Wedding Supplier Guides

7 things Wedding Venues can clarify upfront to help secure bookings

By offering information on things newly engaged couples may not have even thought about, you’ll earn their trust and most likely, a booking too.

Newly engaged couples usually begin their wedding planning journey by choosing a venue.

This means that you’re faced with dreamy couples making big decisions that they may not be completely qualified to make this early in their wedding planning journey!

Evidently, the look of a venue is the key driver in a couple deciding which to choose, followed by price and capacity.

But there are a few other crucial questions couples often forget to ask whilst caught up in the moment.

Give your wedding venue the edge over competing venues by offering this information upfront and forcing them to ask the same questions of competing venues.

7 things wedding venues should clarify to help win hearts and bookings

1. Mention the wedding coordinator

If you’re going to be on hand throughout the wedding planning process but you’ll be handing over to an on-the-day wedding coordinator or qualified team member on your potential clients actual wedding day, mention this.

Be upfront and say that you’ve got an excellent wedding day coordinator who you’ll all work closely with throughout the planning process, and that this person will make sure everything runs smoothly on the day.

Reassure the couple that they’ll get a chance to meet this person before their big day once all of the important details have been captured accurately to make sure that they are comfortable that everything is in hand.

2. Let the couple know when they’ll have access to your wedding venue

If you’ve got another wedding planned at your venue around the same time, let the couple know this and if possible give an approximate time that they’ll be granted access to rooms in order to set up and decorate.

This conversation may seem a little premature but it’s something the couple will need to consider, and your forethought at this stage will be gratefully received and prove that you have thought of everything for them / not missed a trick.

3. How does everything fit in the space they’re looking to hire?

Create a vision for couples when you’re showing them around your wedding venue. It can be difficult to visualise a wedding if the room the couple is looking to hire isn’t set up for one at the time of their visit, so walk them around and mention where they could have the top table, the buffet and the dance floor.

By helping build a vision for the couple they’re more likely to imagine their wedding there and book.

4. Mention the entertainment equipment you have to offer

Lots of couples fail to ask about the logistics of evening entertainment and then fall short when they realise they need to provide their own equipment.

Let the couple know that they’ll be saving money on evening entertainment at your wedding venue because you already have a state of the art sound system with speakers and handheld microphones in place, which could be used for speeches and music.

If you’ve got cool lighting options for the evening, add this into the conversation too.

5. Give the option for a dinner the night before or brunch the day after

Help the couple to really make the most of their wedding experience by offering to host an arrival dinner for close guests the night before the wedding, or a brunch the day after.

Tagging on an additional meal will again help build a vision for the couple and show that you’re aware they’ll want to make the most of the time they have with their nearest and dearest.

6. Be bold and mention the weather

Although this applies particularly to weddings hosted outdoors (where discussing a plan B option in case of rain is vital) it also applies to indoor weddings, as it will affect photographs and will mean the possibility of soggy guests.

Mention the dreaded ‘R’ word and reassure the couple that if it happens, it won’t affect the smooth running of their day.

It’s also worth mentioning that if guests have brought coats, bags and umbrellas, your venue will operate a simple cloakroom or provide a rail or storage that is tucked out of the way.

7. Be open about any restrictions your venue carries

Whether your venue has noise restrictions after midnight or doesn’t allow flash photography in some areas, you’ll need to be open with the couple upfront to avoid problems later down the line.

In this scenario, it’s better to lose a booking by being honest than to disappoint a couple so much that you’re left with negative reviews and very unhappy clients.

Open the door to more information about your wedding venue and couples will love you for it

As a wedding professional, it’s important that you lead your clients to make the right decision for them and their wedding day.

Most information regarding space, equipment and service inclusions at wedding venues is limited – particularly at the early stages of planning when venues are being shortlisted – and details of what brides and grooms can expect to get for their money is unclear.

By offering an abundance of information on things the newly engaged couple may not have even thought about, you’ll earn their trust and most likely, a booking too.

How wedding suppliers can generate interest from Pinterest in 2017

Did you know that Millennials now use Pinterest as much as Instagram?

There’s something strange happening in the wedding industry where Pinterest and wedding suppliers are concerned…

Predominantly viewed purely as an online scrapbook designed to help wistful couples build a vision for their big day, the word ‘Pinterest’ seems to incite an involuntary groan from many wedding venues and suppliers who are unsure of how to make this ‘platform of unattainable dreams’ work in the real wedding world.

Despite being one of the newer social media platforms, Pinterest was the fastest independently launched site to reach 10 million unique monthly visitors according to the latest study by market research leaders, Statista. In fact, as of April 2017 Pinterest reported a whopping 150 million active users on its site.

That’s a pretty sizeable audience.

But who’s pinning what?

Did you know that Millennials now use Pinterest as much as Instagram? If we dive deeper into user demographics for the board we can see that 81% of Pinterest users are women and almost 50% of these women are aged between 18-34.

You don’t need us to tell you that this is ‘prime bride’ age.

The masterminds at Pinterest saw weddings as one of their core markets a long time ago, and they recently commissioned a study to examine all wedding-related Pins and activity to get an idea of just how significantly weddings feature as a topic on the platform.

Here’s a summary of the key results:

1.Over 40 million people “turn to Pinterest for guidance across the wedding planner journey” every year

2. Pinners save almost 900 million Pins about weddings every year

3. Pinners conduct 378 million wedding-related searches every single year

4. 27% of Pinners plan for their wedding several times a day, compared to 18% of non-Pinners

This latest research proves that weddings constitute a huge market on Pinterest and that couples pinning on the platform are more engaged and involved in the wedding planning process than those that aren’t.

Sounds to us like they’re the kind of people we want to be in front of.

And if that’s not proof enough that weddings are and always have been one of the most pinned-about topics, a survey published by the Daily Mail back in 2012 revealed that 70% of Pinterest users had wedding-themed boards before they were even engaged. Awkward, you may think. Opportunity, you must think.

This statistic indicates a level of intent by soon-to-be newly engaged couples (or at least, they hope so) whose behaviour suggests that they will use the platform as their primary planning and idea building tool.

We’ve asked several partnering wedding venues and suppliers for their thoughts on Pinterest and why it doesn’t seem to take priority over other social platforms for wedding industry professionals.

We found that the three main drawbacks of the platform are as follows:

Pinterest only enhances unrealistic expectations for brides and grooms, making wedding planning more difficult for wedding suppliers
It’s a ‘dreamers’ platform rather than a conversion based revenue stream
It requires you to post high quality images to get noticed – the expense of which (financial and time) isn’t justified by the return

It appears that many wedding venues and suppliers aren’t taking Pinterest seriously because it’s not a channel designed for direct customer engagement and bottom of the funnel conversions. But the value to be had in being present in an environment where your target demographic is sharing attractive and desirable images and essentially building the vision for their big day must be realised.

Image sharing is just a hop, click and a follow away from a website lead, and we’re going to take a look at how you can get started and improve your chances of winning bookings using this pinning platform.

How wedding suppliers can generate interest from Pinterest

1.Set up a quality profile for your wedding business

Setting up a Pinterest account is simple. Make sure that you use a striking, high quality profile picture and include a concise profile description of your wedding business, using relevant keywords and including that all-important link to your website.

Once you’re set up and before you start building an image portfolio it’s important that you remember Pinterest isn’t about promoting your wedding venue or business – it’s about gathering and showcasing high quality images that relate to your specialism and inspire couples so that they want to share and pin them.

2. Create specialist Pinterest boards

Create categories of boards for couples to follow – such as ‘winter weddings’, ‘UK wedding venues’ or ‘wedding flowers’ and then begin to fill your Pinterest boards with original photographs and pinned pictures.

You don’t have to go over-board (pin pun intended) – usually between 5 and 10 boards is fine but if you really think you need more, just try not to go over 20 as it will become difficult to fill and manage them all.

Success on Pinterest is pretty much entirely dependent on the use of high quality imagery and fortunately, the wedding industry is one of the most photograph-centric of them all. You could ask couples (or go direct to the photographers) if they’d mind you using a few of their professional photographs to eliminate the expense of you having to regularly arrange for original photographs to be taken yourself.

For more information on collaborative photo sharing ideas check out this article: Wedding venues and photographers – a match made in marketing heaven.

3. Pin from your own website to generate leads

Pinterest makes it easy for you to pin images directly from your website and blog. When you pin an image, the source of that image is saved which means that when your saved images are repined by other users, your website will stay listed as the original source of that image.

Put simply, it’s likely that attractive imagery will result in visits to your website as long as you use great imagery on your website – which you should be doing anyway.

4. Optimise your images

The majority of pictures you’ll pin and share on the site will either be uploaded directly by yourself, your couples or pinned from other places.

Whilst you can’t change the documented source of photos already on Pinterest, you can ensure you optimise any new images you’re uploading.

Once you have uploaded your new images click on “edit” and you’ll be able to include a description of your new picture and a link back to your website. However where possible, you should try and Pin directly from your website as it is a more web friendly and customer ‘share friendly’ approach.

Regardless of which pinning method you prefer, you should always include a short description of the image when you pin it.

5. Try out promoted pins

Because the vast Pinterest audience constitutes your main target demographic, wedding suppliers should consider using promoted pins to ensure that your best Pins appear in the most relevant places.

Why not test three of your best performing pins on various target audiences. Use time of day, location, age and perhaps ‘stage of wedding planning process’ as unique identifiers when testing your pins on different audiences to see which types of content work best for which audience.

6. Pair up and pin with other wedding suppliers

As we always say to wedding suppliers, why wouldn’t you help yourself by offering to help others?

Offer to promote other wedding suppliers and businesses you’ve worked with.

Wedding venues could create a “beautiful wedding flowers” board or a “gorgeous wedding cakes” category and ask the relevant suppliers to provide professional pictures. Wedding planners could use Pinterest as part of their social promotional package for advertising clients and have a “beautiful wedding venues” board which could feature venues they’ve worked with or products used.

This is an easy way to keep your Pinterest board populated with high quality images and it’s a great way to help cement partnerships within the industry.

Smaller businesses will love this technique as they’re most in need of increased online visibility and discoverability by potential clients. You can offer them exposure on your Pinterest account and guarantee fresh content for yourself with little effort.

Complementary images like these can also be found through re-pinning, which will help interaction with other pinners – including brides, grooms and other wedding suppliers.

Get Pinterested in this platform today

We’re not expecting this blog post to change the minds of every wedding supplier overnight. What we do hope is that we’ve given you a few good reasons to consider including this channel in your marketing plan in 2017 and beyond.

Getting started is a piece of cake, and as long as you know what to expect from the platform – that is, exposure with the hope of website visits – then you should see great value in investing a little time in it now and again.

Join your future clients today and show a little Pinterest in image sharing, optimising and showcasing the pics that make you tick.

Check out Bridebook’s Pinterest to see the idea boards and inspiring images we’re providing for couples.

Why successful wedding suppliers spend more time choosing the right profile pictures

Wedding venues are 90% more likely to be shortlisted by couples if they pick a powerful profile picture.

Wedding venues are 90% more likely to be shortlisted by couples if they pick a powerful profile picture.

As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

The profile picture you choose to introduce your Bridebook portfolio or indeed any social media profiles your wedding business owns is more important than any other content on the page.

A recent Bridebook survey of registered UK based ‘wedding planning’ couples revealed that ⁹⁄₁₀ brides and grooms shortlisted their wedding venue based on its profile or thumbnail picture alone.

The profile picture is the opener; the hook that encourages newly engaged couples to stay on your page and scroll through more photographs or read more information about your wedding services.

Your profile picture is the online equivalent of eye contact, a smile and a firm handshake when meeting potential clients face to face.

So what makes for a good profile picture?

Many wedding venues and suppliers will choose to use a profile picture that succinctly captures what their wedding business is all about; such as a photograph of a wedding venue or a wedding cake.

And whilst this is the right approach in terms of needing your profile picture to be relevant and able to instantly tell first time viewers exactly what your wedding service or product is all about, we mustn’t forget to inject personality, fun, love and warmth into our profile picture.

Weddings are about love, and couples looking for wedding venues, wedding planners, dresses or florists will be drawn to photographs that exude emotion over those that don’t.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Sandhole Oak Barn is a beautifully designed oak wedding barn set in the rolling Cheshire countryside. However, the first picture we see when we visit their Bridebook profile simply doesn’t do the venue justice. Despite the blue sky in the photograph the overall image feels a little cold and unromantic.

When we scrolled through a few more images of the venue we discovered two beautiful photographs that would work much better as profile pictures.

These images are warm, romantic and the presence of people in the pictures enables newly engaged couples to better relate to the venue and its purpose.

This first image shows a crowd of wedding guests enjoying themselves amidst a hazy backdrop and the second image is of the front of the wedding venue – as per the original profile picture above – but includes a newlywed couple standing in the entrance which makes for a far more impactful image.

Nancarrow Farm is a glorious wedding venue made up of a number of barns on a working farm near the Cornish coast, and they’ve got it right with their chosen profile picture.

This beautiful photograph is the first thing we see when we land on their Bridebook profile page and it features the wonderful rustic barn with a happily married couple embracing in its doorway; evoking a feeling of love, romance and simplicity.

Elmore Court is a stunning manor house situated in Gloucestershire and overlooking the Cotswolds, and despite their profile picture effectively advertising the venue in all its grandeur, we can’t help but think adding newlyweds and a little sunset glow would make for a more affecting profile picture.

Here’s their current profile picture:

And here’s what we’d prefer to see when we land on the wedding venues profile page:

Choosing the right profile picture for your wedding business is ultimately down to you and your preferences. What makes an image stunning is partially subjective but you can follow a few general rules to increase the chances of your profile picture winning you wedding bookings.

Personality is vital when choosing a profile picture to represent you and your wedding business.

Include people in your picture – ideally the married couple but wedding guests work well too – as this will help newly engaged couples searching for a wedding venue or supplier to better picture their big day with you and relate to the emotions conveyed in your image.

We are all visual creatures and with so much choice out there for couples planning their wedding it is more important than ever to stand out. Grab visitors attention with your profile picture and thumbnail and you’ll be 90% more likely to be shortlisted for bookings.

Who needs a thousand words when you’ve got a showstopping profile picture…

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.