When you're considering a wedding planner for your dream day, you might be confused by the fact that some wedding planners say they are certified while others don't mention it at all. What's the difference? Why do they mention it? Is it important to be certified in the wedding planner industry? Excellent questions all.

The short answer is no, a wedding planner does not have to be certified. But the longer answer is that you might want them to be. Here is an explanation of why you might want to make sure your wedding planner is certified.

Certification programs for wedding planners, in all designations from Novice to Master, cover a broad variety of topics. Courses focus on etiquette, sales and marketing, the wedding day, related services, and planning and consulting.

Etiquette can include invitations, announcements, parties, gifts, and even second weddings. From how to address envelopes to selecting the perfect attendant gifts, manners matter. The success is in the details.

Sales and marketing includes marketing, advertising, media relations, company organization and finances. On the surface this may appear to be unimportant but when you look a little deeper, it will become clear. For a wedding planner to be successful, he or she needs to understand the details of working with other business owners, from profit margins to incentives. Even if your wedding planner has an entrepreneurial background, these courses will make them even more business savvy, and that's to your advantage.

In the wedding day part of the curriculum, attention is given to the ceremony and reception. Some of the topics covered include seating arrangements, protocol, catering, rentals, and even at-home functions. This area can also include different major religious ceremonies and common practices.

Related services focus on flowers, fashion, jewelry, gifts, photography, and entertainment. This is the "everything else" part of the certification process.

Planning and consulting focuses on developing the consulting side of a wedding planner business. It also includes handling emotions and people skills ... the one-on-one people part of the business.

So if you would prefer to work with a wedding planner who has had the advantage of all of these types of training, you will want to look for a certified wedding planner. Each wedding planner certification program is different and carries different titles. So be sure you understand the education behind the title. No matter what you decide, certified or not certified, if you "click" with your wedding planner and work together smoothly, your dream day will be a resounding success.