The honest truth about getting into wedding/events, Part 2.2: Your job and your vocation
I’ve started a mini series about getting started in the wedding and events industry and I’ve touched upon some of the more practical steps like getting an education and having the soft skills required.
Before touching upon making money in the business, I wanted to take a step back and reflect upon something that I’ve come to terms with the last few years.
After a trip to a conference in the states called Urbana, I came back with a book called Courage and Calling. It is a faith-based perspective on the ideas surrounding your vocation in different times in your life (vocation as a defining purpose or mission in life). I read this book at a pivotal time in my life—in my last year of university—and a couple things really stuck with me since.
One idea in particular was that your vocation is not always about finding a job doing what you love to do (though it can be). Let me explain.
For a single mother looking to feed her children, her vocation may not be tied with what she does in the 9-5. Her mundane job may or may not be something she has a passion for, but it allows her to do what she is called to do first and foremost – to be a provider for her children. Does it mean her life is not fulfilling or meaningful because her job is mundane? Not at all! But in that specific time in her life, her calling was to her children.
For someone starting out in their career, especially in North America where we have so many options available to us, most of us dream of getting a job in a field that we have some dying passion for. But the reality is, once we get our first job how many of us can truthfully say that we have a burning desire to audit financial statements or to fix people’s cavities as a dentist? Ok for some of you, it is, and good for you, hurray! But for most of us, a job is a job.
A lot of people I know dream of doing something different than what they are currently doing but let’s look at the facts. If your job is something you have the skills for, it pays your bills and you’re not miserable doing it, you’re probably ahead of the pack . What this job allows you to do is to do ‘life’, whether that is to explore hobbies, to volunteer for the homeless, to travel the world or to enjoy simple pleasures like eating out with friends. This job allows you to explore your vocation, whatever that may be, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be connected with your job (and that’s ok!). You can very well be someone who works a mundane job, but you can be living out your passion by volunteering your time doing weddings and events. Your calling does not necessarily have to be your job.
A choice
For others, your job is your calling, where you do what you were created to do in the 9-5. Some people tell me I’m ‘lucky’ that I get to do what I love to do (and I definitely count it as a blessing too!) but I also see it as a choice. I choose to make a living doing something I love to do. Maybe I was lucky in that I inherently knew early on what I loved to do and I could identify it. However now that I have made this choice, I know that this line of work does not pay as well as being a doctor, dentist or accountant, but I am ok with that. I get to do what I love and I get paid enough that I can put some savings aside, and I’m content with that.
Media always glorifies people who have been made rich from doing what they ‘were made to do’, be it singing, acting or sports. But these are the exceptions, not the norm. The term ‘starving artist’ comes from somewhere! My point is that doing what you love does not always pay well but you get rewarded in the doing itself, and that is a choice that you make.
So all that to say… If you are considering being an event or wedding coordinator as a career, know that it is likely the latter that you are choosing. You run the risk of maybe making money doing what you enjoy. For some, it is worth it and for others it isn’t. Just know your own life goals, reflect on your risk tolerance and be realistic in your expectations. Also know that your job does not necessarily have to be your calling, though it can be.
Phew, that was a lot to get through. Are you still with me? Next I’ll answer one of my most FAQ about making money. Stay tuned!
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Also in this series:
