bridebook business Archives - Page 7 of 7

3 Ways Wedding Venues and Photographers can Market together

In a world where competition is rife, isn’t it nice to think that wedding suppliers could help each other out? Here are 3 ways in which wedding venues and photographers can team up for maximum marketing opportunities…

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” – Helen Keller

Where no conflict of interest exists, why wouldn’t we form a partnership and support each other’s efforts?

Wedding venues and wedding photographers still typically tend to go it alone where marketing is concerned. But why, when the products and services at each others disposal are so perfectly fitting as the ideal marketing vehicle?

Wedding venues rely almost exclusively on photographs to sell their locale to newly engaged couples. They compete online with other local wedding venues firstly on aesthetics, and then on details such as price, package, dates etc.

And with so many competing venues showcasing beautiful imagery on their websites and sharing exquisite photographs on Facebook, Instagram and other social feeds, it’s never been more important for wedding venues to feature unique, artistic photography.

Similarly, wedding photographers are fast becoming hailed as one of the most important investments for couples getting married in 2017 and beyond. But competition is stiff.

What better way to get noticed for your photography skills than to photograph some of the most superb wedding venues in the UK, add them to your portfolio and share them online?

3 ways in which wedding venues and photographers can work together

1. Remember to tag each other when you promote your weddings online

Ok this may seem like an obvious one but it’s surprising how many wedding venues and photographers still don’t tag each other when sharing photographs on social media.

This is one of the easiest ways for both parties to extend the audience reach of their posts and get their content seen and shared by more people.

Clearwell Castle has the right idea. Here, they’ve re-posted a photograph taken at their wedding venue; remembering to tag the all-important photographer.

2. Extend photo opportunities beyond weddings

Blenheim Palace is a wedding venue that’s truly realised the benefits of partner photography and is capitalising on the fact that it’s a very attractive place for photographers (amateur and professional) to include on their portfolio.

Blenheim Palace is using #picoftheweek and #justgoshoot hashtags to promote photography of their venue on Instagram, and people are loving it.

Although the photo’s aren’t specific to weddings, they’re still advertising the venue and its grounds. By adding a few strategic wedding hashtags, wedding venues and photographers could subtly promote each other’s skills in a similar way.

Photographers swoop on the Palace to snap away – hoping that their pictures get chosen to advertise the venue and hoping that in doing so, a mention by Blenheim Palace on social media may get them noticed as a serious contender in the photography world. And in return, Blenheim Palace receives free marketing through the circulation of standout, original photographs.

3. Recommend each other

It is of course easier for wedding venues to recommend wedding photographers when brides and grooms book their weddings, however photographers can still return the favour by leaving reviews and recommendations for venues on their website, and by publishing social posts to promote their work at the venue in question.

Venues should ask this of partnering photographers as standard.

Wedding venues and wedding photographers can also leave recommendations for each other on their Bridebook profiles. Showcasing photographers and venues you work well with puts couples at ease and shows that you support other experts in the industry – helping both parties build a network of likeminded suppliers.

For more information on the importance of reviews and recommendations see this post.

Wedding venues and photographers should make the most of free marketing opportunities wherever they can.

In a world where competition is rife, isn’t it nice to think that us wedding suppliers could help each other out?

Wedding venues and wedding photographers are a match made in heaven where this kind of mutually beneficial relationship is concerned.

Take free marketing opportunities where you can. Help promote each other’s products and services and publish photographs that benefit both parties on your website, social channels and on your free Bridebook profile – which should be packed full of all your important wedding business details.

5 ways Wedding Venues can use Facebook to boost bookings this summer

There’s huge potential for wedding venues to maximise how they use Facebook and to generate bookings and business as a result.

We’re not here to tell you that social media is taking over the world. You already know that.

But deciding where to focus your online marketing efforts as a wedding venue supplier and knowing *how *to individually tailor your approach for each social channel can be tricky.

According to the latest study into the most famous social network sites worldwide in April 2017, Facebook stands out as the clear market leader and largest social network by active users today; boasting 1.97 billion monthly active users, followed by Whatsapp (1.2 billion) and Youtube (1 billion).

Facebook is the perfect platform for wedding venues – and wedding suppliers in general – looking to market their products and services because it is the number one network for close, friendly connections over mass media broadcasting.

It is a channel made up of networks of people likely to recommend products and services to their connections, and it is a platform that enables you, as a wedding supplier, to publish both written and visual content that sells your services.

Facebook is a marketing channel that wedding venues in particular cannot ignore and we’re going to explore the ways in which you can boost your wedding bookings on this platform this summer and into the future.

But firstly, let’s address a growing (or should we say, declining) problem with Facebook.

Organic reach (i.e. how many people you can reach for free when you post content on your page) on Facebook has dramatically declined since around 2012, which – if you’re active on Facebook right now – you will probably have noticed.

This is down to two things. Firstly, there’s simply too much content being published on the platform which means we’re all facing far greater competition when it comes to getting our content seen. And secondly, Facebook is now trying to display super relevant content to specific groups of people, rather than serving all content to all folk.

So the social landscape is changing and we need to change with it. More than ever before the focus is on delivering specific, relevant content to the right people and in the right ways to be seen. And being seen means being booked.

Here are 5 ways in which wedding venues can improve reach, engagement, interactions and subsequently get more bookings through Facebook alone, today:

1. Paid advertising works

Facebook advertising really isn’t that scary or expensive if you know how to approach it, and let’s be clear; we’re not suggesting that you ditch existing efforts in favour of paid.

Facebook is encouraging us to consider incorporating targeted paid advertising into our social strategy rather than just using the platform as a free broadcasting channel. The reason for this is because of the renewed emphasis on content relevance and targeting.

Facebook is taking care of a lot of your targeting for you already when you post organically thanks to an updated Facebook algorithm which now adapts to individual user preferences. Put simply, this means that if someone regularly looks at photos of your wedding venue rather than reading written content, the Zuckerberg army will deliver more photos and less content to them in future.

But we can take this one step further through the use of Facebook ads (which can run for as long as you like and can be set to expire when your allocated spend runs out) and serve highly specific advertisements to specific people in your target demographic at a time and on a device that best suits your audience.

For example, a particular wedding venue may target engaged couples within a certain distance of their venue, e.g. wedding venues in London, as well as by age, gender and lifestyle preferences.

Facebook insights (which you’ll all have access to via your Facebook account) or Google Analytics (if you’ve set this up for your website) will be able to tell you much more about the kinds of people you’re attracting, such as whether they prefer to read your content on a mobile or tablet. Use these insights to build a highly engaged audience on Facebook.

In summary, you don’t have to throw a lot of money at Facebook advertising to benefit from an improved reach, and remember, it is about supplementing – not replacing – organic efforts with paid.

2. Be selective with the content you post

It’s time to switch from untargeted, frequent publishing to targeted, selective publishing.

Whether you’re paying to sponsor the Facebook post or not, your objective should be to get as much engagement from each post as possible. Basic targeting options are available for organic posts e.g. engaged couples in London, which means that you have no excuse not to be thinking about the audience and the purpose of your content each and every time you post.

Delivering more relevant content to the people who matter most to your business is the key to securing more bookings.

Top tip: be sure to include trigger words in posts that indicate important events (e.g., “congratulations”) which will get the attention of Facebook (who love jumping on special events) and the engaged couples you’re looking to target.

Overly self-promotional Facebook content is not the best way to win business, and by that, we mean the kinds of posts that read “Hold your wedding at our venue and we’ll give you 10% off!” or “We pride ourselves on delivering the best weddings in the business”.

Produce useful and informative content for your audience that aims to drive traffic to your website and blog. These owned assets of yours are where your conversions and bookings are likely to happen.

With reviews and recommendations becoming increasingly important for brides and grooms in the decision making process, you can post subtly promotional content by sharing the good news stories and the positive comments of couples who’ve held their wedding day at your venue.

There’s nothing more powerful than photographs and comments from a happy couple who’ve had the best day of their lives at your wedding venue. This should be the angle you adopt.

It’s also worth partnering with wedding suppliers who’ve worked on weddings at your venue. Ask them to leave their own comments on your Facebook page and engage with your content, and then do the same for them.

And encourage fans to engage with your posts when they see them, so that they see more of them. This could be as simple as adding a reminder to “Please Like and share” at the end of your posts.

Did you know that Facebook ranks live video higher in the news feed, and that users spend 3x more time watching live broadcasts than traditional videos on Facebook? This means that if you can get couples live streaming their wedding day on Facebook, you’re more likely to be seen by the brides and grooms you’re looking to attract!

Why not start broadcasting your very own live footage of your wedding venue on Facebook today and kickstart your mission to improve organic reach!

Record live behind the scenes footage of your team setting up for a wedding (but be careful not to capture anything personal to the couple who’s wedding your hosting unless you have their prior permission) and include footage of florists, caterers and musicians – remembering to tag all parties involved in the live stream; subsequently leveraging your audience reach through the audiences of other wedding suppliers.

4. Update your photo gallery

This sounds like an obvious one but we really shouldn’t underestimate the power of a great picture.

See.

Save and utilise all exceptional images from weddings held at your venue and make sure any less than spectacular snaps are removed.

Your best photographs should take pride of place as your venue’s Facebook profile picture and cover photo, and you should change these feature images now and then to test which garner the most attention and to therefore inform which photographs are best shared in future to win engagement.

5. Beware the competition

Be careful not to rely too heavily on competitions or to boost your competitions too often.

The reason for this is that your audience will perhaps increase (for the short term at least) but you’ll find you often attract people less likely to spend money on booking your wedding venue and more likely to just want to win something.

Organic content and paid advertising (not boosted posts) is always best and keep competitions as an infrequent treat rather than placing them at the forefront of your social campaign.

There’s huge potential for wedding venues – and wedding suppliers in general – to really maximise how they use Facebook and to generate bookings and business as a result.

Get out there and tap in to the 2 billion internet users currently using social networks today.

Have you found this article useful? Leave us a comment!

Supplier Stories: Wedding Videographer A Piece Of The Party’s Journey from Strictly Come Dancing to First Dances

Welcome to this week’s Supplier Story! ‘Supplier Stories’ is an original Bridebook Business article series, where we go behind-the-scenes and into the wedding world through those that know it best – the experienced and talented venues and suppliers across the UK.

So whether this is your first story or 10th, enjoy as we look into the industry as a whole, and celebrate a true story in itself! Who says couples have all the fun?

A Piece of The Party’s Supplier Story:

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a top television producer film your wedding? With A Piece of The Party, couples can have just that! Lauren, this week’s featured wedding supplier, draws on her years of experience working on some of the UK’s favourite shows, including Take Me Out, Big Brother, I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here and Strictly Come Dancing to make wedding videos that capture as much of a couple’s special day as possible – from the grand entrances to the tiny details. Together with her incredibly talented team, she immortalises wedding memories and has a ridiculous amount of fun doing it.

So without further ado, Lauren over to you!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a senior TV producer, with over twelve years of experience working in the industry. I started as a runner on Strictly Come Dancing and worked my way up through the ranks on shows like The X Factor and Big Brother. I spend half of the year working on programmes like I’m a Celebrity and devote the rest of my time to filming weddings and events – allowing me the perfect balance of fun and creativity whilst still keeping up with all of the latest innovations in the media.

2. Share your story?

I’ve always loved an event – even when I was little I used to get so overexcited before a party that I couldn’t sleep for days before. Luckily I’ve mellowed a little now! I have worked in TV since I was 18 where started as work experience at BBC Television Centre. I fell in love with the industry, the glamour, the chance that you might run into Ian Beale or one of the guys from McFly – it was absolutely brilliant. I worked on Saturday night shiny floor shows like How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do before falling into my ‘university education’ – working on Big Brother from Series 7. I worked my way up and have done all manner of roles on the show. I was then headhunted by a chat show and became the youngest TV producer in the country aged 24, going on to be one of the youngest seniors there’s been. What I lack in age, I make up for in extensive experience storytelling and producing, and that is something I want to bring to people’s weddings.

When a good friend of mine moved to Australia and turned 30, my friends and I realised we had to put together a video to show her we were thinking of her. So I filmed and edited our friends dancing around and singing for her to a Katy Perry song called ‘Birthday.’ What it lacks for in quality (it was practically shot on a Nokia 3310) it makes up for in love and I realised there was a serious market for people showing their love for friends and family through the fun and beauty of video.

https://vimeo.com/135284645

3. What drew you to the wedding world?

Having already been inspired to start up some kind of fun filming company, a lot of my friends started getting married a few years ago and asked me to film their weddings which I absolutely loved. I realised there was a total gap in the market for wedding videos which are fun as well as beautiful and tell the story of the whole day. So I decided I could make a career out of it. Freelancing in television allows me the flexibility to spend part of the year in TV and the rest on A Piece of the Party.

4. What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve documented?

I’m lucky in that I genuinely feel like every single wedding I’ve documented so far has been really special and unique. But I have to say the one that sticks in my mind is Maria & George Hollis. They needed a fairly fast turnaround as Maria’s mother might not have been able to make the wedding due to illness. It already had grabbed me from the moment that the couple booked but attending the wedding made it a million times more special. Maria’s flower decorations were incredible, potentially due to the fact she’s got her own wedding florist business (Luna in the Wild). All of her friends and family were so close and lovely. They had an OFF THE SCALE party too – fancy dress and a hell of a lot of R Kelly made for a brilliant night. All of this was topped by the fact that Maria’s mother managed to make the day. I remember driving home feeling totally overwhelmed and full of love for the couple. I can’t wait to film heaps more special couples like Maria and George and create a video as special as they are.

5. What’s your favourite wedding memory?

Two come to mind. One is my very good friend Chris’s wedding – he was the first in our friendship group to get married, I was surrounded by our very best friends from college and it was the first time I realised just how incredible weddings are. The second is my friend Ellie’s wedding, who hired a band called Brando who played a thirty minute version of ‘Shake It Off’ by Taylor Swift. I still want to return to that moment to this day.

6. What part of a wedding is your favourite?

I think the moment the couple see each other for the first time is always pretty special but I’m also all about the party – everyone has finally relaxed and it’s really nice to see a total mix of people together in one room celebrating their friends coming together. To be honest though, what I love about weddings is that every single one has an element of the day which makes it really special and until you’ve filmed it, you never know what it’s going to be, which is why I love to be there to cover every single moment and then select the very best bits.

7. What do you think makes you/your product unique?

I genuinely love weddings, I’m a people person and most of all a people pleaser, so I really do go above and beyond trying to ensure people have a video that is truly unique to them. Our videos are a tale of the whole day and my storytelling experience from television means that storytelling is an inherent part of my personality. I don’t treat the videos as if they have a set format – they’re all set to different music, and I will always consider the individual style before I even shoot the video. It’s important that I spend a lot of the day getting a feel for the couple and the wedding.

I’m also very used to remaining discreet, not intruding on the event whilst still capturing the beauty of the day and the most special moments that they might miss. I’m also a family girl through and through (I made my Mum wear the same outfit as me ‘for the brand’ at a wedding fayre once!) and I’m really keen to capture families in videos, in whatever form that family is made up. For me it’s all about the love that you have for someone who will always be there for you.

8. Why do you think having a wedding video is important?

Weddings go by so quickly. And you spend SO LONG working on them, but on the day it’s just impossible to take in every detail, even if you have a completely photographic memory. There’s just too much to do and see and I feel like a video is the only way to capture it all. Don’t get me wrong, photographs are super important and a wedding essential but a video is your best possible chance of remembering the finer details that you’ve worked so hard on and also seeing the things you didn’t get to see on the day, even for years to come. You spend so much money on your big day that an additional expenditure on something that ensures your wedding will never be forgotten, to me seems like money well spent.

https://vimeo.com/205427979

9. What is your favourite documentary?

It’s not a documentary but I’m all about the dates – so Take Me Out (a show I worked on for three years and absolutely adore) First Dates or Married at First Sight. I will never stop being excited by watching romance (or the occasional dating disaster) unfold on TV. If you want to cringe/roll with laughter in equal measure, you MUST watch the 2017 Valentines First Dates special – particularly the bit where the guy gets asked how he wants to pay the bill… I was watching behind a cushion.

10. What do you love about Bridebook?

The client user interface is really well laid out, the design is super slick but most importantly its run by a brilliant, friendly team who genuinely love weddings and want to give suppliers the chance to connect with really lovely couples. For me as a supplier, I couldn’t ask for anything more. That and the fact it can be used anywhere is essential for a 2017/18 bride!

https://vimeo.com/135813952

A huge thank you to Lauren for sharing her Supplier Story. Check out her superb videos in her Bridebook profile.

Want to feature in your own Supplier Story? Get in touch with Beth at beth@bridebook.co.uk.

Supplier Stories: Iona Thomas’ Journey from Professional Concert Player to Wedding Musician

So whether this is your first story or 10th, enjoy as we look into the industry as a whole, and celebrate a true story in itself! Who says couples have all the fun?

Iona Thomas’s Story:

This week we’re sitting down with Iona Thomas, a truly talented musician whose combination of singing and playing the harp has moved wedding-goers and music lovers all over the world.

With experience performing on big stages (including Glastonbury and Live Lounge); as a backing artist on international tours; and as a resident musician, Iona is no stranger to the limelight but Iona has recently decided to take on a new challenge – the Wedding Industry – and we couldn’t be happier.

So without further ado, Iona over to you!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name’s Iona and I’m a singing harpist!

2. Share your story?

I started playing harp when I was about 7 – I saw a lady playin harp in a local concert and I was absolutely in awe. My mum said if I was still asking her in a years time then she would consider taking me for lessons… 6 months down the line of asking her every day I think she’d had enough and took me to my first lesson. I continued to play throughout school and university and was always gigging alongside my education. By the time I graduated I already had quite a few gigs lined up, so decided that I would continue playing professionally… and here I am now!

3. What drew you to the wedding world?

There is always quite a big demand for harpists at weddings, I did a few and loved the atmosphere, environment and being part of a really special day. It’s just such a lovely thing to be part of.

4. What do you see as the biggest challenge in the wedding industry currently?

To be honest it’s always been quite smooth sailing for me in the wedding industry. I guess personally a challenge for me is keeping my set list up to date. People often request chart songs which requires learning a few new songs a month.

5. What wedding trends are you seeing in the industry?

Maybe not a trend – but since being made legal in 2014 it’s been nice to see more same sex marriages!

6. What is the biggest challenge you face on the wedding day itself?

I try and prepare myself as much as possible so that I have minimal to worry about on the day of the wedding – but I still always worry that maybe my car won’t start or my speakers won’t work on the day. Touch wood it’s always been fine though.

7. How do you feel technology is changing the industry?

For me, a lot! Social media and the internet is a great way to promote my music to potential clients. I’ve had a couple of bookings from someone seeing me on someone else’s Instagram story. As well as that, in terms of equipment there are always new and improved speaker systems coming out and my electro-acoustic harp, which I believe is one of the first to have been built, was only made in 2012.

8. What has been your biggest time saver this year?

Well currently my biggest time waster, which will hopefully turn into my biggest time saver, will be the FAQs section I’m about to add to my website. After replying to endless emails to questions like “can you play outside?”, “what do you wear when you perform?”, I’ve decided to make one big list with the answer to everything!

9. How do reviews affect the industry?

I think massively. Internet reviews can really make or break a business. Assuming everyone gives accurate and honest reviews I guess they can only be a good thing though.

10. How do you get to know your couples before the big day?

Depending on how they found me really. If they booked me at a wedding fair obviously they met me and heard me then. When I get bookings online then I can send them a list of dates that I play at hotel bars around London so that they come and watch if they like. Alternatively just always being available by phone and email is important I think.

11. What do you think makes you unique?

I think by being a Singing Harpist I am relatively unique – there aren’t many of us. And I can definitely vouch for this after having a few people enquire about the same date I tried to find someone to pass my extra work to… it was not easy!

12. What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?

I guess perfect is subjective! But I would probably say that it would be more about the relationship of the bride and groom and how well everyone gets on on the day instead of things like venue, décor, etc.

13. What’s your favourite wedding memory?

I’ve been booked as a surprise a few times, that’s always nice. Other than that I’ve performed at a few amazing weddings abroad. I played at one in this little town in Italy some years ago, on top of a big hill in the sun with a view of the valley. It was beautiful.

14. What do you love about Bridebook?

I think Bridebook is very innovative and current. Being able to compare suppliers all within one site, with all the information and price comparisons I think is great. Also, I love the Bridebook team!

Any other comments?

Thank you Bridebook team for the interview!

A huge thank you to Iona for sharing her Supplier Story. Iona specialises in pop and contemporary music, giving chart classics a quirky, and romantic twist – check out some of her beautiful performances in her Bridebook profile.

Want to feature in your own Supplier Story? Get in touch with Beth at beth@bridebook.co.uk.

Why it’s more important than ever to be transparent with your pricing

More often than not, one of the very first questions wedding venues and suppliers will be asked by couples is “how much do your wedding services cost”.

Price transparency has been a highly fractious debate within the wedding industry for as long as we can remember, and for years wedding suppliers have battled this ‘opening question’ by couples – discussing frustrations and seeking advice on pricing strategy from like-minded suppliers, and in some instances even attempting to persuade couples that price is not the most important factor.

Except that often – at this early supplier shortlisting stage – it actually is one, if not THE of the most important factor for couples; particularly for 2017/2018 weddings.

If the price is right, you’re through to the next round!

Of course, as creators, artists, planners and wedding venue hosts the last thing we want to do is reduce our services to numbers and subject our passions to bidding wars.

But as human beings, with special reference to millennial couples, we know that the process for any decision making procedure relies on completing intense research, cementing boundaries and budgets, and setting priorities.

And owing to an abundance of online wedding checklists, budgets and advice blogs (not to mention the thousands of venues and suppliers couples now have to choose from) brides and grooms are likely to want to understand within which pricing perimeters you’re operating before they fall in love with you – only to realise they can’t afford you. Saving both them and you time.

The pricing positives

Let’s look at the positives of getting the “how much is an average wedding photographer/cake/venue [insert as appropriate]” question out of the way, upfront.

When you’re transparent with your pricing, you’re unlikely to experience time-wasters asking you for all the important things that prospects need to know, only to decide that they believe they can find your services for cheaper elsewhere.

You know that couples who get in touch with you are doing so because they’re genuinely considering hiring your wedding venue or engaging your supplier services to help them create their perfect wedding and that they can afford you.

However, as we all know, wedding plans evolve and develop as couples decide they’d like to “add drones” to their wedding photographer hire package, for example.

In this instance, it’s essential that wedding suppliers include a “from” price, and ideally a “to” price so that you’re being completely transparent with the spectrum of costs your clients are dealing with. This avoids any surprises for soon-to-be newlyweds later down the line and saves you the stress of having to have that awkward conversation.

Setting your price parameters

When it comes to answering pricing questions and setting your ‘average price’ parameters on directories such as Bridebook, it’s essential that you think about the true value of your services and never just attempt to compete on price.

A number of hours you put into your work should be a key factor, however, remember that couples are also investing in your expertise, your personality, your skill and your support. The key to setting a successful pricing strategy is to position your business as the most knowledgeable, dedicated, and high-quality option.

Don’t undervalue yourself. You must walk away from your documented ‘guide price’ happy, and know that by the time couples have read about your wedding services, your price will become less important to them.

If you’re interested in understanding more about average wedding supplier costs in the run-up to peak wedding season, view The UK Wedding Report 2017.

Update your pricing information and stay 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 open and honestly.

Want more tips and tricks? Like the Bridebook Business Facebook Page and receive weekly updates from industry experts and thought leaders across the UK.

How to make more time for yourself during peak wedding season

Ask yourself; what activities that I do today will make my future better?

3 self-preservation techniques for wedding suppliers 2017

The sun is out, the sky is blue, there’s not a cloud to spoil the view but you’re waning…

What is now the most wonderful time for soon-to-be-newlywed couples is sure to be the most stressful time for wedding suppliers, and how you manage that stress and make time for yourself during peak wedding season is as important as you delivering your best wedding yet.

It’s not always easy to stop when you’re on a roll but we’ve compiled 3 easy ways to help you step back, take stock and stay on top of your game when the going gets tough…

1. Start your morning right

All the breakfast cereal ads say it – “start your day right” – because the way you start your day has a huge effect on your performance and mindset throughout the rest of the day.

Here are a few simple things you can do to start your mornings off on the right foot:

Set your alarm a little earlier

Yes, I know it sounds painful but some of the most successful entrepreneurs swear by this technique and use the early hours to get in some productive me-time before the rest of the world rises.

If you don’t believe us, read Entrepreneurs “The Power of Mornings: Why Successful Entrepreneurs Get up Early”. Just get to bed a little earlier to make up for any lost sleep.

Make mornings about you – not about work

Whether you choose to go for a run, practice yoga, meditate or simply read the newspaper with a cup of coffee, make the first hour of your day about you and your needs. You’ll feel a lot better responding to the needs of your brides and grooms if you’ve already had your own down-time.

Eat breakfast

Yes indeed, those wily fibre-loving, heart-health oriented cereal ads really do know their stuff. Eating breakfast really does kick start brain function and will set you up for a productive day. You’ll be less likely to feel lethargic around mid-morning and less likely to snack on the wrong things. So all in all, breakfast is a great way to ensure a healthy mind and body.

2. Plan out your week

During peak wedding season, to-do-lists are a must to avoid you missing any important tasks and becoming unnecessarily stressed.

Assign your top priorities for the week at the start of each week so you know what you absolutely must get done in the time you’ve got. Then build in time around these key tasks to sort through emails and manage other projects.

3. Take stock and ask yourself; am I happy?

If you feel constantly overwhelmed by your work then it’s time to step back and be honest with yourself about your priorities, your work style and your work-life balance.

Once you’ve gotten to grips with your ideal work scenario and established what is realistic for you in terms of hours and earnings, you can facilitate a happy medium.

Separating work and personal time is important. Signal the start and end of a working day by creating a routine of sorts. Whether that’s taking the dog for a walk with your partner at the end of the day or sitting around a breakfast table with the family before any emails are read in the morning, it’s important that you tell your brain when it’s time to work and when it’s time to switch off.

Looking after yourself really is the most important thing

Ask yourself; what activities that I do today will make my future better?

Ultimately, we’re all trying to live as happy a life as we can whilst earning a living, pursuing our passions and making sure we spend quality time with those closest to us.

If something isn’t right, fix it. And remember, YOU are the master of your own destiny. Nobody expects you to be superman or superwoman – you’re placing that pressure on yourself.

Make some simple changes today to ensure you really are looking after number one and you’ll see just how enjoyable the peak wedding season can be.

Want more tips and tricks? 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!

How Savvy Wedding Suppliers use Instagram to get Bookings in 2017/18

If you’re not already present on Instagram or you think you could be doing something better, these are just some of the ways in which wedding venues and suppliers can see a dramatic uplift in online engagement through relatively little effort.

Ever heard of the saying “a picture paints a thousand words”? Well, this statement rings particularly true when it comes to marketing in the wedding industry, and we’re urging all UK wedding suppliers to start painting their story online to secure bookings now and into the future.

Giddy couples busily building a vision of their dream wedding will scour the web for visual inspiration – saving or pinning pictures, building collages and following popular wedding accounts on social media that keep them abreast of the latest and greatest styles and trends to hit the marital market.

And amongst all the ‘wedding bell’ noise out there in the online world, one visual-specific social platform reigns above all others. It is of course, Instagram.

Instagram facts for wedding suppliers

Now the seventh-ranked social media platform in the world, the video and image-sharing app that we know and love as Instagram boasts over 600 million monthly active accounts. To put this into perspective, YouTube currently stands at 1 billion active monthly users and this globally renowned video-sharing site has been on the scene for 5 years more than Instagram (that’s practically 500 years in the world of online!) and had faced significantly less competition when it started.

In other words, Instagram is doing very well and is becoming increasingly popular.

The younger generations constitute the bulk of Instagram demographics as the latest statistics from the Pew social media report and Instagram press page report:

59% of 18–29-year-olds use Instagram.
33% of 30–49-year-olds use Instagram.

The report also confirms that the dominant gender using the photo-sharing site is still women (38% of women online use Instagram compared to 28% men).

This means that Instagram constitutes the perfect target audience for the wedding industry and is, therefore, an essential marketing platform for all wedding suppliers, including wedding venues, wedding photographers, wedding makeup artists, hair stylists, cake makers and more.

By marrying a photobook-style library of images and videos with the core target age for people getting married right now, Instagram becomes a match made in heaven for wedding suppliers looking to secure new bookings.

How to use Instagram to get bookings as a wedding supplier

Keep your content light

Instagram is loved by young people and famed for topics such as celebrity, beauty, fashion, travel and weddings. Instagram is a place for fun content and it should be used to showcase approachable and welcoming wedding venues, confidently creative wedding photographers and daringly different wedding florists – it is not a place for serious or corporate messages.

Content should be light, fun and engaging. Never use Instagram to post salesy messages. You’ll be Insta-ntly Insta-shamed (see what we did there).

Get hashtag happy

Hashtags are a great way to improve the reach of your posts and help you get featured in feeds that are relevant to your craft.

Use hashtags that are relevant to your wedding business, such as #weddingdress and #weddingphotography, and include location where possible for refined targeting over volume targeting, e.g. #weddinghairessex.

An easy quick-win is to incorporate daily hashtags in your posts such as #MondayMotivation and #TuesdayTips to ensure your posts are relevant by day and to get you involved in the conversations that count. What’s better for soon to be #brides than a little #weddingvenue #mondaymotivation to get them through the day?

Sandhole Oak Barn is a great example of a wedding venue that knows how to use relevance (e.g. the weather) in the subject of the post and location-based wedding hashtags for optimum reach.

Tip: try including a few extra hashtags in the comment section of your post rather than listing them all in the status field. This gives you the added reach you’re looking for without cluttering the core text you use to annotate your image or video.

You should be using Instagram search to find the hashtags that are trending in your field rather than just making them up. Although that being said, creating innovative and unique hashtags that are specific to your brand can also help you build a highly engaged audience who are specifically interested in you and your brand.

A mix of both established and new makes for a great combination.

And another great way to find new hashtags relevant to your wedding business is to visit the profiles of successful competitors in your area and make a note of the hashtags they use in their posts. Think about the kinds of hashtags engaged couples are likely to search for on Instagram and make sure you use those as well.

Use every opportunity available to share interesting content

Everything interesting that happens in your wedding company is a photo-sharing opportunity.

Take photographs or use video to show how your wedding venue looks before and after it has been decorated for your next wedding.

Use #TBT (Throwback Thursday) as an opportunity to showcase previous weddings you’ve catered for and pick out a few unusual or popular ideas that couples have incorporated into their wedding day.

Cooling Castle Barn wanted to share their latest cocktail with Instagram followers, and why not?

You must post regular content to keep your account at the top of people’s minds.

Interact with other wedding suppliers

As well as being used as a marketing channel that helps you to connect with and engage potential brides and grooms building their dream wedding, Instagram should also be used to interact and network with other wedding suppliers.

Tag wedding hair stylists or wedding cake makers in your posts to show your followers who you’ve worked with at your venue, and to project an image of your wedding services as being connected and all-encompassing. These kinds of partnerships are highly valuable and show like-minded wedding suppliers that you are actively involved in the wedding community.

Here, wedding venue Newton Hall has done a great job of sharing a beautiful picture of a fellow wedding suppliers wedding cake, tagging the cake maker and using a great selection of industry and location-specific hashtags in their post.

The added benefit of supporting fellow wedding suppliers? Well a good deed done will surely be reciprocated and you’ll likely find other suppliers you’ve worked with will start tagging your wedding venue or business in their own Instagram posts on their own accounts.

This is how referrals and recommendations work, and the importance this kind of personal and professional affirmation plays in generating bookings should be fully realised.

Reach out to engaged couples on Instagram

Spend some time searching for hashtags that you believe local, engaged couples may use in their own posts and you will, in turn, find engaged Instagram users to follow and engage with (as well as identify some of the hashtags you could be using in your own posts).

You can also track down local, engaged couples (i.e. your target market) by visiting the Instagram profiles of other local wedding suppliers. Wedding photographers will often tag couples in engagement shoots which provides you with a great opportunity to start engaging with the posts of these couples whilst they’re in the wedding planning stage.

By spending just five or ten minutes per day liking posts and following newly engaged couples on Instagram, you should begin to see more couples following you and engaging with your posts. The bookings will follow.

Instagram is the Wedding Industry’s best friend

Using a platform like this is about training your mind to think like a millennial couple. Share the things that matter to your business, be present in the places your couples hang out and engage with the content that they like to read and share.

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.

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.

How to deliver personalised weddings in an impersonal online world

Here are a few easy ways in which wedding suppliers can offer couples a detailed and personalised experience online with very little effort required!

The internet opens minds; that’s undoubtedly true. It provides answers to questions we’d once ponder but perhaps never resolve. It provides inspiration for pretty much everything we do – or could do. And it encourages many of us to share our own stories, dreams and desires with the world.

Indeed, this applies to all people in all industries but we’re struggling to think of a dreamier one than the wedding industry. In a time when heads are firmly in the clouds and couples are on an engagement high, envisioning their big day and all the little details that will make it personal to them, where will they turn in an attempt to make their dream a reality?

They’ll head online, of course.

Wait…where are you?

As wedding suppliers, you need to be where your brides and grooms are and you need to be available ‘in theory’ as their ‘personal consultant’ whenever they need you.

Modern couples are conditioned to expect fast responses and unlimited access to whatever important information they need, as and when they need it.

Now, we’re not suggesting that you have the time (or inclination) to be at the beck and call of all potential clients and their wedding whims but there are a few easy ways in which you can offer couples a detailed and personalised experience online whilst you’re busy doing other things.

1.Ensure online information about your wedding services is current and comprehensive

Make sure that your website and all other online listings (that includes your Bridebook profile and social networks) are up-to-date and clearly communicate all the essential information couples will want to see, such as galleries, reviews, contact details and pricing.

2. Add a little personality to your online portfolio

Don’t be afraid to advertise your wedding business in a tone of voice and style that reflects who you are and what you’re about.

Personality and a unique take on age-old wedding traditions will guarantee that you stand out against other wedding suppliers who play it safe and ‘stick to what they know’. Stay abreast of the latest online wedding trends and add your own, expert flair.

3. Listen to the needs of modern day couples

Weddings in 2017 and beyond are all about personalised experiences which are subject to wedding suppliers *listening *to the needs and preferences of the couples they work with.

Brides and grooms are expressing themselves online throughout their wedding journey; from the planning stage to their actual wedding day and afterwards too.

It all begins with couples announcing their engagement on social media. Digital save the date invitations are probably next – perhaps linked to a personalised wedding website where guests can informally RSVP prior to the official invitations.

Did you know, an estimated 64% of brides are now opting to use paperless invitations for at least some part of their wedding journey?

If you’re a wedding stationery supplier, it’s vital that you listen to these industry changes and adapt your offering. Showcase your products elegantly and stylishly online (because printed wedding stationery will likely never go completely out of fashion) and if possible, develop your offering to include digital invitations, ‘evites’ and save the date cards to avoid isolating the ‘pro paperless’ segment of the Millennial wedding market. For inspiration, Paperless Post specialise in beautiful online invitations.

4. Join the #wedding conversation

We’re seeing more couples than ever before embracing personalised wedding hashtags as an accompaniment to their big day, so that guests can upload their shots to Twitter and Instagram for the entire wedding party to enjoy.

Hashtags are a great way of organising wedding snaps and of documenting real-time footage of a couple’s wedding day.

All wedding suppliers – but particularly wedding venues – should look at creating their own #wedding hashtag and you should encourage couples to use it when they’re sharing content online. This acts as free advertising and brand promotion for your wedding business, and the most impactful form of promotion for any business is that which uses raw emotion to convey a message.

Couples captured enjoying the best day of their lives at your wedding venue, eating your wedding cake or wearing a wedding dress from your collection is one of the best ways possible for you to advertise your product or services online.

Be sure to engage with online comments from your clients so that third party viewers can see that you’re emotionally invested in the couples you work with, and to show that you personally care about making their wedding day completely perfect.

Get personal with your couples and the online wedding world will notice

Couples in 2017 / 2018 are fully embracing the digital age and as wedding suppliers of today and tomorrow, we need to take note.

Listen to industry changes and the couples you work with, and don’t forget that you have a voice too. Talk about your experiences online, share good feedback and join in with the conversation!

Your couples dreams are just dreams before they meet you. Help them make their ideas a reality and challenge yourself to try new things and offer something different.

Because it’s time to get personal.

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 business@bridebook.co.uk 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 business@bridebook.co.uk 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.