Destination Weddings – A Perfect Match for Ashworth College and Future Wedding Planners

June 5, 2012 - PRLog -- PEACHTREE CORNERS, Georgia – June 6, 2012 – Planning a wedding with tight a budget requires patience, creativity and sometimes, even a professional. For couples willing to combine the ceremony and honeymoon it’s a cost-effective compromise. And for the bridal consultant with some destination wedding experience, it’s an entrée into an exciting business opportunity.

For the entrepreneurial bridal consultant, leading online school Ashworth College (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu) has exciting news. With the addition of its new Certified Wedding Planner program to its roster of online career training programs, the option to become a certified destination wedding specialist could be as little as six months away.

The curriculum is designed to provide new wedding planners with in-depth, accredited instruction in the essentials of bridal consulting and, through its new partnership with the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) it is now possible for graduates to become a Certified Sandals Resorts Destination Wedding Specialist.

“Destination weddings currently account for over $16 Billion in annual spending and represent the fastest growing sector of the wedding market,” said David Wood, President of the Association of Bridal Consultants. “Couples want a unique and memorable event, and destination weddings provide exactly that and with wedding guests are already travelling from far and wide it can be just as easy to hold the event in an exotic location. “

“With close to 20 % of today’s events being destination weddings, the need is greater than ever for professionals who know how to build them,” he added. “We’re looking forward to having graduates of Ashworth’s online Certified Wedding Planner program join ABC – we’re excited to help them build and grow their honeymoon and destination wedding planning careers .”

Certified Wedding Planner Program

Students enrolled in Ashworth’s Certified Wedding Planner program receive the same accredited instruction found in its popular Professional Bridal Consulting program. Among the 13 lessons, students will learn:

•   Basics of a successful bridal consulting business: cultivating your professional image; building resources; working with clients; setting appropriate fees.
•   Etiquette, Traditions & Customs.
•   Selecting the right site for different kinds of ceremonies; how to personalize the ceremony for each couple; what you should know about the way different religions celebrate marriage.
•   Budgeting.
•   Dressing the Part: How to shop for and find the perfect wedding dress; bridal accessories; choosing the right attire for the wedding party; proper attire for wedding guests.
•   The Parties: The “hows” and “whys” of the engagement party; bridal and wedding showers; the bridesmaids' luncheon; the bachelor party; the rehearsal dinner; the reception.
•   Planning menus, ordering the wedding cake, contracting musicians, and selecting a qualified florist and photographer.
•   The Honeymoon.
•   Beating Wedding Stress.
•   Starting and marketing your business.

Additionally, through the ABC partnership, not only do Ashworth Certified Wedding Planners gain access to industry newsletters and publications, continuing education, job placement services, advertising, client referral network, industry research and business services; they have the ability to gain further credentials through ABC’s partnership with Sandals Resorts.

“Becoming certified can be a major investment in one’s career,” said Dr. Leslie Gargiulo, Ashworth College’s Chief Academic Officer. “With one in three couples hiring a wedding planner to coordinate the biggest day of their life, certification communicates a mark of excellence and demonstrates having knowledge and skills that other planners don't have.”

“Because Ashworth is an online school, students can start the program at any time, study at their own pace, and take exams online,” Dr. Gargiulo added. “In fact, it’s possible to become an Ashworth College Certified Wedding Planner in as little as six months.”

About Association of Bridal Consultants

The Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) has more than 4,000 members across the US and internationally. The association strives to provide its members with a wealth of professional resources and education programs as well as to promote the industry overall. ABC has corporate alliances with Sandals Resorts, The Knot, Wish upon a Wedding, and NH Hotels.

About Ashworth College

Celebrating 25 years of Educating Minds and Changing Lives, leading online school, Ashworth College has built a tradition of excellence by offering students worldwide an extensive range of online college degrees, online certificate programs, career training and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth offers military education as well as specialized programs for corporate partners and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Peachtree Corners, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Ashworth is parent to James Madison High School which is accredited regionally by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), an accreditation division of AdvancED and further provides career training and vocational programs in the fields of health, business, technology, education, and skilled trades through sister schools PCDI Canada, New York Institute of Photography and Sheffield School.