Wedding coordinators charge a range of $500-$1,500 per wedding.

5) Ceremony Musician

 
Ceremony musicians are typically pianists, organists, string instruments, or even singers. If you have skills like this, you could turn a hobby into a paying side-gig.

Individual musicians charge anywhere from $200-600 per ceremony.

6) Play in a Wedding Band

 
If you’re in a band currently or have musician friends, you could consider starting a wedding band.

Wedding bands can price how much they charge either as a whole, or each individual band member can set their own rates. As a whole, bands can expect to earn anywhere from $3,000-10,000 per event.

7) Sell Bridesmaid Products on Etsy

 
Blinging out your bridesmaids has become way trendier than it used to. Today, people will pay for gifts for “Will you be my bridesmaid?” gifts, bachelorette party swag, getting ready outfits, and thank you gifts.

If you’re crafty and business-oriented, you should consider starting your own Etsy shop, like Walkin on Air did.

8) Catering

 
There are so many ways you can make money in the catering industry, whether or not you can cook.

While you could start your own small-scale catering company and expect to earn a profit, you can also work for a catering company as a server, bartender, or even delivery driver. Many of these jobs are needed nights and weekends, making it the perfect side hustle.

9) Decorate Cakes

 
You might need to check with your state laws regarding this, but most states will allow you to at least sell cakes out of your home as a hobby business. Since wedding cakes and other wedding desserts are always in demand, this makes for a fun and solid way to earn money off of weddings.

For my wedding, I found a hobby baker to make our cake for 75 people and it cost around $300, and honestly, that was a steal! Many other bakers were charging around $600 for the same size of cake, so there is bountiful opportunity as a baker.

10) Become a Florist

 
You can’t have a wedding without flowers. The average couple spends over $2,000 on wedding floral décor.

I’ve seen brides sell faux flowers on Etsy for over $100 per bouquet. It takes creativity and skill to create floral arrangements, but it can be a fun business if you’re into it.

11) Rent a Photo Booth

 
It seems like photo booths are becoming a staple at wedding receptions. They are pricey to buy up front (around $10,000 for a decent one), but you can rent it out for $1,000-2,000 per event. That’s a worthwhile investment if you ask me.

12) Own and Rent Out a Wedding Venue

 
Buying a venue space is no small investment, but the return can make it very worthwhile. People are always on the lookout for beautiful venues and are willing to pay whatever the cost. Depending on the location, you can expect to earn anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, if not even more.

13) Make Custom Bridesmaid Dresses

 
Bridal stores are often overpriced and unwilling to work with a bride’s timeline, so many people (including myself) have searched for other options.

When I looked on Etsy, I found a shop that sold custom-made bridesmaid dresses. I thought this was a genius idea, because it really filled a gap in the bridal market.

I paid $90 for a custom bridesmaid dress and had it made and delivered to me within a week’s time. Based on the speed of delivery, I assumed they were fairly simple to make and it must be a pretty profitable business.

14) Lease Out Your Home

 
If you own superb residential property, you could rent it out for weddings for a significant fee. Many smaller weddings don’t want to pay for the cost of a large public venue, so they opt for smaller and more private venues instead. Just make sure you check with your home owners’ association and city before you do this.

15) Rent Out Vehicles

 
Invest in a classic car, limo, or party bus to rent out for weddings. Prices vary depending what you are renting and your location. Cars typically run for $200-300 a day and more for buses or limos.

16) Videography

 
Remember back when tape recorders were so big they had to sit on your shoulder? Well, that’s definitely not the case anymore.

Videography is becoming more popular than ever as a way to remember the day. Videographers can charge per hour or per project.

17) Become Ordained

 
Many weddings happen outside of a religious building, and people sometimes prefer to have a family member or friend perform the actual ceremony. Each state has different requirements, but ordained leaders can charge a few hundred dollars per service, plus they get to be a part of a couple’s special day in a big way.

18) Design Wedding Invitations

 
Gone are the days of having to go to the local invitation shop and paying thousands of dollars for printed invitations. Today, people are looking for cheaper and more creative alternatives to the traditional wedding invitation.

There are so many possibilities for designing your own wedding invitations. You can sell your designs to larger companies, design and print your own invitations, or just simply sell the PDF on Etsy and allow couples to download and print their own invitations.

19) Be a Seamstress

 
Many brides are finding it to be more costly and time consuming to have a bridal salon do wedding gown alterations, so they are looking for alternatives.

If you are skilled at sewing and restructuring garments, you can open up your own seamstress business on the side. Some brides will spend up to $500 for alterations, so there is opportunity to make quite a bit of cash.

20) Rent Wedding Furniture

 
Furniture is becoming the latest trend for receptions. Throughout the reception hall, you might find a cozy little corner with a soft couch, chair, or even a portable fireplace!

Invest in a few statement furniture pieces and rent them out for upwards of $300 apiece.

21) Create Custom Party Favors

 
Every couple wants unique party favors, and are willing to pay for something custom and memorable. I’ve seen people selling favors on Etsy that they simply personalized by adding a sticker or printing the bride and groom’s name on it. Prices vary depending on what you’re selling.

22) Become a Proposal Planner

 
With regards to weddings, even the proposal has become a big event for some. Become a proposal planner and expect to earn around $300 per proposal.

23) Do Hair and Makeup

 
If you’re skilled at doing hair and makeup, you could start a hobby or full-time business. Bridal makeup typically costs around $100 and the same goes for bridal hair. Bridesmaids typically cost a little less, but you could still expect to make around $500 for one wedding.

24) Become a Hireable Bridesmaid or Groomsman

 
Okay, this is a little crazy but it’s an actual business! People are willing to pay for professional bridesmaids and groomsmen. Why? I don’t really know, but it does exist.

Services might include being there day of, providing emotional support for the bride or groom, and planning the bachelorette party and shower. This article highlights a woman who began her own professional bridesmaid services. She charges up to $1,500 per wedding, plus gets free travel and attire. Not our most highly recommended side hustle, but hey, it exists!

25) Be an In-House Wedding Vendor at Your Place of Worship

 
If you belong to a church or place of worship, there are opportunities to make money by offering your services to the church.

Large places of worship hold many weddings throughout the year, so they need people on staff to help organize them according to their tradition and guidelines. Take on this role and you can earn $100+ for just a few hours of work.

 
As you can see there are a ton of ways to make money on weddings. The wedding industry seems to only continue it’s huge growth, and many services that used to be special or unique have become more or less expected (think of how many pop-up photo booths and videographers you see at weddings these days).

If you want to start a wedding side hustle – or any side hustle – check out DC’s book Hustle Away Debt or some of these side hustle blog posts:

 
 
Have you ever tried any of these methods to make money off of weddings? If not, do you have a side hustle? What would you do to earn extra money on the side if you had to choose?
 
 

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