Wedding Planner

Certificate Program

The California State University, East Bay Wedding Planner Certificate offers aspiring and practicing wedding planners an education that, since its inception in 1997, has earned national recognition.

The only program of its kind offered on a university campus, hospitality management professionals and associations consider Cal State East Bay's certificate program a benchmark for all other wedding consulting training programs. Instructor, program founder and 25-year hospitality industry veteran Joyce Scardina Becker has planned and coordinated hundreds of weddings, rehearsals and other special events.

Those who take advantage of Cal State East Bay's intensive certificate, endorsed by the Northern California Chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES), will acquire an in-depth knowledge of all facets of researching, designing, planning, coordinating and evaluating weddings. Topics include everything from budgeting and timeline development to wedding customs and wedding industry trends to selecting and managing cake bakers, caterers, florists, musicians, lighting designers, photographers, videographers and others. As part of their coursework, students will put together a staging guide for a simulated wedding.

Classes are held on weekends and are conveniently located in downtown Oakland, making them easily accessible for those who live or work in San Francisco or the East Bay Area. We limit each program to 30 students and so interested students are encouraged to register early.

Program Objectives

• To equip graduates with the knowledge and confidence necessary to enter and excel in the challenging and rewarding field of wedding consulting.
• To give graduates a thorough understanding of the myriad aspects of researching, designing, planning, coordinating and evaluating weddings.
• To prepare graduates to work as either independent wedding consultants or to secure employment as a wedding planner in a hotel, resort, event management firm or other organization.

Who Should Attend

• Individuals who seek to enter the wedding planning field.
• Wedding planners who seek to improve their marketability and have not had the benefit of a university training program.

Program Highlights