bridebook Archives

Why Wedding Professionals Market Their Business With Bridebook

When it looks too good to be true, it sometimes isn’t.

It’s tough these days trying to decide where your business should feature online, isn’t it?

Resources are often scarce and busy wedding suppliers like yourself don’t always have the time or money to feature on all the platforms that promise to get you noticed.

We get it.

But what if we told you that we’ve got inside information that suggests that there is a ‘magic mix’ of core, online marketing platforms that every UK based wedding supplier must take advantage of to win bookings?

All you need to know to mix your own magic formula are these three little words…

Website, Social, Bridebook.

Let’s break it down…

Continuously invest in your website. Update it, nurture it and promote it. It’s your online business card and portfolio.
Advertise your service or product on social media. Share good feedback, take photos of the weddings you work on and test out paid advertising if you’ve got the budget and the time.
Create a free account and profile on Bridebook Business. The UK’s number one wedding planning platform is currently helping over 100,000 UK couples plan their wedding. How can this huge audience search for you if you’re not listed on the directory? Did we mention it’s free?

The only one of these three magic ingredients that we’re guessing you don’t already know plenty about is Bridebook, so allow us to enlighten you.

Bridebook Business – the free profile that generates over 15,000 enquiries a month

70,000 UK wedding suppliers just like you are currently setting up free Bridebook Business profiles to tap into the whopping 1 in 3 UK couples who’re currently planning their wedding with Bridebook.

100,000 newly engaged people is a whole lot of love; are we right?

Did you know that on average, over 15,000 enquiries are sent to UK wedding venues every month? That’s 100% return on investment.

Of course, the more time you spend updating your profile the better, as Bridebook’s sophisticated algorithm reads the information you provide to put you in front of relevant couples.

So the more information you give the easier you’ll be found by the right kind of couples.

Bridebook was given 4.5 stars for excellence in supporting wedding planning couples and in generating business for suppliers. And you know first hand how trustworthy and important reviews and star rating are.

On that note, we’d like to leave you with a few of our reviews that might encourage you to make the best decision of your business life.

Happy reading.

Oh…and if you’re ready to jump on the Bridebook bandwagon just contact us here.

The Review Centre

Knockwood Bespoke Receptions

“Put simply, it’s such a wonderful advertising platform.
For us at Knockwood Bespoke Receptions, we have only just started out and with money being fairly tight with starting a business, I can’t believe Bridebook is free. We’ve had many more enquiries via Bridebook than I believe we would have without it!”

Kelly J Photography

“Lots of my bookings have come through Bridebook in the last few months, whereas normally directories don’t tend to send much traffic my way.”

James Riley Videos

“Its got me a lot of business, it’s easy to use and not too saturated with people within my profession so you stand out more.”

Innes House

“I usually tell all my couples about Bridebook for planning, I use it too. It’s professional, clean, has really helpful articles, and one of my favourite places for advertising.”

Cripps Barn

“It’s an excellent platform for ideas and support through the wedding planning process, giving you insights to excellent venues and suppliers.”

Neal Laver photography

“In 12 years of business, Bridebook is the only online wedding directory/service that has delivered results for me.”

Contact us now to claim your free Bridebook profile.

How working with a celebrant is a win for wedding professionals.

Couples now, more than ever, are choosing to turn their backs on ‘tradition’ and instead have their big day their way. So it should come as no surprise to wedding professionals that the ceremony, the most important part of the day, would also fall under the same millennial scrutiny.

The question is: is your venue or the services you provide ready to support a non-traditional and perhaps rather unusual ceremony experience?

Here to share her views and tips on how working with a celebrant is a win for wedding professionals is Jeanenne Powell. Jeanenne is a celebrant, assertiveness trainer and all round wedding enthusiast at Inner World Outer Life.

Jeanenne, over to you…

“Having the contacts to recommend others is good for potential business”

“Being inspired by TV wedding reality shows, and paying for the wedding day themselves, couples are less content to settle for having the same as others before them. Wanting a day as unique as possible, suppliers are being turned to for ideas to cater to the unique and truly memorable.

This is where celebrants officiating Celebrant Ceremonies come into their own. More and more couples are opting to wed with the alternative, symbolic wedding celebrations, and vow renewals.

Whatever your wedding industry specialty, having the contacts to recommend others is good for potential clients and business alike. If you find yourself working at a celebrant ceremony of any kind, and like what they do, take their details. If searching first off, meet in person, see if and how you can work well together to add value to the professional wedding experience each party provides.

Ideas on how working with a celebrant can complement what you do:

Venues:

Giving the option for people to have Celebrant Ceremonies makes perfect sense whether you’re already licensed for marriages, not licensed or deciding whether to renew. This is partly due to the legal side of the ceremony being done elsewhere, meaning that couples can truly make all aspects of the day their own. For you, all the associated finances and restrictions of holding civil weddings on site do not apply.

Reception-only venues are really starting to take advantage of the option to hold ceremonies without needing a marriage license by simply setting aside space for the ceremony itself.

On other sites, offering visitors areas of the venue which would normally be off limits for ceremonies helps create a personalised experience. It also gives you a chance to gauge interest in the location before committing the time and money to licence it for marriages in the future.

If you boast a stunning outdoor location, make the most of it without the need to assemble a structure for the couple to get married underneath. Allow the uninterrupted scenery to provide the breathtaking backdrop to your clients’ celebration.

With bookings made so far in advance, and cancellations always a possibility, late bookings can be a dream come true for yourselves and enquiring spouses-to-be. However, popular dates could mean no registrar is available to attend which is where a Celebrant Ceremony can save the day,

With no legal aspect, the wedding can be as private as any other party event. No need for general public access at all.

Photographers and videographers:

Ask the celebrant if there are any specific personal touches happening within the celebration. This can add a further unusual, quirky or romantic twist to capture for the couple and show off your talents.

Wedding Planners:

Part of a wedding planner’s ability to reduce the couples stress levels is to know and offer alternatives. So for couples struggling to match the registrar’s availability with the venue’s, or just wanting something ‘a bit different’, suggesting the idea of a Celebrant Ceremony could be just the solution they are looking for.

Yes, the dress, venue, shoes, flowers and such are all important but don’t underestimate the importance of the actual ceremony. For it’s here that the couple share their commitment to each other in front of those it matters to most – each other and their loved ones.”

For further tips and to discuss holding a Celebrant Ceremony at your wedding venue contact Jeannene at Inner World Outer Life at [email protected].

5 Reasons Why Smart Venues are Hosting Wedding Fairs, Open Days and Events in 2017/18

The buzz around wedding fairs and open days is back, and it’s a couple-attraction technique that all wedding venues and suppliers should look to incorporate into their 2018 marketing plan.

When it comes to showcasing wedding venues, nothing beats an online or offline advertising campaign like a real life tour of the venue itself.

Wedding fairs and open days have the unique, face-to-face ability to make newly engaged couples visualise their wedding day more vividly than any online experience could.

This kind of experience based couple attraction technique is called experiential marketing – or event and engagement marketing – and it’s a technique that’s usually very expensive. That is, unless you ARE the wedding venue in question; in which case it’s a low cost, high impact way to increase wedding bookings in 2018 and beyond.

Creating a real wedding experience for loved-up couples

Experiential marketing – that is, immersing a potential client in a fun and memorable experience that reflects the product of service you’re offering – is an excellent way for wedding industry professionals to create a closer bond between engaged couples and your wedding venue or business.

Think about it…if a wedding venue or exhibiting wedding supplier stirs positive emotions in a bride or groom then they’re far more likely to remember and associate those great feelings with you and your wedding business; which in turn, is likely to lead to more bookings.

Simple.

And it’s a client attraction tactic that wedding venues and suppliers are starting to adopt more often as the true effects of this marketing approach on bookings are realised.

A recent Bridebook Business survey found that of 2,200 newly engaged UK couples surveyed, 63% had attended wedding shows near where they lived and 40% of those couples had attended a wedding fair at the wedding venue they later went on to book.

5 reasons why wedding fairs and open days are becoming increasingly popular

In terms of return on investment, wedding venues do remarkably well out of open days and fairs, as the latest Bridebook survey proves.

But if you still need convincing, here are 5 additional benefits to choosing open days as a sustainable and impactful form of new client attraction in the wedding industry…

1.Group viewings for couples

Wedding venue staff save bundles of time by inviting groups of couples to view their venue and grounds all at once rather than having to dedicate their time to individual meetings.

Your time is valuable but if you want to increase bookings you must make couples feel special when visiting your wedding venue.

When you host a wedding fayre or open day, you can spend time decorating your venue and making it perfect for maximum impact, rather than having to work around existing events and guests – as is often the case when hosting individual meetings with couples.

2. Connecting with fellow suppliers and networking

Wedding fairs provide an opportunity for venues to promote existing, preferred wedding suppliers and meet new local suppliers.

Invite local wedding suppliers along to your open day and invite existing partner suppliers to set up a small stand offering information about their product or service.

When venues can offer couples approved supplier contacts they’re helping to take the stress of organising a wedding and all the little bits that need addressing away from the happy couple.

It’s essential that local wedding suppliers forge strong relationships with each other to help all non-conflicting parties build a presence online and secure more bookings. The alternative to this is to do nothing and let non-local wedding suppliers with bigger budgets dominate your online space and take local business away.

3. The scarcity complex

One key factor in the decision making process for soon-to-be brides and grooms is how desirable a particular venue or wedding supplier seems to be.

Subconsciously as human beings, we want what is perceived to be in demand.

By opening your doors to groups of couples rather than individuals, wedding venues and suppliers can often generate a kind of ‘battle for bookings’ as soon to be newlyweds compete to secure the best day for their big day.

4. Showing off your venue in a number of different themes/seasons

How great is it to be able to show newly engaged couples first hand how your wedding venue looks in spring, summer, autumn and winter? Now that’s a USP!

Nothing is more likely to evoke emotions in visiting couples than being able to serve mulled wine by an open fire at a wedding show in winter, or host games on the lawn during a summer wedding fayre.

Hedsor House & Park host an Indian Summer Inspired Wedding Showcase on 27th September where guests can enjoy a glass of fizz and wander around the grounds at their leisure; taking in the Indian inspired ceremonial seating in the domed hall and viewing first hand how their wedding breakfast could look in the recently refurbished ballroom.

5. Invite existing bookings along too

Couples love to revisit their venue whilst planning their big day and they love to show it off to family and close friends too. Why not invite them all along to your next open day for the sake of ‘decorative inspiration’ and at the same time, boost attendee numbers and show couples potentially looking to book your venue how many other couples are already committed to planning their wedding with you.

This tactic leads us back to the scarcity complex as you’ll be showing newly engaged couples how many others have already chosen to book your venue for their big day.

Wedding fairs and open days are here to stay

Despite experiencing a bit of a dip in popularity a few years ago, the buzz around wedding fairs and open days is back, and it’s a couple-attraction technique that all wedding suppliers should look to incorporate in their 2018 marketing plan.

If saving time and increasing wedding bookings is on your agenda for 2017 / 2018, you’ll want to get in front of the people who matter today.

Do you have a wedding fair or open day that you’re looking to advertise? Share the details with [email protected] and we will share it with our social community of 250K for FREE!

3 Ways to Survive Wedding Season 2018 (that don’t involve wine)

It’s lurking on the horizon…peak wedding season 2018. And whilst we can’t really complain about being busy, we also are.

Fortunately we’ve rustled up three essential survival tips to help you face wedding season 2018 head on. We’re ready for you…

Savvy wedding suppliers know that the best time to build their business is during the quieter months, and that the most surefire way to guarantee optimum efficiency during the peak wedding season is to plan well ahead of time.

Well wave goodbye to spring and brace yourselves folks; the wedding season is upon us!

Whether you’re ready and raring to get started or are a little apprehensive about how well prepared you are for the marital mayhem that lies ahead, we’ve got three essential survival tips to help you make sure that wedding season 2018 is your best yet.

1.Get your house in order

Don’t panic! There’s still time to take stock and make sure you’re organised and prepared for peak wedding season.

Tick these 5 quick wins off your to-do list…

Address those niggly admin tasks that you’re always tempted to leave until the last minute. Stop putting them off…
Renew or sign up for relevant, professional wedding licences, memberships and certifications, like The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners or the National Association of Wedding Professionals.
Wedding venues may need to renew music licences and check insurance premiums.
Dust off your equipment and check that all of your wedding supplies are still suitable and in good condition.
Conduct a quick stock count to make sure you’ve enough of everything to easily meet demand (with contingency built in too of course).

Is your website up to date?

It’s easy to let things slip in quieter periods but actually maintaining your online presence all year round is essential, as although most weddings may take place between now and October, the wedding supplier ‘window shopping period’ for couples happens all year round.

And if you’ve been a little quiet on social media, it’s time to start a conversation and get your followers excited for wedding season 2018/2019.

Did you know that leaving your website stagnant and not updating it with new awards and wedding portfolio pictures can seriously affect your rankings in search results?

Google rates your site based on relevance and freshness, and an easy way to keep things fresh is to start a blog on your website and / or regularly update your portfolio with photographs and editorial coverage of weddings you’ve catered for. Try not to save all your updates and bulk upload them to your website. Drip feeding fresh content onto your site is always best.

Do you have an online presence elsewhere?

It’s also essential that you keep your online profile consistent across all platforms.

Is your Bridebook business profile complete, relevant and up to date?

Your professional image could suffer if you’re telling a different story about your product or services in different corners of the web.

2. Check your resources

As you’re gearing up for the get go, conduct a quick SWOT analysis of your team and identify where any strengths and weaknesses lie in your team’s skill sets. If necessary, provide training. Otherwise, make sure every member of your team understands the valuable role they play in delivering the best possible service and ensuring this year’s wedding season is one to remember.

Your people are your best brand assets and advocates so ensuring that they are confident, organised and fully informed of their duties will reflect well on your brand when they’re working at your events.

Try and coach your team to a level of efficiency and mastery that enables you to delegate some of the ‘doing’ to them, therefore freeing up more of your time during the busy wedding season. You can then dedicate your efforts on building your business, winning bookings, being present at events and developing your brand.

You could consider outsourcing certain tasks and responsibilities without adding the pressure of a full time overhead. Look into using virtual assistants or freelance / part time receptionists, bookkeepers and marketers. If you think your time is better spent on managing and developing your craft, enlist the help of administrative support to help you keep on top of the day to day necessities. A freelance junior marketer or admin assistant could keep your website, social media channels and online profiles up to date.

3. Prepare a plan

Use your bookings calendar to work backwards from each wedding you’re booked for and ensure you’ve plenty of time to complete all the tasks you need before each of your client’s big days. You should go into the wedding season with a clear idea of what is needed and by when to avoid any last minute panicking.

Don’t allow your schedule to get out of hand and make sure you build in some time to actually run your business and complete necessary tasks like emails, calls and website and social media updates. You should also schedule in weekly or monthly business performance recaps if possible to ensure everything is on track and that your wedding business is running as smoothly as possible.

And lastly but by no means least. be sure to book in some ‘me time’ to help you recharge your batteries. If you don’t give yourself the down time you deserve, you won’t perform to the best of your abilities and you could risk burning out.

You’re ready to take the wedding season 2018 by storm

Peak wedding season is a really exciting time to be a wedding supplier and you deserve to enjoy it too.

The key to sailing through the season and having your best year yet lies in the preparations you make today. Remember, those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

We plan to sail.

Want more tips and tricks as to how to grow and market your wedding business? Like the Bridebook Business Facebook Page and receive weekly updates from industry experts and thought leaders across the UK.

Keep your Bridebook profile up to date and relevant by logging in and editing your Business Account HERE. Once updated, you will instantly increase your profile searchability and are able to connect with our community of 40,000 couples. In short, spend a little time adding photos, videos, and information you love about your business now, and benefit later!

Why reviews and recommendations are a wedding suppliers best friend

According to the latest UK Wedding Report 2018, couples now rank reviews (62%) as the most important resource when finding wedding suppliers.

Think about it. Whether you’re married or not, wouldn’t you choose a venue, photographer or florist that has 5-star reviews over another very similar supplier that has no documented feedback on their services?

And whilst advertising your supplier products or services online via your website, through paid and organic social media posts or at wedding fairs is important for building awareness and supporting decision making, couples are likely to base their final booking decisions on recommendations and reviews.

So we’ve gathered that they’re important. Now it’s time to consider how we best request and collect the feedback from our dearly beloved clients.

Whilst many elated couples will assure you that they are going to write you a review after the big day, wedding suppliers often find that actually getting clients to follow through with writing the recommendation can be difficult and time-consuming.

Why not remind brides and grooms to leave you a review using one of these decidedly different tactics:

1. Put it on Paper

Send your happy clients a ‘congratulations on your wedding day’ card and inside it, just after you sign off the card, ask them if they’d kindly post a review for you. This may cost money and demand a little extra thought and time than an email would but it is far more personal and will mean more to couples, which is likely to inspire action.

Plus the cost of a congrats card far outweighs the benefits of a great review. Think of it as your next potential booking costing 99p!

You could even go one step further and send your clients a first-year anniversary card. The likelihood is that they’ll have engaged friends of a similar age and this gesture could result in a personal recommendation and potential new client coming your way.

2. Subtly remind the world of how great you are

Use social media to share some of your existing reviews. Not only does this act as promotion for your wedding business but – assuming that they have followed you or liked your page – your latest clients will come across this feedback on their feeds which will act as a subtle memory jog for them to write you that stonking review at long last.

Tip – if you pressure people too much it can actually put them off of leaving you a review. Similarly, be careful not to make your social media accounts too self-promotional. Let past, ‘happy clients’ do most of the talking for you.

The trick to building reviews is to perfect at which point you verbally ask for a review (when your client is happy, relaxed and impressed) and in how you follow up this request. You’ll have gotten to know the personalities of your clients and whether they’re more ‘formal email’ people or social media savvy millennials, so tailor your communications to suit each of them for the best chance at succeeding.

Did you know that registered venues on Bridebook with reviews and testimonials are 2.3 times as likely to receive an enquiry?

Ping out your Bridebook URL on social media channels and ask couples you’ve worked with to share their feedback, just as wedding venue Hedsor House has.

So once you’ve gathered your reviews, where to post them?

The first place to post any reviews is on your wedding website – and not just on the testimonials page. Be sure to leave reviews and recommendations on all pages to maximise the chances of them being seen, and to validate your wedding supplier services throughout the customer journey.

Next, make sure you include good feedback on all marketing collateral. Everything you send out or use to promote your business should be supported by the opinions of happy clients.

That includes featuring reviews on pricing information, business cards, promotional content and videos, emails, blogs, social media posts and even at wedding shows.

Wedding venues should remember to take a photo of any thank you cards and upload them to their website too. Remember reviews come in all formats, and as couples read an average of 7.6 reviews before booking a wedding supplier it’s important that you collect as many as you can and ensure that your reviews are easy to find.

Tip: don’t forget to upload your reviews on Bridebook and then share your profile URL with the world.

Reviews are the best way to showcase your business

Knowing that a supplier has been ‘pre-approved’ naturally gives couples confidence in your ability to provide top notch wedding services for the most important day of their lives.

Get out there are start building your online credibility to win business – and ‘likes’ – in 2017 and beyond.

As Featured On: Personalised Bridebook Business Badges For Your Business.

You’re a part of the Bridebook Business Community and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have you as part of our family.

The Bridebook Business team strives to help and support venues and suppliers pack their calendars full of wedding bookings. We do this daily by matching your business profile to relevant couples searching directly for your business type.

But, what’s the best way to get even more wedding bookings? Spreading the word, of course! Bridebook has launched 3 types of digital badges that can be personalised to your business which, once added, link directly to your Bridebook profile.

Instantly build your industry reputation by adding your personalised Bridebook.co.uk badge to your website or email signature and showcase your profile to potential couples and fellow suppliers.

Here’s a little more about how to find and add your badge:

Where do I find my Bridebook badge?

Your badge is waiting for you in your Bridebook Business account. Simply head to business.bridebook.co.uk, login to your account and select ‘Profile Settings and badges’.

Which badge should I use?

We would recommend using the third badge given that it’s small, link-filled and definitely packs a bright blue Bridebook punch!

However, you have three badges to choose from (lucky you!) and the choice is completely yours. Whether you choose to use one badge or all three, we are happy for you to edit and share them all.

Where should I add my badge?

That is once again up to you! We would recommend sharing the badge proudly on your homepage, but alternatively, if you have a page specifically about weddings that would be great too.

How do I add my Bridebook Badge to my website?

Select the badge you wish to use.
Add your business name to the text box provided and your badge will be ready to integrate into your website faster than you can say ‘wedding booking’!
Select ‘copy to clipboard
Paste the code directly into your webpage’s HTML code.

Sound confusing? Not to worry! You can either contact us at [email protected] OR ask your website developer for a quick helping hand.

How do I add my Bridebook Badge to my email signature?

Copy the second badge image.
Go to your email settings, and paste the image into your signature text box.
Highlight the image and select ‘add link’.
Choose either your bridebook profile url or the bridebook.co.uk url and paste the url into the web address link box.
Select save and you’re good to go.

Over to you!

To update your Bridebook profile and get your brand new badge, login to your Business Account HERE.

Want more tips and tricks as to how to grow and marketing your business? Like the Bridebook Business Facebook Page and receive weekly updates from industry experts and thought leaders across the UK.

Who can I contact for help?

For any questions about your Bridebook Business or your free wedding business account on suppliers.bridebook.co.uk, email our friendly supplier success team at [email protected] who always want to hear from you. We look forward to helping make 2017-2018 a fantastic year for your wedding business!

Bridebook Business: Are we in the midst of a Wedding Industry Revolution?

It’s fair to say that technology and digital innovation has already changed pretty much every industry in some way, and the wedding industry is no exception.

Sure, we can blame ‘the rise of online’ for the outlandish requests we receive as wedding suppliers (I’d like a unicorn, please) or we can accept the challenges and opportunities it presents for us to develop our business, offer something new and drive the UK wedding industry to the next level.

Millennial couples today are presented with an abundance of choice when it comes to perusing wedding venues, photographers and themes (to name a few), and limitless information sharing between couples and wedding suppliers online opens us all up to the latest (and often most outlandish) trends that people are indulging in all around the world.

For couples, the pressure to achieve wedding perfection has intensified as a result of what is shared online because they can see what others have achieved on their big day and naturally, these ‘budget-less’ wedding ideals affect their own wedding expectations.

We seem to exist in a world of ‘wedding extremes’ more than ever before.

On the one hand, we have ‘the spenders’ who’re looking to compete with celebrity-esque wedding ideals. They want the great wall of white flowers showcased at Kim Kardashian’s wedding and the hair and makeup modelled by Michelle Keegan on her big day. On the other hand, we have ‘the savers’ who are rebelling against the idea that you have to spend a year’s’ salary to achieve your dream wedding. These guys aim to create a super modest, stripped back and trendy, low-key day.

It’s fair to say that the wedding industry is a great example of an industry in transition, spurred on by digital advancements and our natural, human responses to them as soon-to-be brides and grooms, and as suppliers too.

Many wedding venues and suppliers are embracing this change and are responding favourably to how the digital revolution has influenced how brides find inspiration, how couples find a venue, and how local wedding suppliers connect and communicate with each other and with newly (and even soon-to-be) engaged couples.

Here are 4 key areas of the wedding industry that we’ve identified as ‘in transition’ and which we think deserve our attention as wedding suppliers of tomorrow.

**1.Are Couples expecting more because of social media?**

In the experience of one of our very own ‘Bridebook’ bride-to-be’s, a discrepancy exists between what couples want from their wedding day based on what they find on social media, and what they can actually get from UK venues and suppliers.

This particular bride to be has been frantically saving pins and posts, and requesting decorations, tableware and dresses from UK wedding suppliers when to her dismay, she discovered that those products only existed in the US at present!

Increased social engagement from across the pond and the use of idea board tools (such as Pinterest) means that UK suppliers face increased pressure to stay innovative on a global level, and it helps to have an eye for trends that seem to be taking off before you’re even asked to cater to them.

Wedding suppliers have to get better at keeping up to date with wedding innovations and quicker at realising change and being able to deliver what couples of 2017 and beyond demand.

It is essential that suppliers are ‘present’ online in terms of advertising their services and monitoring trends. Social media is here to stay and we predict that it will only become more impactful for the wedding industry. Wedding venues in particular (but all suppliers in general) should invest in expert photography and post high-quality images to showcase their products or services online and to help garner greater interest from inspiration seekers.

Image pinning platform Pinterest commissioned a study in February 2017 which found that over 40 million people still “turn to Pinterest for guidance across the wedding planner journey” every year. This Pinterest study also states that 81% of engaged Pinners start planning their wedding on Pinterest before they’re even engaged.

This is proof that focusing your efforts on the ‘engagement’ stage of the client attraction funnel is key, and that if you grab the attention of people in this early ‘ideation’ stage you’re much more likely to convert them into bookings later on in the wedding planning process.

Being noticeable on Pinterest and Instagram, in particular, is proven to sell products in the longer term and garner attention from couples in the inspiration stage.

For further guidance on social growth, visit Bridebook Business Live on YouTube to find out how Bridebook.co.uk grew to 350,000 social media followers in just 12 months!

2.Innovative wedding venues

When our very own Bridebook Bride was planning her wedding, she drove for 35 hours around France to visit 11 venues within 5 days. But what if the venues she’d planned to visit had offered a detailed online look at their building and grounds? She would have been able to spend more quality time looking around a couple of shortlisted wedding venues and with greater intent to place a booking.

Websites with better quality galleries and a larger selection of images of their wedding venue will, of course, impress more couples than those which cannot offer a high quality first and second look during the decision-making stage.

In 2017 and beyond, it is essential that couples can peruse your venue easily, in a detailed fashion and from the comfort of their own home. Couples today will shortlist venues to view and make booking decisions based on what can be discovered and viewed online.

Over the next few years, more and more venue finder tools will exist online and if you fail to secure a presence you’ll fail to be discovered by couples and will, therefore, fail to receive bookings. Featuring your wedding venue on Bridebook is free and can help you get discovered and increase your business leads.

Beyond this, super savvy wedding venues like Brookfield Barn in West Sussex have begun to offer immersive online experiences that enable couples to take 3D virtual reality tours of their venue – helping both in the decision making process and in helping couples to organise their wedding online post-booking.

Imagine how much of a selling point it is for busy couples to be able to show their florist exactly where they’d like certain flowers positioned, digitally, saving all parties concerned a trip to the venue, and preventing wedding venue staff from having to take the time to accompany individuals around their building and grounds. This kind of digital-experiential wedding planning signals the future for the global wedding industry, not just the UK.

3. Live streaming

Many couples are also choosing to live stream their wedding day using tools such as Periscope and Facebook Live – enabling them to share footage of their big day in real time with those who couldn’t make it.

Wedding venues, in particular, should make the most of this trend and ensure that they have a social presence online; advertising the appropriate #hashtag or @handle to enable couples to tag them in live wedding day footage.

This is one of the quickest and easiest ways in which venues can add valuable media footage to their portfolio. It works as free advertising for the wedding venue in question; showing other engaged couples what a wedding at their venue could look like in reality.

4.The latest in wedding photography and videography

Gone are the days of digital cameras on dinner tables. Now the vast majority of couples will engage a professional photographer to capture their entire wedding day at an average cost of around £1,211.

Couples are placing greater importance on capturing their big day in style and are investing more time (and often money) in selecting the right wedding photographer AND videographer.

Do you specialise in both photography and videography?

If you specialise in one or the other, you may want to consider expanding, partnering with another supplier or upskilling to include both as an option in your product portfolio. Videography is fast becoming a wedding standard of the future, and if couples can select one supplier that offers both services at an improved package price, you’ll stand out in the online crowd.

Something you can also expect to be asked more frequently in 2017 and beyond is whether you provide the option to shoot using a drone. Yes, wedding drones! They’re really ‘taking off’ as a photography must-have in the weddings of tomorrow because couples are increasingly keen on having aerial videos and photos of all of their guests with their venue in the background.

Here are 10 of the best RC Drones with a camera if you’re keen to be seen as a forward thinking picture perfect supplier of the skies!

In the world of ‘image capturing,’ it is also worth considering the fact that wedding guests will also be acting as amateur photographers on your client’s big day, and organising digital photographs can be an arduous job for happy couples to face.

You could take your business one step further and depending on your budget and resource, consider offering photo montage services or even developing your own app similar to WedPics, that enables your client’s guests to upload all of their photos in one place. Offering automated ways for your clients to collect, organise and publish their pictures will put your business at a huge advantage in the wedding industry of tomorrow.

Are we in the midst of a Wedding Industry Revolution?

Absolutely, and it’s such an exciting time to exist in the UK wedding industry.

As with all businesses in all industries, those who fail to innovate and keep a finger on the pulse where the latest trends are concerned will struggle to compete for bookings over the coming years.

Be aware of what changes are happening around you because, in the fast-paced world of online, today’s news is tomorrow’s lesson.