Tag: wedding industry

How wedding suppliers get published in PR

 

A wedding supplier’s guide to gaining exposure through great content

We’ve highlighted some of the ways in which wedding professionals can approach the creation of newsworthy PR stories guaranteed to boost bookings but how do you then deliver that story into the right hands and in the right way?

It’s all well and good having a fantastic story to share about your company, your successes or your sector but how do you get the attention of the right people in the media?

Think about how many other wedding industry professionals like you are currently researching or writing an engaging piece of content. Now imagine being an editor and having one space to fill in your next supplement but 50-100 content submissions to sift through?

Standing out in the crowd is the difference between PR success and failure.

How wedding suppliers should approach content submissions

Here are 5 steps you should take to ensure you’re giving your wedding business the best chance of exposure through publication of your content…

1. Check that your wedding website is up to scratch

The first thing to do before you kick start any PR campaign is to review your company website. Make sure that all of your information is up to date and that your content is conveying the right message for you and your brand.

Believe it or not, the success of story submissions can often be down to how professional you seem as a wedding supplier. Editors aren’t going to want to associate their media publications with businesses that appear out of date or unprofessional.

Plus, you’re unlikely to convert business from press stories if your website falls short!

2. Produce a shortlist of relevant media contacts

Do your research and create a wishlist of websites, blogs and publications you’d like to feature in; making sure that the media you pursue are relevant to your target audience and if possible, local to your business.

Take a look at the kinds of content each media outlet is showcasing to decide whether your work and your writing suitably matches their tone, style and subject.

Tip: getting your work published takes time and whilst it may be tempting to email every media outlet you know of, the best approach is to properly research the publications that best suit your brand and location.

3. Review submission guidelines

It is so important for you to spend time reading submission guidelines on the websites of media outlets you’re hoping to contact.

So many businesses don’t do this and fall short as a result. Follow submission rules and you’re already ahead of much of the competition.

4. Include a detailed summary with your submission

When submitting your story to the press, it’s important that you provide a detailed excerpt that succinctly describes exactly what your story is about.

Take time preparing your pitch and highlight the key details of your content AND your business, e.g. state that you specialise in unique wedding cakes, modern floral design or bespoke wedding dresses, and include details of where you’re based. Many local media outlets will be more inclined to publish stories from local businesses.

Tip: remember to tailor your pitch to each media outlet. A few sentences aimed specifically at the publication you’re contacting could be the ones that catch the eye of an editor looking for a wedding supplier who’s done their research.

5. Attach images

If you take the task of having to source imagery away from editors, they’ll love you for it. Plus, when you accompany text with images it instantly makes a story stand out. Photos are excellent at instantly conveying emotion and telling their own story; even without the support of written words.

PR success is just a carefully crafted submission away

Getting content published is tough but when you start to enjoy the fruits of your labour you may find that the exposure is exactly what you need to take your wedding business to the next level.

Approach PR in a strategic and controlled way; knowing who you want to reach, the message you want to convey and where best your content will succeed.

Ensure that your efforts are measurable through google analytics and contact forms and remember that there are multiple benefits to PR aside from direct business, such as brand awareness, third party credibility and links to your website (for SEO points).

So in the words of Benjamin Franklin, all that’s left to do now is “write something worth reading or do something worth writing about”.

Get out there and leave your mark on the wedding industry because in PR, we create our own luck.

Is your wedding website deemed ‘relatable’ by couples of today?

Nowadays, wedding suppliers can expect to work on weddings of couples differing in body shape, age, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

 

The importance of building an inclusive wedding business online 

Spend a few moments thinking about the couples you’ve worked with in the past year or two.

Think about what they looked like, how their personal styles differed and whether they surprised you by being that little bit different to others you worked with years ago.

These days, wedding suppliers can expect to work on weddings of couples differing in body shape, age, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Society is becoming increasingly diverse and thankfully, increasingly accepting of diversity too.

But the media and the online wedding world is still playing catch up and we’re not seeing widespread diversity when it comes to advertisements, magazines and websites. Here are the top Google image results for the phrase ‘UK wedding magazine’:

 

Not astoundingly diverse results, are they.

We can see that no men feature on the front of any of these magazines, nor do any older people. And the only addition of any ethnic variation comes from a magazine specific to ‘Black Brides’.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of wedding websites, social networks and advertisements still only cater to one type of client.

And yet according to a recent Wedding Industry Insights fact sheet, 40% of straight grooms and 50% of brides and grooms of color admit that it’s difficult for them to relate to, or see themselves reflected in the content and imagery of magazines and online media. Same-sex couples agree that this is a challenge for them when wedding planning.

So how can we, as wedding industry professionals, ensure that we’re being inclusive and welcoming all clients with open arms on our business website, social networks and in our marketing materials?

How wedding professionals can portray an inclusive online presence

Ask yourself; are all of your recent clients (from the past year) reflected, represented and considered in your marketing content?

If your answer is no, here are five simple ways in which you can incorporate diversity and ensure your content is applicable to all modern day couples on your website:

1. The simplest way to ensure your website is relatable to millennial couples is to showcase a diverse assortment of visual content. Include same sex couples and couples of varying ethnicity in your main website image and ensure that your photo albums and video content also includes men and women of all ages and body types.

 

2. Ensure that your diverse portfolio of images is mirrored on all social media profiles you own. Consistency in image content and tone across all online platforms (blogs, social media and website) is the most effective way of building a brand with couples of today.

 

3. List out all of the types of weddings you service on your website to make it clear that you’re open to working with same-sex couples. You could detail the types of weddings you cater to on your services page or even on the FAQ section of your website.

 

4. If you’re struggling to gather original imagery that represents all the types of weddings you have – or would – cater to, purchase stock imagery that doesn’t necessarily focus on people. Use high quality images of wedding decorations, wedding cakes or wedding flowers instead to avoid alienating potential clients.

 

5. Ensure you’re using inclusive language on your wedding website and in all marketing materials. Ditch the term ‘bride’ in favour of the word ‘couples’ whenever you can so that same sex couples can relate to the words on your pages.

 

As we near 2018, we should expect to see more wedding businesses portraying a more diverse and inclusive brand image to potential couples – both online and offline.

Avoid being left behind and ensure your wedding business isn’t deemed ‘out of touch’ with couples of today by addressing your image now and ensuring you’re speaking to real couples in the right way.

How wedding businesses like yours are using PR to bag bookings

How wedding suppliers can educate others and begin to carve a reputation as a thought leader in the wedding industry.

 

If you’ve had an epic year working on some of the best weddings yet, you want the world to know about it, right?

Getting your brand out there and letting newly engaged couples know what you do and where you do it will help you secure bookings now and into 2018, and it will also help you build your reputation amongst other suppliers AND build your profile generally in the wedding industry.

But to shout about your successes and unique selling points takes skill, tact and, well, a strategic and well-implemented public relations (PR) campaign.

The first step in organising any kind of campaign is to know and understand your audience and to have something really great to talk to them about.

 

Success in PR is fundamentally down to whether you have an attention grabbing, newsworthy story because there’s a lot of noise out there and to have your story published by an editor, it needs to stand out.

So what makes a story newsworthy?

Empowerment, progression and inspiration

Wedding planner, Sharn Khaira, had her story published in the Swindon Advertiser and earned a link to her website after sharing her entrepreneurial journey in a bid to empower Asian women and encourage them to take the plunge and get into business.

 

Her website Desi Bride Dreams ranks number one in Google for Asian wedding blog and she has since gone on to host workshops aimed specifically at Asian women in business and founded a group called AFEC where she can now interact with like-minded women. The group now boasts over 300 members.

If you’re sitting on a success story that challenges cultural expectations, demonstrates progression and empowers others to succeed, it’s time to share.

Win an award

If you really are the best of the best, you should most definitely be entering local and national awards. And if you go on to win, it’s likely you’ll feature in published press releases without even having to prepare anything yourself.

That’s what happened to Gemma from Castledawson when she was recently named as Cake Designer of the Year in Ireland’s prestigious Wedding Journal Reader Awards. Her story features in the Mid Ulster Mail and is likely to drum up some attention amongst locals.

 

Contribute unique insights

You’re working at the front line of the wedding industry which means that nobody on the outside possesses the unique insight you do when it comes to knowing what’s happening with weddings right now.

Gather stats or highlight trends in your wedding sector that you think couples and other wedding suppliers would find interesting and informative.

Data and insights gathered by Bridebook enabled the team to commission an article titled: Pippa Middleton’s Wedding Is Expected To Cost £246,949, and this piece earned over 100 engagements in more than 30 countries.

Or perhaps you’re a wedding caterer and you’ve had a myriad of odd food requests this year that you think would entertain and delight an editor and your target audience.

The content queens at Huffington Post recently featured an article on Food Trends For Weddings 2017. Could you have contributed or produced something similar?

 

Data is the hardest thing to come by when editors are looking to place content into the media, so make a note of the changes you notice and the numbers you gather and provide unique and insightful content to the media that’s got a great chance of getting published.

Are you ready to get started?

Start gathering ideas today for topics you could educate others in and begin to carve a reputation for yourself as a thought leader in the wedding industry.

For more PR tips check out our How to Get Published in PR article.

Supplier Stories: Woodhall Spa Manor On Helping Couples Keep Wedding Costs Low

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?

Woodhall Spa Manor’s Supplier Story:

 

This week we’re shining the spotlight on Richard Platt, Managing Director at Woodhall Spa Manor. Leaving behind a life of comfort, Richard and his family set about turning a mundane set of offices into a beautiful wedding venue by restoring its Edwardian splendour. Woodhall Spa Manor is now an internationally recognised venue that helps to create an amazing wedding day for all their couples.

So without further ado, Richard over to you!

 

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

We’re a close-knit family of three and all very driven in our own way. Jasmine, from Shanghai, has a degree in hotel management and an MBA from Leeds. When we met, she was about to embark on a career in banking in Manchester. I have a degree in German from Bristol and a background in cruise line and hotel sales and marketing. My second career was the ownership of an antiquarian bookshop in Blackheath, South London which Jasmine and I ran successfully together for eleven years with lots of help from our young daughter.

 

2. Share the story of Woodhall Spa Manor

Around 2010 we were beginning to tire of our urban retail lifestyle and were avidly watching “Country House Rescue” on TV. This gave us the idea to find a grand old building somewhere in the country and to turn it into a venue for luxury self-catering weddings. We spotted a near-derelict manor house in a charming village called Woodhall Spa, where a recent attempt at refurbishment had been abandoned. It had real potential and we were hooked! We gave up our day jobs and stepped into the unknown – it was a massive life-changing decision!

The red brick manor, with its huge sweeping staircase, high ceilings and spacious corridors, had been turned into offices in 1965. Our task was to return the office space to its original Edwardian splendour, whilst updating the business infrastructure. In July 2013, we got started and 13 months of blood, toil, tears and sweat were to follow. Jasmine was brilliant at interior design, planning and costings, whilst I quickly learnt the practicalities of DIY tasks and delegation.

 

Regular visits to the village shops meant word spread locally, which led to our first wedding booking. We secured a licence from the council and opened for weddings on 8th August 2014, and the local postmistress’s daughter married here the very next day. Since then, business has beaten a path to our door. Last year we hosted over 30 weddings and are on track for the same this year. We’ve welcomed guests from all over the world and have recently been awarded a top honour from the Luxury Travel Guide, who voted us as European Wedding Venue of the Year 2017.

 

3. What’s your favourite room in the Manor?

Every room here is different but my personal favourite is Room 1, a really big Georgian-style junior suite with lovely views over the east lawn towards the Italian sunken garden. It features a king size mahogany sleigh bed with memory foam mattress and a really comfortable sofa. Whenever I go there, I recall the time I spent levelling the floor prior to carpeting it with large sheets of plywood and 1200 screws!

 

4. What drew you to the wedding world?

Jasmine and I were trained in the hospitality business and we both have an ingrained service ethic. We are good with people and so we knew that we would probably be suited to this business. Weddings are obviously happy occasions and so the idea of filling the large manor with music, fun and laughter was very appealing.

 

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

There is a perception that amazing weddings probably cost the earth, so we work hard to help our couples keep costs down wherever possible. Our model as a self-catering venue allows couples to bolt on other elements themselves – lots of couples very much enjoy holding a DIY wedding. We’ve found that self-catering is definitely the way forward for us.

 

6. What wedding venue trends are you seeing in the industry?

There’s a marked increase in the number of couples looking to marry outside in lovely, natural surroundings. With this in mind, we’ve just finished restoring the old Italian sunken garden in the grounds, together with its formal pond surrounded by tall trees. We’ve added a beautiful, white heptagonal gazebo, making the whole area perfect for outdoor ceremonies.

 

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

Not getting in the way of the party! Sometimes we do have to make an appearance to assist with moving furniture, opening sash windows or changing a light bulb. But because we’ve rented the manor to the bride and groom for their exclusive party, we really do like to be as inconspicuous as possible unless we’re needed.

 

8. Do you feel technology is changing the industry?

Massively so! Gone is the need to advertise in glossy magazines, as the internet and social media does it all for you. It is far cheaper, much more targeted and vastly more effective in achieving measurable results.

 

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

I’ve found an ingenious way to varnish the function room floors. I used to use a large brush but now I use a long telescopic pole designed for window cleaners – with a sheepskin T-piece on the end. Sweeping this over hundreds of large old parquet blocks means I can do three huge floors in an hour!

 

10. How do reviews affect the industry?

For the most part, the public’s perception of the wedding industry is now, more than ever, influenced by online reviews and I believe them to be a generally very positive thing.

 

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

Appointments are usually requested and confirmed by email. I always do the first show around. I was a tour guide as a student and went on to show many clients around cruise ships in my 20s, and after 3 years at Woodhall Spa, I still really do enjoy interacting with new guests. When showing them the manor and grounds, I love the challenge of listening to what people want and how to adapt what we offer in order to best suit their requirements.

If we’re shortlisted for a second meeting Jasmine goes into the real detail of timings, seating plans and so on. It’s not unusual for couples to visit half a dozen times before their big day, to go over the details with us or to meet their other suppliers here. Through this, we build a good rapport with our couples up until the big day.

 

12. What do you think makes Woodhall Spa Manor unique?

We take a totally DIY approach. We’ll ask: “What sort of a wedding do you have in mind?” and go from there. We always talk about what they want to do and achieve, and are open to working with any suppliers they suggest.

A lot of the basics are included in our standard price, but we’ll always be willing to help in any other way we can. For instance, we offer free access to the manor a day or so before the rental period to set tables, arrange decorations and to store wines. We always give a bottle of chilled champagne to the bride and groom and, in the summer, there’s often fresh borage and mint freely available from our private herb garden for clients’ Pimms.

 

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

Extensive venue and supplier research to find the right team at the right price; meticulous planning; teamwork; delegation; and luck with the weather. Get these right and you’re well on the way to achieving the perfect wedding!

 

14. What’s your favourite wedding memory?

An RAF officer from nearby Coningsby arranged for a special “bachelor flypast” just before he went inside to get married. A World War 2 Spitfire suddenly swooped low over the manor, “buzzing” the assembled guests standing around the fountain in the glorious June sunshine. It was a wow moment to remember!

 

15. What do you love about Bridebook?

It’s young, refreshing, very well-informed and very passionate about the weddings industry. A brilliant, go-ahead online platform.

 

16. Any other comments?

Just a big thank you to Bridebook for the kind invitation to share the story of Woodhall Spa Manor with your readers.

 

A huge thank you to Richard for sharing his Supplier Story. See the charming  Woodhall Spa Manor in their Bridebook profile.

 

Want to feature in your own Supplier Story? Get in touch with Beth at [email protected].

Top 10 Social Media Marketing Tips for Wedding Venue Professionals

Feeling overwhelmed by marketing your venue to new potential couples on social media? Christina Barker, Wedding Planner for Chantilly Rose and wedding marketing professional has honed her skills and educational talent within the industry through years of experience and research. Now she shares her top tips for #winning in social media marketing and boosting the awareness of your wedding venue below.

 

Whether you like it or not, your potential clients are all on social media. 2 billion of those are on Facebook alone.

You want to attract couples to your wedding venue so why not utilise those popular social media channels.

Facebook is still by far the biggest social networking channel in the world and will probably continue to be so for a long time.  

With YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter also on the rise you need to ensure your wedding venue is being visible and standing out from the crowd. We’ve put together 10 top social media tips for your wedding venue to increase bookings.  

 

1. Post consistently. 

Post engaging content and videos which will entice your audience to interact with your accounts. When they do this it also increases the chance of being shown in their news feeds. When we say post consistently, this doesn’t mean that you suddenly remember you’ve not posted in a while and so instead post 5 things on Facebook in one go. Spread your posts out. For example, we recommend you post on Facebook 1-2 times a day. Even if you are only posting something twice a week. Keep it consistent. Your followers will be expecting to see new content at the same time each week from you. Use a scheduling tool to help you so you can plan all your posts in advance. This saves heaps of time and frees you up to do other tasks.

 

 2. Share content from other businesses.  

Popular wedding magazines and blogs are full of wedding inspiration for couples to peruse. You might have some recommended suppliers on your list, so keep an eye on what they are posting on their pages and help them out by sharing what they do. They will be thankful for it and doing this will help you form relationships with suppliers and other people in the industry. If you are sharing good content, couples will be coming to your account to look for more. 

 

3. Host regular competitions. 

Think about what you want to promote and have fun with this. It could be a simple like and share. It doesn’t have to be anything massive, just something that will help your page get the engagement it needs. There’s no point having a page with lots of likes but no one is interacting with it. This will also give you a chance to reach new people. 

Do be sure to keep an eye on Facebook’s ever changing guidelines and rules when it comes to what you can and can’t do. 

 

4. Advertise on Facebook. 

This is a HUGE one. If you aren’t using Facebook ads you are definitely missing out on a massive market. Using Facebook ads you can target specific people. For example, newly engaged couples within a certain radius of your venue. You can spend as little as £1 a day on these ads. Obviously the more money you budget though, the more people you will be able to reach so I would always invest in these ads. Using Facebook ads you can also link it with Instagram so your ad will show on Instagram at the same time!

Unlike something like a magazine advert which you can’t track, with Facebook ads you are able to see exactly how many people have seen it and how many people clicked on it. They can take a while to get your head around but this is something you can definitely outsource to a digital marketing company like us. 

 

5. Utilise your cover photo. 

This is one people always seem not to bother with or not know about. If your wedding venue has simply uploaded a photo, thought that will do and left it, you are missing a trick! This is one of the first things a person sees when visiting your page. You could advertise your wedding packages here or maybe your next wedding fayre. Don’t forget to add in the details in the description along with any links for them to find out more information. Always be thinking about your sales funnel! 

 

6. Check your page insights. 

Look at what is working and what isn’t. What posts are getting the most likes and comments? Continue similar posts and stop posting the things that aren’t getting any engagement. Insights are there for you to check how your page is doing, so be sure to check back regularly. Have your social media manager produce a monthly report for you.

At White Heart Marketing, our team is able to manage your page and do this all for you. 

 

7. Use LOTS of visuals. 

Couples love to see lots of photos. Be it on Instagram, Pinterest or another image based platform, they like to imagine themselves getting married at that place. They imagine all of their ideas coming together. If you are seen to be posting different styles, there’s a strong chance that one of those styles is perfect for them. If they can see that your venue is able to cater for this then they’ve pretty much already decided they want to book your venue before they’ve even contacted you! 

 

8. Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag. 

Hashtags are widely used on both Instagram and Twitter. A hashtag can be used to find other people talking about the same subject. If you search for #yourweddingvenue (insert name), you can then engage with everyone that has used it. For example, a couple may have taken a romantic photo in the grounds of your venue after visiting for a show round. You could comment, ‘congratulations on your engagement, thank you for visiting us at your show round earlier, we hope your visit was everything you wished for.’ 

When posting your own photo to showcase your venue, make sure you are including all the relevant hashtags so people can search for you. Hashtags like #WeddingWednesday are great ones to include! On Instagram add your hashtags in the first comment after posting your photo and description. This keeps your feed tidy and hides your hashtags once you get a good amount of comments. You can use up to 30 hashtags on your Instagram posts so make sure you are taking advantage of that so even more people can find you!

 

9. Keep your information up to date. 

When was the last time you checked your ‘about’ section on all of your accounts? Have you made sure everything is completed? Do you have any additional services you can add on? Are your wedding brochures current with all the correct pricing? Your potential clients want to be able to see the information they need without having to go off to another site or clicking on too many other links. If you have everything where it should be then they are more likely to spend time on your account as oppose to someone else’s. 

 

10. Don’t be a slave to social media. 

Just because your clients are on social media, doesn’t mean to say you should be on every single platform. Although it’s great for SEO, if they click on a social media channel and see its not been active for months it doesn’t give your company a great first impression. Try and stick to two that work really well for your ideal client. Usually for wedding venues these platforms are Facebook and Instagram. Do those two platforms really well and you could be booking out couples for years to come!

 

Happy couple hunting! If you feel this is all totally overwhelming, just know that you are not alone. I hope these tips have given you a little insight into what type of social media you should be doing for your wedding venue. 

If you have any questions you would like to ask or you are interested in us managing any aspect of your social media, please contact us. We would love to hear from you! 

 

5 easy ways to prepare your wedding business for the slow season during peak season

5 quick and simple things to bear in mind today that will help you attract newly engaged couples and secure more wedding bookings around autumn / winter time.

 

Chances are you’re so busy preparing for the weddings you’ve booked for right now that the last thing you’ve got time to think about is keeping your wedding business ticking over in the slower, winter months.

But with winter weddings becoming more popular thanks to better value for money, more availability and the romance of winter settings gaining greater appeal, you could find yourself with a few fantastic slow-season booking opportunities if you put in a tiny bit of prep work now.

 

Fortunately, we’ve prepared a checklist of 5 quick and simple things to bear in mind today that will help you attract newlywed couples around autumn / winter time and beat the competition to the punch!

1. Ask for testimonials and reviews as you finalise each wedding

As you come to the end of each wedding you cater for, be sure to ask for and chase up reviews, recommendations and testimonials as the chances are, if you sit back and wait for them to trickle in, newlyweds will forget to send them at all.

According to a recent survey, 70% of customers will leave a review for a business if you ask them for it.

Recommendations play a significant role in winning new business and securing more bookings as a wedding supplier, and it is a pretty quick and straightforward way to ensure you’re ahead of the competition as we approach off-peak wedding season.

To read more on the impact reviews have on wedding bookings and how best to approach gathering recommendations, view this article.

Upload all good feedback to your Bridebook Profile as you collect it, as it’s better for SEO and for generating new business steadily if you can publish new content regularly rather than bulk upload it.

2. Make sure your Bridebook profile is up-to-date and complete

With more and more newly engaged couples opting to use wedding directories to search for wedding suppliers, it is essential that you ensure all profiles you own are complete and up to date – particularly with regards to contact details, pricing, reviews and photographs.

It should take no more than 30 minutes to fully complete your profile on Bridebook and with exposure to around 40,000 wedding-planning couples, it’s a marketing channel that pretty much takes care of itself whilst you’re busy managing your bookings during peak wedding season.

 

Wouldn’t it be nice to benefit from SEO, exposure and a valuable database of leads and contacts to follow up as we approach off-peak wedding season without having to do very much at all?

3. Share photographs of your weddings as you go

Get into the habit of taking photographs and uploading them to Facebook and Instagram as you prepare for and complete each of your summer weddings.

By creating a presence for yourself online now during peak wedding season, you’re much more likely to have your content discovered online during off-peak wedding season.

Wedding suppliers who attempt to upload photos all at once will find themselves at a distinct disadvantage to competitors who have been present online and keeping their content relevant throughout the spring and summer months.

4. Keep an eye out for local wedding fairs you’d like to attend 

Most wedding fairs take place during off-peak season and these events often provide a golden opportunity for you to show off your summer portfolio and book new clients.

 

National wedding fairs are good for inspiration and large scale networking but can often carry a high cost. Keep an eye out for local wedding fairs (or host your own) and put your name down as an attendee early on to ensure you guarantee your place for a great price.

The clear benefit of attending local wedding fairs is that you’re likely to meet local engaged couples – your core target audience – as well as local suppliers who you can network with for the sake of recommendations and repeat business.

5. Offer deals and special packages

Towards the end of peak season you could start promoting special offers and deals to attract off-peak brides and grooms.

If you choose to adopt this strategy, make sure that you prepare marketing material a few months beforehand and that you start promoting your special deals on social media towards the end of the summer and at any wedding fairs you attend.

This requires a little more time than the other tactics we’ve listed above but can be a very effective way to secure last minute bookings.

Are you prepared to peak during the slow season?

If you’re planning to stay busy as the wedding season draws to a close why not try out a few of the above techniques to keep your wedding business brand front of mind for engaged couples preparing for a winter wedding.

Most of these tips are considered best practice anyway so get into good habits now and you’ll benefit from bookings and exposure in the long term.

Using local SEO to attract local brides and grooms

Location plays a huge role in the search terms and phrases couples use when planning their wedding. Here are 5 simple ways to dominate local SEO in the wedding industry.

 

5 simple ways to dominate local SEO in the wedding industry

We’ve already discussed why content is key to SEO success and how to make it work for your wedding business so now we want to hone in on the importance of location-based SEO and targeting.

Location plays a huge role in the search terms and phrases couples use when planning their wedding and to be frank, they’re unlikely to search without it.

Think about it; which millennial couple would search for the term ‘wedding venues’ which returns almost 22 million results (most of which will be irrelevant) when they could search for ‘wedding venues in London’ and be presented with just over 2 million relevant results?

It’s a no brainer.

Here are 5 simple ways to ensure your website is optimised for local search.

 

1. Ensure you’re including specific local areas in all of your content

Rather than describe your business as a ‘beautiful wedding venue in London’ be as specific about your wedding business in your content as possible.

Narrow the search field and conduct research into keyword volume and competition for terms like ‘wedding venues in East London’ or ‘wedding venues in Hackney, London’.

The more specific you can be the better, as although you’ll be optimising for a smaller search volume there will be less competition for these super long tail keyword phrases and the improved intent of those searchers will mean that they’re more likely to convert to actual bookings.

Remember that Meta Descriptions and Title Tags matter too, and you should customise these so that they reflect the content on your page and the location or area you’re looking to target.

The more relevant your content is to those looking for a wedding supplier like you, the more likely you will be to boost traffic to your website, increase your website rankings and boost wedding bookings.

 

2. Include related local businesses and local events in your content

What’s happening in your local area this month? By incorporating details of what’s happening in your town and how you and your business are getting involved in your content, you’ll earn ‘Google points’ for relevancy that will help you gain authority for local wedding searches.

When you write about local wedding-related events remember to include the names of wedding venues, cities, towns and regions.

Top Tip: why not offer to link to other wedding suppliers in the local area in return for them sharing your content with their contacts and social media followers?

 

3. Ensure you’ve claimed your Google My Business page

You know those bulleted businesses that show up underneath a map at the top of most Google results when you include location in your search?

Those businesses are featured there because they’ve set up a Google My Business page.

Here’s an example of the wedding venues that feature when we search for ‘wedding venues in London:

 

It’s totally free to set up a business page and the amount of local interest and ‘click throughs’ you’re likely to earn for featuring here is well worth the small amount of time needed to set everything up.

As far as local targeting goes, this one is the biggie. Set up your free Google My Business listing today.

 

4. Reviews matter

In the wedding industry, reviews and recommendations play a huge role in winning new business. According to a recent survey, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, and seven out of 10 customers will leave a review for a business if asked.

Focus on publishing reviews on your website but also on your wedding business’s Facebook page and Google My Business page. Having good reviews on these sites will attract local prospective clients and support your business in local results, as reviews and star ratings will appear alongside your contact details once you’re set up on Google My Business (as demonstrated in the example above).

 

5. Feature in online directories

One of the easiest ways to shortcut your way to more wedding bookings when it comes to local search is to feature on free online wedding directories.

The majority of these wedding directories have a lot more resource to throw at optimising their site for SEO, so rather than compete with them for space in the top 3 results, get listed on their site and you’ll be top of the search results anyway.

Some wedding directories even feature above local listings in the search engine results page which means it really is very important that you include complete and up to date information in your wedding business profile.

Is your Bridebook profile complete and up to date with your address, contact details, pricing and pictures?

 

Wedding location makes a world of difference

Let newly engaged couples know *where you are *to really drive online bookings for your wedding business.

Competition for local space is hotting up this summer and you can bet if you’re not on top of your rankings, your competitors will be.

Follow our 5 simple tips to get a head start and claim your space as the number one local wedding supplier in your area.

4 wedding traditions that are getting ditched when couples get hitched

Here are 4 outdated wedding traditions that wedding suppliers should scratch off the list when working with 2017 / 2018 couples.

The wedding suppliers tick list is changing as we near 2018…

As wedding suppliers, we all have very different stories to tell when it comes to catering to the unique tastes and preferences of the soon-to-be-wedded couples we work with.

But we’ve noted a few old school traditions that seem to have reached the ‘death do us part’ portion of the wedding planning process.

As with most traditions, over time, their true meaning and significance is lost because they simply aren’t relevant any more.

Here are 4 outdated wedding traditions that wedding suppliers should scratch off the list when working with 2017 / 2018 couples.

1. The bouquet toss

Wedding florists…when was the last time a bride ordered an extra bouquet to toss to her single ladies?

It was probably a while ago.

We’ve all experienced that cringe-worthy moment when the dance floor is cleared and the singles are asked to line up and prepare to fight for the good-luck petals. Fortunately for all wedding guests of 2017 and beyond this strange custom has almost completely disappeared.

Wedding florists and wedding planners – don’t bring up the bouquet toss unless the couple bring it up themselves. It may make you look a little ‘last year darling’.

In fact, instead of throwing the bouquet to singletons, wedding flowers are now being given to wedding party guests as gifts to take home. Waste is a thing of the past.

Fun fact! Do you know where the bouquet toss originated from? In medieval Europe it was good luck to touch the bride so rather than have her dress grabbed at, she’d throw her bouquet at the crowd to distract them and then she’d make a run for it. I think a hug is the done thing these days…

2. Smashing cake in the bride’s face

Smashing the cake into the bride’s face is a tradition that stems (albeit tenuously) from the breaking of bread over the bride’s head for the sake of fertility and as a demonstration of male dominance.

We’re pretty sure nowadays it’s just an act that makes for silly photos and memorable moments but most brides are understandably not over the moon when it comes to being coated in cake for the remainder of their wedding day.

Wedding cake suppliers – breathe a sigh of relief because your iced masterpiece will actually be enjoyed and appreciated by guests as intended.

Modern day brides and grooms are choosing to skip this ritual altogether and instead, are investing more time and money in making their wedding cake an elaborate affair and a significant feature of their day.

In fact, Bridebook estimates that couples will budget £292 for their wedding cake. Even more reason not to waste any!

3. Wedding jewellery should be understated

Once upon a wedding, accessories were supposed to take a back seat and let the dress do the the talking.

But brides today are opting for big, bold accessories to bring their look up to date. Cue brightly coloured shoes, show-stopping hair pieces and statement necklaces.

Wedding dress and accessories suppliers – note that many brides today are choosing to invest their money in one big focal piece rather than lots of little accessories. Make sure your collection reflects this shift so that brides can visualise the complete end result in your boutique without having to shop elsewhere for more contemporary pieces.

4. Bridesmaids should carry matching bouquets

Couples are now choosing to mismatch floral arrangements including asking bridesmaids to carry different flowers in a similar hue or similar flowers in different but complementary shades.

Or dare to be different and offer paper bouquets to brides! Cheaper than real flowers and way cooler – your brides can make their new-age bouquets as wacky as they like!

Stand out as a wedding florist of tomorrow by offering this idea to couples to show you keep abreast of the latest trends and can cater to them accordingly.

Don’t go changing…

…unless you’d like to win more bookings and develop your wedding business!

It’s really important for wedding suppliers to adapt with the latest wedding trends – whether ditching old or adopting new because you want to be taken seriously as a contender in the wedding industry of tomorrow.

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.

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.

3. Share videos and Broadcast on Facebook Live

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.

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 Venue Blenheim Palace on Tradition, Millennials and the Wedding Industry

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?

 

Blenheim Palace’s Supplier Story:

 

This week we shine the spotlight on Emma Rogers, Sales and Events Manager at the elegant Blenheim Palace. Using their significant events management expertise, the Blenheim Palace wedding team transforms Winston Churchill’s birthplace into a quintessential fairytale wedding venue. Its unforgettable baroque architecture and award-winning gardens makes it a firm favourite for a seamless and spellbinding wedding.

So without further ado, Emma over to you!

 

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I studied International Hospitality Management at University which included a year’s placement in the USA and all of my jobs since then have been in the Events Industry. My parents always worked in Hospitality as well so I guess I was destined to do it. I started at Blenheim Palace nearly ten years ago and have been involved in planning all sorts of different events, big and small since then.

 

2. Share the story of Blenheim Palace?

Blenheim Palace was built in the 18th Century and is known as a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture. The ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, there is so much fascinating history behind this World Heritage Site. The Palace has been used to entertain and celebrate for centuries, and we are thrilled to carry on this tradition of hospitality today, welcoming weddings and all kinds of events.

The Palace is surrounded by 2000 acres of parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown which includes some incredible views. This really is a magnificent setting for weddings and I am very proud to be part of the team here.

 

3. What’s your favourite room in the Palace?

As an event space I love the Saloon. It is a really intimate dining space which is unusual given the size of the building. One long table for dinner with beautiful flowers, glassware and lighting can make the room come alive.

 

4. What drew you to the wedding world?

I have always loved event planning but there is something so special about working with a couple to plan their wedding day. I really enjoy getting to know the couple in the lead up to their day and then being there on the day to see all of their exciting plans come to fruition. You really feel part of their day and it is such an honour to help make their ideas a reality. 

 

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

In my opinion the fact that there is so much choice now for couples and access to so much information, whilst helpful can be overwhelming. Gone are the days of someone setting their heart on one venue; couples now see so many venues and suppliers it becomes harder to stand out and equally hard for the couple to make decisions.

 

6. What wedding venue trends are you seeing in the industry?

I have noticed some new trends in food including concentration on making the food much more individual and interesting, and more consideration for using local produce. There seems to be an emerging focus on making sure parts of a wedding day are unique and something that guests may not have seen before, most typically in entertainment (like using artists instead of photographers or caricaturists). I have also noticed that more couples are interested in using outside spaces more for ceremonies or garden games.

 

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

We want to make sure every couple enjoy their day and don’t have to think about the logistics of everything happening. This is why planning is so important and why we make sure they have a copy of the event order in advance – so they can see that we have every bit of information we need, ensuring they don’t have to think about anything on the day. This makes the challenge of organising logistics and design much easier, and puts our couples’ minds at ease.

 

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

Access to so much online advice about wedding planning is great for giving people ideas and inspiration, but I feel it can also give people unrealistic ideas on what they want to (or can) achieve on their wedding day. While technology is definitely having a big impact on the industry, I think it has its disadvantages too. The trick is to be careful which tools you use and to make sure that they have up-to-date and verified information on venues and suppliers.

 

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

We always try to work as efficiently as possible but with the number of enquiries we receive it has been difficult to manage everything. A big time save for us was the development of a new website, on which couples have access to much more information before, including room sizes, prices and even seeing the room in 360 degrees on their screen. Doing this means that couples are much more informed on the venue before coming to us and we can dedicate more time to them, as we have less enquiries to manage.

 

10. How do reviews affect the industry?

Like with any industry, word of mouth is one of if not the most important marketing tool for wedding venues and suppliers – couples always want to hear about others’ experiences and judge whether the venue or supplier lives up to its reputation. I think it’s great that people have such easy access to information and reviews about venues and suppliers, however often people are more motivated to leave reviews when they have a bad experience than when they have had a good one, so it can paint an unrealistic picture of a supplier which is a great shame. We always include privately-sent testimonials. We are always happy to share testimonials with our potential clients.

 

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

We meet with our couples as many times as we can and they would like to before the day. It is great to get a feel for their vision for the day so you can then recommend the right suppliers to help them make that vision come true.

 

12. What do you think makes Blenheim Palace unique?

Blenheim Palace is a truly unique space with amazing grounds and spectacular function rooms. What also shows is how passionate the team here are about Blenheim Palace and how important it is for us to host amazing events befitting of this amazing building. We put so much time in to the planning of the event and involve lots of staff on the day from all different departments, and our passion for the building feeds through to a passion for hosting these fantastic wedding days.

 

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

To me, it’s making sure that the wedding day is exactly what the couple want and reflects their personalities. In the past, weddings were less about the couple and more about tradition and pleasing others; there was little room for variation from the couple and not much scope to make their day uniquely theirs. Nowadays, people are much more interested in arranging a day that suits them and are not so easily swayed by others’ opinions, which means that they can have their perfect day the way they want it and I am fortunate enough to help.

 

14. What’s your favourite wedding memory?

There are so many to choose from. We had a wonderful wedding last year and the Groom had arranged the Bride’s favourite singer to sing her down the aisle, completely unbeknown to her. I was stood with her outside the ceremony room and, although she had chosen the song she was walking down the aisle to, she was not expecting it to be sung live. It was amazing seeing her face as she walked in the room and saw him singing and then also to see the Groom beaming with pride at her reaction. It was so lovely!

 

15. What do you love about Bridebook?

Bridebook is a great tool for couples to use when planning their big day. I love the incorporation of guest lists and budget management. As a venue, Bridebook allows couples to see a snapshot of what we do and the search bar feature means we’re easy to find too. Alongside being a listed venue Bridebook has given us great opportunities to stand out with their blog features, awards and more. They’re always working to bring couples to their dream venues, and venues to their dream couples!

 

A huge thank you to Emma for sharing her Supplier Story. See the beautiful Blenheim Palace  in their Bridebook profile.

 

Want to feature in your own Supplier Story? Get in touch with Beth at [email protected].

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

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?

 

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 [email protected].

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”.

business.bridebook.co.uk

 

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!

business.bridebook.co.uk

 

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.

business.bridebook.co.uk

 

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.

business.bridebook.co.uk

 

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

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.

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.
 
 

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…

3 Tips to Help You Survive the Wedding Season 2017

 

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…

  1. Address those niggly admin tasks that you’re always tempted to leave until the last minute. Stop putting them off…
  2. 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.
  3. Wedding venues may need to renew music licences and check insurance premiums.
  4. Dust off your equipment and check that all of your wedding supplies are still suitable and in good condition.
  5. Conduct a quick stock count to make sure you’ve enough of everything to easily meet demand (with contingency built in too of course).

3 Tips to Help You Survive the Wedding Season 2017

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.

3 Tips to Help You Survive the Wedding Season 2017

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.

3 Tips to Help You Survive the Wedding Season 2017

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.

3 Tips to Help You Survive the Wedding Season 2017

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

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

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

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

We plan to sail.

Want more tips and tricks as to how to grow and market your wedding business? Like the Bridebook Business Facebook Page and receive weekly updates from industry experts and thought leaders across the UK.
 
 Keep your Bridebook profile up to date and relevant by logging in and editing your Business Account HERE. Once updated, you will instantly increase your profile searchability and are able to connect with our community of 40,000 couples. In short, spend a little time adding photos, videos, and information you love about your business now, and benefit later! 

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!

How to deliver personalised weddings in an impersonal online world

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.

How to deliver personalised weddings in an impersonal online world

 

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?

How to deliver personalised weddings in an impersonal online world

 

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.

How to deliver personalised weddings in an impersonal online world

 

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.

 

 

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

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

Why reviews and recommendations are a wedding suppliers best friend

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

Why reviews and recommendations are a wedding suppliers best friend

 

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.

Why reviews and recommendations are a wedding suppliers best friend

 

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.

Why reviews and recommendations are a wedding suppliers best friend

 

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.

 

3. Share your Bridebook profile

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.

Why reviews and recommendations are a wedding suppliers best friend

 

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.

 

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

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