197: $500 for the Hour: The Wedding Officiant Side Hustle
What if you could earn a surgeon's hourly rate without years of school, a huge student loan, or even a related degree? In some places, all it takes is an online ordination, a script, and about fifteen minutes on your feet.
Today we’ll hear from Brad Lau, a wedding officiant who has led over 800 ceremonies and built a business people now pay $500 a wedding for. Brad walks us through how he got started, how he turned his very first nervous, low paying weddings into a stream of five star reviews and referrals, and why he believes stepping in front of a room full of strangers and making them feel comfortable is the real skill behind the job.
But is this side hustle scalable? Brad’s wife has turned it into a full service operation by layering in photography, hair and makeup, florists, and more.
Whether you want to keep this simple as a weekend side gig or turn it into something much bigger, Brad breaks down the real numbers, the marketing strategy, and the mindset that got him started: stop planning to plan, and just start.
Topics covered in this episode:
- How Brad built his first year of bookings starting from zero
- The strategy he follows for turning happy guests into five star reviews
- What officiants actually charge and how and when to collect payment
- How to expand a simple side hustle into a bigger operation
- Why you must check your local requirements before you get started
- Brad's best advice for anyone afraid to start something new
Freebie alert! Brad is offering listeners a free 30-minute video consult to help you get your own version of this business off the ground. Just mention you heard about him on Side Hustle Hero.
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
For the full show notes head on over to the home of Side Hustle Hero. https://www.sidehustlehero.com/197
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