I was in a very similar position. I did a couple videos for friends and family and realized the potential of doing them full-time. I did the business liscense thing and got started. I edited with Premiere Pro, Authored with Encore DVD, and used Audition for a little bit of audio tweaking. This was really all that I needed.
I would, however, recommend getting a 3CCD camera. No, you don’t need to spend $4500, but you will notice a tremendous differance between a consumer miniDV camcorder, and a 3CCD camera. I would highly recommend Panasonics DVC80. It is no longer manufactured by Panasonic because it was giving the DVX100 too much competition for a fraction of the cost. It is identical to the DVX100 with exception of the progressive formats (which you would not want for weddings…terrible with slow-mo). You can still get the camera from many companys. Just do a google search.
If you are familiar with Premiere Pro, don’t waste your time paying for training. I learned it all on my own. I have picked up a few tricks here and there, but I wouldn’t spend great deals of money on trainings. They teach you 90% what you already know, and 10% of cool (but usually inpractical) tips.
Let me know if you have any other questions. I’d be happy to give my input.
(p.s. Music is one of those shady areas. By law, no, you cannot use any copyrighted music. However, just about any wedding company does it. There are some ways around it, but they involve contracts and usually attorneys.)
NeutaMac