Online Schools? Which ones are worth it?

Hi Everyone!

I would like to first say I am so HAPPY I found this forum! Thanks for all your comments and feedback! I found everything so helpful! I have been debating (like everyone else) whether to choose US Career or Sheffield. After reading this forum from beginning to end (literally), I've finally decided to go with Sheffield. The course information seems more detailed than the other schools I've researched and its the only option with an internship experience. I love the fact that you are taught and guided by REAL Event planners in the industry. The course itself was designed with the help of the co-owner of Always a Bridesmaid in NYC! I have heard nothing but positive comments which makes me eager to enroll! I am currently a corporate event planner in the Pharmaceutical industry. I am looking to switch over to the wedding planning industry, but didn't want a course to bore me with what i already know about planning events. I am excited to hear that those of you who have planning experience still learned a great deal from this course, which is really important to me! Looking forward to enrolling in Sheffield School soon!! This is a great forum and thanks to all for helping me reach my decision! I will surely check in with my progress!!

I would like to thank you all for the informative information being posted on this site. After much research, I have decided on Sheffield School as well. I can't wait to get started on pursuing my dream of becoming a successful event/wedding planner with one day starting my own business; I have planned numerous social events such as baby showers, birthday's and assisted with weddings. I think this course will highlight my social experiences and help me progress in my goals. Thank you Caroline for all of your clarification, you have been a big help in my decision and I look forward to becoming a student of the school real soon!!

Caroline W in New York, New York said: Hi Chandra,

Thanks for you interest in Sheffield! Regarding your specific questions:

1) We do have an A rating with the Better Business Bureau which you can find on their website. We have not chosen to seek BBB accreditation for a variety of reasons. If you are curious about BBB accreditation and what it means I encourage you to check out the info here: newyork.bbb.org/Business-Accreditation/

2)We offer different ways to pay for the course to maximize flexibility for the students, and its a lot for the website. I would be happy to explain it all in full.

Thanks again and all the best,
Caroline

HI CHANDRA,
I AM INTERESTED IN SHEFFIELD AND ASHWORTH FOR JEWELRY
DESIGN. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHICH IS THE BETTER SCHOOL. I HAVE READ AND READ SO MANY COMMENTS GOOD AND BAD ABOUT BOTH SCHOOLS I JUST DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE FROM. BOTH SCHOOLS HAVE A LOT TO OFFER.IF ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE LET ME HEAR FROM YOU.

THANKS
MISTY

I am just beginning Unit 4 in the Sheffield Course of wedding planning, and I just want to say, that I absolutley love it!!! Although it was the 2nd highest priced course (behind QC) I feel it is definatleyy worth the money!!!

Hi, Annette.

What do you like about the training so far?

nmbelton in Washington, District of Columbia said: Hi, Annette.

What do you like about the training so far?

Well, I like the indepth look into different religions and their traditions. As I read, listen and watched the first few lessons, I learned some traditions that I thought were cool and could be incorporated into any ceremony, such as the Jewish tradion of the mother and father both walking the bride and groom down the aisle.

I also liked the look into contracts, and how to handle contracting the caterer, the baker, the florist, the band or DJ and the photographer. I also liked the glimpse into each of these fields so that I have a little bit of knowledge in the specifics of these vendors and their services.

I am currently learning about setting up my business and marketing. This is especially important for my because I plan on starting my own wedding planning firm, not working for someone else. I am extremely excited about the virtual internship, which I should be starting hopefully by the end of the month.

Right now I am organizing my neice's reception, and the information that I have learned so far has been an amazing resource. I am looking forward to starting my new career, and I do think that everything I will need to get started is here.

An addition to the Sheffield School course for wedding planning, I have decided to become a travel agent to supplement my new business. This idea was introduced in my last lesson and I think it is an excellent idea!

Although I can't speak for any of the other wedding planning courses, I strongle recommend the Sheffield School!!

I found a book to aide my Sheffield training called "Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business" by Eileen Figure Sandlin
ISBN 1-891984-74-8.

This book covers more of the business end of Wedding Planning and felt like it was the perfect compliment to the course. I bought the book on ebay for like five bucks.

Klaminack in Marissa, Illinois said: I think I am going to go with sheffield. Everyone on her posted great comments about it and i contacted the ISES and they said Sheffields was acceptable to join their program :)

Hi where did you find this information. This is a big plus for me. I want to be apart of a bridal association but also wanted to join ISES. If Sheffield qualifies then I would rather do that than taking the course at ABC just to join their assocation. I am already going to be a member of a bridal association with The International Institute of Weddings when I get my certificate from them which should be in a few weeks, I just finished my last assignment.

WOW over $1,000 for Sheffield if you use the payment plan and $898 if you pay in full!

For anyone who has finished or will finish thier course soon can you tell me if it includes a lot of information on actually running a wedding planning business or if its mostly wedding planning information.

I might have to find another way to get into the ISES.

Thanks
Angie

Hi Angie,

To clarify - the payment plan option is broken down into small monthly payments which our students agree makes the course cost quite manageable. We also try to work with students as much as possible.

As for your question about starting and running your own business - yes, this is a major topic covered in depth in the course, and we also advise graduates as they enter and move up in the industry. You can find a full course outline on our homepage.

ISES is a great organization, and they do accept Sheffield students. As with any professional organization, if you are truly interested, I recommend you check out your local chapter. They likely have member outreach events where you can find out a good deal about who is involved and what they are doing.

Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. And a warm hello to all Sheffield students here!

All the best,
Caroline

Angie in Brooklyn, New York said: WOW over $1,000 for Sheffield if you use the payment plan and $898 if you pay in full!

For anyone who has finished or will finish thier course soon can you tell me if it includes a lot of information on actually running a wedding planning business or if its mostly wedding planning information.

I might have to find another way to get into the ISES.

Thanks
Angie

Check out that book I mentioned earlier. It mostly covers the business aspect of wedding planning.

The course for Sheffield may look expensive, but try to take a course at a local college and you will pay twice the price. And payments are only $45 a month.

Annette in Altoona, Pennsylvania said: Check out that book I mentioned earlier. It mostly covers the business aspect of wedding planning.

The course for Sheffield may look expensive, but try to take a course at a local college and you will pay twice the price. And payments are only $45 a month.

I took a course already and am waiting for my last review to get my certificate, it totally covered the business parts from A_Z, it covered wedding planning too. I was just wondering about Sheffield because I never heard anyone mention business set up instruction and for that price it definetly should be included since you can know all about weddings and florist and traditions but if you don't know how to set up and run a business its pretty much useless info. Add to that the ability to find all that type of wedding info online for free and the price is just way too high for the course.

I've got a degree from a a CUNY College and my tuition for one semester was $2,000 and that was for six courses not just one. College and a certificate course are like apples and oranges. The cost of college is definetly worth it. There are cheaper wedding planning schools that give great info. I really don't want to be paying for one course for 26 months. Flex pays are great but I also like to look at the end result of exactly how much I'm paying and what I'm getting. $1,000 for a course that doesn't teach me how to run my business is too much for me.

Caroline W in New York, New York said: Hi Angie,

To clarify - the payment plan option is broken down into small monthly payments which our students agree makes the course cost quite manageable. We also try to work with students as much as possible.

As for your question about starting and running your own business - yes, this is a major topic covered in depth in the course, and we also advise graduates as they enter and move up in the industry. You can find a full course outline on our homepage.

ISES is a great organization, and they do accept Sheffield students. As with any professional organization, if you are truly interested, I recommend you check out your local chapter. They likely have member outreach events where you can find out a good deal about who is involved and what they are doing.

Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. And a warm hello to all Sheffield students here!

All the best,
Caroline

Hi Caroline

I looked at your course outline and it is very indepth for wedding planning but there are only four topics for business instruction. The school I chose, the whole first half of the course was business instruction, 177 pages worth. The other half was wedding planning, 148 pages.

I think your school is great if a person really doesn't know anything about weddings because you seem to cover those topics but there really should be more information on the business end in your course at least one whole unit dedicated to it(at the price your charging). The course price is very high and the student would still need to go elsewhere to get the nitty gritty of running the business. The school I went to also offers continuous support, your business featured on thier website, assistance in discounted prices when setting up your website, getting business cards etc. and you automatically become a member of their bridal association upon graduation. They also offer instruction on how to get into hosting Bridal Show

Bridal Shows are a great supplement to a Wedding planning business. Vendors pay you up to $1,000 for a booth. Bridal shows can have 50 to 80 vendors. They provide all the prizes you just pay for the rental space and provide a table and chair. Ok I got off topic.

I don't think your school is bad its just very expensive and I think it should really include more information for that price since other schools that are cheaper do just that. If it ever becomes a requirement for this business for a certificate to come from an accredited school then I'm sure they all will seek that accredidation but for now its not so why pay twice as much.

Hi, Caroline.
As with a lot of the other people in this forum, I too am torn between Sheffield and US Career Institute. As an already established planner yourself, why should I choose Sheffield?

Hi NM,

Thank you for your question. I get that a lot and I will tell you what I always say: I never compare us to other schools and I make a point to not say that we are better or worse than anyone else. I have not taken the programs offered by other institutions and therefore am not in any position to evaluate them.

That said, I can gladly talk (at length!) about all the reasons that Sheffield is great, and why I think our program really prepares you for a career in the industry. But at the end of the day, it's your time and money and you should choose the program that resonates with you.

As always, I encourage anyone who is interested in Sheffield to contact me directly with questions or concerns.

All the best,
Caroline

Hi Angie,

I appreciate all of the concerns you have voiced here. It seems like you are underway with a different program, but if you are still interested or curious I would be happy to speak with you in detail about Sheffield's course, the length, the topics covered, and all of the additional support services.

All the best, as always!
Caroline

Has anyone gone to the International School of Hospitality in Las Vegas or taken their online program? Or does anyone know anything about it? It caught my eye but am not sure how good their program is or if they're even accredited.

I am ready to launch an online program on October 18th which incorporates wedding and event planning training. Completing all 10 courses will take a bit more than a year, but it is quite robust with each 6 week course offered online in a group learning setting and includes guest lectures, video, discussion and chat groups, case studies and feedback from pros. Once enrolled, you can also sign-up for a student membership at ISES! Take a look at it if you want a solid learning experience - www.specialeventsinstitute.com.

Angie in Brooklyn, New York said: Hi Caroline

I looked at your course outline and it is very indepth for wedding planning but there are only four topics for business instruction. The school I chose, the whole first half of the course was business instruction, 177 pages worth. The other half was wedding planning, 148 pages.

I think your school is great if a person really doesn't know anything about weddings because you seem to cover those topics but there really should be more information on the business end in your course at least one whole unit dedicated to it(at the price your charging). The course price is very high and the student would still need to go elsewhere to get the nitty gritty of running the business. The school I went to also offers continuous support, your business featured on thier website, assistance in discounted prices when setting up your website, getting business cards etc. and you automatically become a member of their bridal association upon graduation. They also offer instruction on how to get into hosting Bridal Show

What school did you attend?

Hi Amy I'm thinking about attending Sheffield...any thoughts???

Am in Brooklyn, New York said: Hi I'm a student at Sheffield
It's $28 down and $45 a month
It's a wonderful school!

do they have alot of info for owning a buisness.

Ashlee Farnsworth in Walla Walla, Washington said: What school did you attend?

Hi Ashlee

I took the course by The International Institute of Weddings. Now I'm considering the Wedding and Event Design course by Preston Bailey at the Wedding Institute. That will give me certification as a Wedding Planner and Wedding Designer.

HI,
I was looking for a certificate program to take locally in the Westchester/ nyc area, I already have a Masters in Marketing and am not looking to spend a long period of time on another degree,
I found this program in Manhattan, looking for a classroom not online program. They are accredited by the Institute of Commercial Management- does anyone know what that means?
Can anyone extend thoughts or suggestions, has anyone heard about this program?
Diploma in Event Management (Dip. Event Man.) with PR, Eco-Events & Wedding Planning modules
eventplanningcoursesusa.com/event_management_course_part_time.php

thanks soo much,
Lucy

Hi, I just enrolled in the Sheffield School, and for those of you who are already taking the course, how long did it take you to receive the first unit of materials? I had my transcript sent out by my highschool already and I mailed a check to the school, I didnt do it online... and will I be able to make monthly payments online?

Hi Kimmi,

Welcome to the course! We are glad to have you.

I am the student advisor for the course and I would love to help you. Can you send me an email with your name and student number so that I can look at your record and give you informed answers? You can reach me at wedding @ sheffield. edu.

I look forward to hearing from you. Welcome again!

All the best,
Caroline

Kimmi in Montville, New Jersey said: Hi, I just enrolled in the Sheffield School, and for those of you who are already taking the course, how long did it take you to receive the first unit of materials? I had my transcript sent out by my highschool already and I mailed a check to the school, I didnt do it online... and will I be able to make monthly payments online?

Hi Angie in Brookyln so... have u completed your courses w/QC. I hope u are doing sucessfully! I am looking to enroll anytime now and notice your response on the comment board and looking for experience feedback about the School?

Tracy in Pascagoula, Mississippi said: Hi Angie in Brookyln so... have u completed your courses w/QC. I hope u are doing sucessfully! I am looking to enroll anytime now and notice your response on the comment board and looking for experience feedback about the School?

I sent that course back. I just finished the course with The International Institute of Weddings. It was the right school for me since I already know so much about weddings. What I didn't know was how to run a Consulting business. It completely covered that from A-Z. The whole first half was nothing but business prep. The second half was wedding planning.

Good luck finding a school that is right for what you need. That is important.

Tracy,

It is absolutely essential to find the right school for you to jump start your Event and Wedding Planning career :).

Everyone has different needs and different learning patterns.
Our course is very flexible so that we can address the needs of each individual. Each unit, including the complete business training, builds on the previous unit.

Give us a call if you have any questions! We’re always around to help!

Shirley

Tracy,

It is absolutely essential to find the right school for you to jump start your Event and Wedding Planning career.

Everyone has different needs and different learning patterns.
Our course is very flexible so that we can address the needs of each individual. Each unit, including the complete business training, builds on the previous unit.

Give us a call if you have any questions, we’re always around to help!

I am getting into the wedding planning courses myself. I have narrowed it down to USCI and Sheffield. Mainly because if you go to the DETC you will find that these two schools are accredited and that is a valuable thing to know. I am just unsure which course to take. Can we merge them together and it be ok. :) Can anyone help me out?

andri in Livonia, Michigan said: Hi Caroline,

I have a few questions for you. First, does Sheffield have an accredited event planning program that will count towards getting certified through ISES? I am planning to pursue owning a business in Event Management, specializing in corporate, social, and celebrity events. What would you suggest to be the best route in getting experience in the event industry...internships, employment, etc.? Also, does Sheffield offer studies soley in Event Planning instead of Wedding and Event Planning?

Thank you in advance for any information that you may provide.
Andri

Hi! I am looking into finding a school for event planning, just like you! I came across that we live in the same area and that you wanted to own your own event planning company, which I think is great! So I thought maybe we could keep in contact, get our certificates, and maybe work together? I currently have an Associates Degree in Business, which could help out.
Would
Love to hear from you!

Hi all

As I've said before I just finished the course with Superweddings.com and the course work was fabulous. Since I do want to have more than one certificate and be able to join more than one Bridal Association I have been on the hunt for another school.

I came across Weddings Beautiful Worldwide and they are currently running a special on thier course. $495 or $40 each assignment. The course work looks good and you get to advertise on their site and join their worldwide association (same with Superweddings.com). When your finished you get your cert for wedding planning specialist.

Just thought I would post them since they are running a very good special right now. You can't beat $495!

Their registration page doesn't seem to be working. Hmmmmm.... interesting.

WEDDINGS BEAUTIFUL WORLDWIDE REVIEW

So I sent them an email about the registration page and received an email back right away offering assistance. I tried it again and had no problem getting signed in. I paid in full instead of using the $40 per chapter route and downloaded the entire course. It only took about five or ten min. I have skimmed through the chapters and have to say it filled with information and is written very well. The extra benefits this company offers for your business is excellent at this price. The assignement are very thought provocative and will get you prepared for handeling situations that you will face in your career. The regular price is a bargain but the $200 discount they are offering now bringing the cost down to $495 is outrageous!

I definetly recommend anyone who hasn't chosen a school yet or who is looking for a second certificate with the ability to join another bridal associationg check out their website. Send them an email and asks questions. When I find a good deal I definetly like to spread the goodness. I know alot about weddings already but this will definetly help me.

So for $990 I will have two certificates, be in two bridal associations and receive some great benefits from each school
in helping with setting up and marketing my business. I think I got a fabulous deal.

The International Institute of Weddings and Weddings Beautiful Worldwide are two great courses and will completely prepare you to get your business going not just in teaching you what you need to know but also in helping you get your business up and running and advertising. The assignements really get you ready and confident.

Good luck to all!

Is anyone taking the event planning program offered by Jill Moran @ specialeventsinstitute.com? I think the program started in October of this year.

nmbelton in Washington, District of Columbia said: Is anyone taking the event planning program offered by Jill Moran @ specialeventsinstitute.com? I think the program started in October of this year.

I am finishing up with Course 1 with the Special Events Institute (www.specialeventsinstitute.com) and I already signed up for Course 2 - Event Marketing. The course is great. There are other students in the course that you interact with over forums and posts. I have found that the content and material to be highly useful. It seems that every student had a different background: corporate event planner, wedding planner, non-profit development officer, business-owners, event designers, and even some that have never planned an event before. The instructor is terrific - she has so much experience (we use the books she has written in the course- starting your own home-based wedding planning/event planning business) and she gives great feedback on all assignments and posts.

I did the Penn Foster Bridal Consultant Certification program in 2008 - and although Penn Foster was a bit less expensive, I have already learned much more in ONE course at the Special Events Institute. The pace is very manageable (I work as a full-time event planner), the course is interactive (with instructor and other students) and the content is REALLY current (unlike Penn Foster). By taking courses through the Special Events Institute, I am able to join ISES at the much reduced student rate. I highly recommend this course - hope this helps!

Let me know if you have any other questions. I start Course 2 in January and I saw that Course 1 will run again in January as well. Good luck!

Event Training USA offers Accredited Online and Evening Courses in Event Management. For more information Email lauren@eventtrainingusa.com or visit our website at www.eventtrainingusa.com

Hi,
I read all of you comments...

I don't know if it is better to go to Sheffield or USCarrerinstitute...
Have you all finish your program?What did you think about it?
Which one has accredditation? is the certificate enough?

I wouldn't know. Still deciding between George Washington University and U.S. Event Guide.

Also... I am not looking to learn only about wedding planing but more about event planning in general...

nina0907 in New York, New York said: Also... I am not looking to learn only about wedding planing but more about event planning in general...

I would recommend Special Events Institute. By completing the course, you receive a Certificate in Special Events Planning - you're really getting a strong overall training in all events. Once I finish the first 5 courses I plan to get a Masters Certificate in Wedding Planning. I believe there are also Masters Certificates in social events, corporate events, non-profit events and community events as well. Good luck!

I am graduating in may of 2011, and there are so many things I am interested in. I know do not want to attend a 4 year college, I am really wanting to go into a career with wedding planning. My only problem is there is so many options and I don't know how to decide. I want to be certified, I would feel better, even though its not required. I am hoping to run my own small business, so I will need some help learning the legal sides of running a business. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
Abigail

Hi, Abigail.

I have written a book - How to Start a Home-based Wedding Planning Business - it just won an award for Best Industry Contribution from the International Special Events Society. I think you would find it very helpful. You can find it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I have a companion book (HTSHB Event Planning Business) as well and have developed an online education program for Event Planners (www.specialeventsinstitute.com). Courses start up again on Jan. 3rd, so check it out if you are interested. You can study from home, but there are forums, discussions with other classmates and an interactive portion of the program. It will also prepare you to study for the CSEP, which is a well respected certification from ISES. The best way to learn is to complement study with hands-on, so if you can intern or apprentice with a seasoned planner and help out on some events or weddings that's always good. It doesn't guarantee you will learn all the right tricks of the trade, so consider education as well. There are conferences you can attend which are also helpful. I learned from trail and error and creating contingency plans to avoid disasters. In running a wedding or event business, you have to have a business hat on as well as a creative one. It takes lots of juggling, but also, the wisdom and sense to know when to ask for professional help when you need it. Best of luck!
Jill Moran, CSEP

DC events in Arlington, Texas said: Does anyone have any reviews on QC's program? Since I plan to own my own business I find the offer of business start up tools very tempting but I want to know how good the information if anyone here has enrolled and could provide feedback on QC that would be great!

I am taking the QC IEWP course. It is wonderful! I am an event planner for the University of Virginia and it is extremely helpful. It provides you a lot of "Starting your Own Business" information and step by step instructions on how to hold a well thought out event. I am very pleased. I am on my last assignment. I started in October and am finishing up now. Should be done in a few days.

Hi Cody,

So it takes about 2-3 months to complete de course?

Is QC IEWP centered around wedding planning or is it any event in general?

Abigail in Wheatland, Missouri said: I am graduating in may of 2011, and there are so many things I am interested in. I know do not want to attend a 4 year college, I am really wanting to go into a career with wedding planning. My only problem is there is so many options and I don't know how to decide. I want to be certified, I would feel better, even though its not required. I am hoping to run my own small business, so I will need some help learning the legal sides of running a business. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
Abigail

The International Institute of Weddings is a great course to take for Running a Wedding Planning Business. I just received my certificate from them and learned so much! I also recommend the course by Weddings Beautiful you will learn a great deal about weddings from that course. The two together is cheaper than most courses you will find out their and they really do teach you all you need to know to get started running a business. Trust me you don't have to pay a great amount to get the skills and tools you need to start your business. In addition to learning what you need without extra fluff both schools I mentioned above stay with you throughout your career and offer helpful tools and discounts for the things you need to run your business and they both offer association membership.

Check them both out. I highly recommend them both for learning exactly what you need for the best price out their. You work at your own pace which is great and again I can't stress the price is fabulous and the cheapest out their. This is one time when the negative saying you get what you pay for does not apply. You get tons and tons of information and it is all relevant and helpful.

Good luck with your studies.

Sorry I know I used the wrong their throughout my post. Sometimes I get brain freeze. lol

I have been considering a course in wedding planning for some time. Just recently I seriously sat down to check out my options online. The first one I came across was the International Institute of Weddings. I was immediately impressed by the scope of subjects covered in their course; especially the business end. I am a college grad with a Masters but I would like to go into this business when I retire or perhaps sooner. The price is right there on the website for all to see. It is affordable. I can make payments or pay in full. Since I have been doing wedding planning on an informal basis for years with friends and family, I feel it is time to learn more about the business from the ground up. I think The International Institute of Weddings is the choice for me. Thanks to everyone on here for your input.

Hey Angie in Brooklyn!
I am starting out in the Event/wedding industry. I only know of weddings by helping my best friend and my own wedding.

I wish to enroll in the right school that has emphasis on both business side of things and the event! Im stuck on QC School and possibly Sheffield. Could you assist?

I do plan on join ABC association in the end of the program. I need to verify if both schools will accept my training.