QUESTIONS?
Here you’ll find answers to all the most common questions that arise. However if anything is unclear or you have not been able to find what you were looking for, please contact us on 0208 404 2525 or email us via the Contact page above.
AP are one of the longest established wedding planning course providers in the UK, training students and brides-to-be in the art since 2007!
We pride ourselves on delivering what many in the industry see as the most extensive wedding planning training courses available, with our First Class course covering just about every conceivable aspect of designing, planning and managing a client’s (or your own!) wedding from scratch. We also teach you how to set up and run your own wedding and special event business.
Although we focus on weddings, the training equips you with the knowledge, confidence and skills to plan a variety of special events such as children’s parties, birthdays, anniversaries, bar/bat mitzvahs and even conferences and corporate events because let’s face it, if you can plan an event as complex and intense as a wedding you can plan practically any other event imaginable!
All our courses are recognised throughout the wedding planning industry and by relevant employers, both here in the UK and overseas.
Absolute Perfection is registered with the UK Government Department of Education’s Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP) – our UKPRN is 10019838.
And our training is approved by The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP) – the UK’s premier wedding planning association that works towards raising standards and promoting professionalism within the wedding industry.
Our First Class Advanced Course is benchmarked Level 4 on the UK Government’s Ofqual Qualification Framework.
Our Advanced Course is benchmarked Level 3 on the UK Government’s Ofqual Qualification Framework.
Our Short-Course is benchmarked Level 2 on the UK Government’s Ofqual Qualification Framework.
Click Syllabus tab at the top of the page to view the topics in depth.
TIP: We suggest that you carefully compare our syllabus with any others you find. Unfortunately some course providers indicate that a topic is covered but then simply scratch the surface rather than provide any in-depth analysis or commentary. This view is borne from the fact that we receive a steady flow of disappointed students who come to us after enrolling elsewhere.
To date (May 2020) as far as we are aware, no other course providers offer any clarification regarding the depth of their courses. Our First Class Course is 236,000 words, 505 A4 pages with an average 465 words per page. It’s a truly mammoth resource, developed over 17 years. In our professional opinion, no other wedding course in the UK or even Europe comes close!
It is a little known fact that you will learn considerably more from a Tutor-led, home study wedding planning course such as ours than you would in a classroom where you are expected to vye for attention with a dozen other students of random, abilities, aptitudes and skill sets! It's common sense really since they do take longer to complete.
Hence, designed to offer you maximum flexibility, all our courses are tutor-led, distance learning programs. This means you can STUDY FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL TUTOR! You can also fit your studies around your individual lifestyle.
Our First Class Advanced Course is spread over 33 Units and each topic is examined in depth and clearly explained in lay-mans terms. At the end of each unit there are one or two questions and an assignment to complete. Should you find that you require assistance from your tutor at any stage, he or she is always available to promptly answer your questions and deal with your enquiries. The format is the same in the Advanced and Short courses although naturally they cover fewer topics.
All courses are supplied electronically and the materials are yours to keep. This format provides us with the unique ability to update, develop, revise and refine the courses on a regular basis. It also enables us to provide enrolled students with free updates and upgrades. To date there have been 7 major upgrades since April 2008 and 3 minor ones. The next major update is due out in April 2020 - Version 11 is set to be our biggest and best yet!
For your convenience and our swift processing your work is expected to be completed submitted for review and assessment via email.
Upon completion of your training you will have graduated from the Absolute Perfection Wedding Academy having attained a Certification, Advanced Certification or First Class Advanced Certification in Wedding Planning, Design & Management, obviously depending on which course you enrolled on. You will be graded PASS, MERIT or DISTINCTION in your appropriate class and receive 2 certificates: one for your office and one for your website.
We suggest all students enrol on our First Class program but there are alternatives if you prefer. Choose from:
- First Class Advanced Certification - one of, if not the best in the UK!
- Advanced Certification - this one is comparable to many other online wedding planning courses.
- Short Course Certification - perfect for those in a rush or if you are not sure wedding planning is for you!
The First Class Advanced Course is designed to be completed in 9-12 months, but you can take up to 18 months if you wish. And if you then find you need an extension, the option is there at no extra charge if you are close to completing the course. Most students hold down permanent jobs and study in their free time. Complete 1 unit a week and you will graduate in 9 months. Aiming for 9 months, it's pretty intensive training. Most students between 16-18 months to complete the program.
The Advanced course has less coursework and will take approximately 6 months to complete, but you have up to 12 months if you wish. Again, if you need more time the option is available. Most students take 6-9 months to complete the training.
Whereas the Short-Course is assessed by a short Q&A test and can be completed in a few months. It is aimed at students in a rush to complete the training, those unsure if wedding planning is for them or brides looking for some low cost professional guidance and advice when planning their own wedding. Naturally the level and grade of certificate will vary depending on your chosen course.
First Class Advanced Certification In Wedding Planning, Design & Management: £949.99 by bank transfer | £981.26 by card.
Advanced Certification In Wedding Planning, Design & Management: £649.99 by bank transfer | £672.08 by card.
Short-Course Certification In Wedding Planning, Design & Management: £449.99 by bank transfer | £464.99 by card.
Contact us for bank details. Cards incur 3.4% paypal handling fees.
Instalment plans also available, see below for details.
Card Payments: Just click ENROL at the top of the page and follow the steps. (In essence, Paypal will take your contact details and payment for the course fees and notify us immediately. We will then email you an enrolment form for you to complete and return. A tutor will then be allocated to you and the materials dispatched).
Bank Transfers: Contact us for bank details.
Instalment Plans: See Instalment FAQ below.
You can now pay for the First Class & Advanced courses in 3, 6 or 9 monthly instalments. There is a small administration charge applicable to instalment plan enrolments to cover the extra time it takes for us to provide and manage this additional service.
FIRST CLASS ADVANCED (via bank transfer/standing order)
3 Month Plan = deposit of £376.66 then 2 monthly instalments of £316.66. Total cost: £1009.99 (includes 6.3% admin fee, total £60.00)
6 Month Plan = deposit of £258.33 then 5 monthly instalments of £158.33. Total cost: £1049.99 (includes 10.5% admin fee, total £100.00)
9 Month Plan = deposit of £255.55 then 8 monthly instalments of £105.55. Total cost: £1099.99 (includes 13% admin fee, total £150.00)
ADVANCED (via bank transfer/standing order)
3 Month Plan = deposit of £276.66 then 2 monthly instalments of £216.66. Total cost: £694.99 (includes admin fee of £45.00)
6 Month Plan = deposit of £208.33 then 5 monthly instalments of £108.33. Total cost: £729.99 (includes admin fee of £80.00)
9 Month Plan = deposit of £222.22 then 8 monthly instalments of £72.22. Total cost: £749.99 (includes admin fee of £100.00)
Card Payments are processed online on the ENROL page and are subject to Paypal handling fees of +3.4%. When making the first payment, Paypal will take your contact details and first instalment of the course fees and notify us. We will then email you an enrolment form for you to complete and return. A tutor will then be allocated to you and the materials dispatched.
We have lots of past and present students happy to provide a reference, available on request so please just ask.
Until a couple of years ago we advertised on the HotCourses website and it was a popular location for student reviews - 30 at last count, most of them 5 stars! Unfortunately when we stopped advertising with them our reviews were removed. We do however have screenshots of the reviews - all available upon request. Just drop us an email and we will send the files over.
In a student survey, 100% would recommend our courses to others and 91% said tutorial feedback was excellent. And many of our students tell us they choose our course after evaluating all the other courses out there. We suggest you do the same!
Typical Student Comment: “ …I googled wedding planning courses, researched via forums, social media and websites. I also reviewed countless courses before considering your course to be the best by far!” Philippa
We have a track record of producing first class wedding & special event planners, a selection of which are listed below. If you wish to speak to any of them let us know and we will formally introduce you.
Melanie, Cranberry Blue – www.cranberryblueweddings.co.uk/ – multi-award-winning and one of the UK’s most recognisable planners!
Lisa, Carmela Weddings – www.carmelaweddings.co.uk/ & www.planningredefined.co.uk – recent graduate well on way to establishing herself.
Mary, Mary Cushen Weddings – www.marycushenweddingplanner.co.uk – a rising talent and one to watch out for!
Rianna, Mango Pie – www.mango-pie.com/
Rachel, Bijou Venues – www.bijouweddingvenues.co.uk/
Pauline, Clerkenwell Green – www.clerkenwellgreen.com/
Ciara, Mosimanns – www.mosimann.com
Ben, Peyton and Byrne – www.peytonandbyrne.co.uk
Yvonne, Ambience Venue Styling – www.ambiencevenuestyling.com
Kerry, Teokath London – www.teokath.co.uk
Nadine, Bovingdons – www.bovingdons.co.uk
Olga, Flower Station – www.flowerstation.co.uk
Nikki, Bermuda Bride – www.bermudabride.com
Maria, Kensington Roof Gardens – www.virginlimitededition.com/en/the-roof-gardens
Sarah, Pronuptia Paris – www.pronuptia.com
Katie, Upper Street Events – www.upperstreetevents.co.uk
Candy, Rhubarb Events – www.rhubarb.co.uk
Kelly, National Trust Morden Hall – www.mordenhall.com
Theressa, Hariindah – www.hariindah.com
Sylvia, Levy/Compass Group – www.levyrestaurants.co.uk
Petra, Bellus Events – www.bellusevents.com
Elvira, Garden Museum – www.gardenmuseum.org.uk
Nic, Beautiful World Tents – www.beautifulworldtents.co.uk
Kelly, Sporting Ideas Events – www.sportingideas.com
Emma, Grovesnor House Hotel – www.marriott.com/
Inma, Paris Berlin Weddings – www.parisberlinbodas.com
Steph, Monet Events – www.monetevents.co.uk
Jen, Planned2Perfection – www.planned2perfection.co.uk
Victoria, Event Travel Mgmt – www.traveletm.com/
Victoria, Without A Hitch – www.withoutahitch.co.uk/
Marketa, Wedding Design Cz – www.weddingdesign.cz
Nicola, Lower Grenofen – www.lowergrenofen.co.uk
Hector, Boda Tip – www.bodas.com.mx/
Nic, Helms Briscoe – www.helmsbriscoe.com
Kelly, Warren House – www.warrenhouse.com
Lynda, Hia Magazine – www.hiamag.com
Helena, Canizaro House – www.hotelduvin.com/locations/wimbledon
Student work placements arise throughout the year and include shadowing opportunities, on-site assistant coordinator roles and assisting us during busy periods as required (for example with venue and supplier searches).
Positions also arise via our Student & Graduate Coordinator scheme (previously known as the Bride on a Budget service), whereby we match a student or graduate with a suitable couple requiring assistance with their wedding/civil partnership – from Full Coordination to On The Day coordination, venue and supplier searches, design and styling, advice on trends etc.
It is also worth noting that many of our students independently succeed in finding placements with local venues and with other planners, often due to the fact that they are AP students!
Unlike some other course providers, we don’t bundle inferior, cheap wedding planning software with our course materials, despite being offered financial incentives to do so! Instead, as you can see we have negotiated some exceptional deals for students on a range of leading industry software titles! Choose from:
50% Off Ido Wedding & Event Professional – the worlds best wedding planning software program (we know, we have trialled them all!)
65% off Sample Board – it’s a great online, digital mood board creator
Free trial plus discount on the highly regarded Events Clique’s 3D Event Designer software.
However if you don't want to splash out on software just yet, we will provide you with a range of useful Office files and templates (eg, client presentation files, databases, spread sheets, timetables, schedules, RSVP management files, seating plans, floor plans etc) to enable you to set up and run your wedding planning business.
Our aims and objectives are to introduce you to the complex role of the wedding planner and provide you with the necessary knowledge, understanding, skills, tools and insight to help you to develop and ultimately succeed as a professional wedding planner, consultant or coordinator.
No previous experience required other than a keen interest in the industry. The type of people who enrol with us include:
People who are methodical, creative and possess an eye for detail
People who are ready to run their own business
People who have planned their own weddings and now wish to build a career within the wedding industry
Professionals such as venue managers wishing to offer an in-house wedding planning service
In-house event planning staff looking to develop their own knowledge, skills and services
Wedding services such as florists who wish to offer additional aspects to their service
Brides-to-be who want some low cost professional guidance on how to organise their own wedding
As previously indicated, you will learn considerably more about about wedding design and planning in an advanced home study course such as ours than you would in any classroom based course. It comes down to depth, detail, time and money.
If we were to deliver our First Class Advanced Certification in a classroom environment, you would be expected to spend iro 20 full days in the classroom over a 12 month period (not including coursework, completed in your own time). Accounting for additional classroom hire and tutorial fees, the course fees would soar to around £6k! And Tutors would have to commit to a timetable of fixed weekend dates over a 12 month period and that’s just not feasible!
But if you do have your heart set on a short classroom based course, we suggest you check out the UKAWP.
Aside from the fact it’s a natural progression for established businesses in any industry to offer training courses – it’s also down to the basic principles of supply and demand.
In the years before we set up our first course back in 2007, we were inundated with enquiries from people wanting to know the best and/or easiest route into wedding planning. Most had no experience so we simply advised them to undertake a course that was run by a competitor at the time.
If the truth be known, we thought they were mad training potential competitors. However, we soon realised that there were lots of people determined to break into the industry. And that there was a market for wedding planning courses. So if they were going to do a course, they might as well do ours! It's pure and simple business sense.
Popular reasons that students choose to enrol with us include:
- Personal recommendations from friends or from members of the industry
- Widest range of topics covered
- 1-to-1 tutorial service
- Free upgrades and bonus packages
- Overall value for money
When choosing a course start by comparing syllabus, content and structure.
Next, find out how up-to-date it is. Some are 3 or more years out of date – that’s a long time in this fast moving industry.
Then decide which format to opt for – class room or home study? Classroom based courses are certainly beneficial for some students but home study courses cover a wider variety of topics in greater depth.
We also suggest you ask about the tutors. Are they full time tutors? If so, why have they stopped planning weddings?
Finally, ask the provider whether the course was written for the American, Australian or the UK market. Many distance learning courses were written for the American or Australian markets and imported here to be resold. They do not compare to courses written specifically for the UK market, despite what you might otherwise be told.
1 May 2020 – Version 11 Launching 20 May 2020!
Version 11 is the result of a 5 month review in which we will have entirely updated, refined and enhanced our training program in order to bring you what we believe will be the most up-to-date, advanced and informative wedding planning training courses available today! All students enrolled will automatically receive a free copy!
Take a look at the following article on our blog: HOW TO BECOME A WEDDING PLANNER on our blog. It offers a wealth of useful information and guidance for anyone aspiring to become a wedding planner.
We now have a selection of optional upgrades available to students who enrol on our Advanced or Short Courses and subsequently decide that they want access to additional services and content that are otherwise only available to our First Class students. There is also the option of getting a copy of Version 12 of the course when it launches late 2021.
9 Month's Graduate Mentoring
You can now gain access to your Tutor for up to 9 months after graduating, to help guide, advise and assist you with any wedding related matter, including setting up and running your own business. Includes up to 8 hours access time within a 9 month time-frame.
NOTE: Only available to Distinction & Merit grade graduates of the Advanced course.
Price £599.99
Business Contract with Terms & Conditions
This is the business contractual agreement you will use when you sign and book a client. It will outline your services, fees and obligations to the client and makes clear your own booking terms and conditions. It also outlines the client's needs and requirements and their expectations from you.
Price: £299.99
Database of First Class Venues, Services, Suppliers & Resources
Provides details of more than 8000 UK wedding venues; hundreds of first-class UK vendors, services and suppliers, plus all the best resources for tracking down ten's of thousands of the finest, most suitable suppliers for your clients.
Price: £149.99
Version 12, Due Out Late 2021
Please note, you can only choose a copy of the course you enrolled!
First-Class: £250.00
Advanced: £150.00
Short-Course: £75.00
To purchase an upgrade, please email Administration.