Are you a new wedding planner wondering how to get new clients? You’re in luck because today that’s exactly what we’re going to be talking about! The wedding market is booming with a lot of people wanting to get married so that’s great news. However, this also means there are a lot of new wedding planners launching their businesses and competition is fierce.
Today I’m going to help you develop a strategy to stand out from the competition and attract new clients who are the perfect fit. Ready to dive in? Grab your notebook and let’s go!
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How can I get new clients as a wedding planner?
Define who your ideal clients are
If you know my story at all, you might remember that in 2016 I decided to rebrand my wedding planning business and only focus on adventurous style weddings. While they weren’t super popular yet at that time, I took a risk and it paid off. Once potential clients landed on my website they either loved that it was all about glamping weddings or they hated it because it didn’t match their style.But guess what? This is exactly what I wanted! I wanted to attract the clients I knew would be a good fit for me and repel the rest.
So how do you define who your ideal client is? Well I have a handy little tip sheet you can download for free to get started. In a nutshell, I asked myself a few questions:
- Which weddings were my favorite and why?
- What was it about those clients that I loved? Personalities? Common passions?
- If I were to dissect my favorite weddings, what do they all have in common?
- Can I create an avatar of this ideal client or type of wedding?
Once you’ve defined your ideal client niche, you’re ready to move on to the other steps which include marketing, networking, partnerships, etc. Remember, your ideal client can change over the years so don’t get too stuck on this!
Network confidently
Networking with confidence is easier said than done. However, now that you are clear on who your ideal client is and how you can best serve them, this should come a little easier. Start by telling your immediate circle that you are a wedding planner who specializes in *insert ideal client here*. The more you share about this, the more confident you will feel and the word will spread amongst your circle!
When possible, attend some local networking events (both within and outside of the wedding industry) and tell people why you are so passionate about planning weddings for *ideal client*.
Plan a styled shoot
If you don’t have any content of your ideal wedding design, it’s time to plan a styled shoot! I recently planned a Euphoria-inspired styled shoot to show the world how fun and colorful my designs can be. This is always a great opportunity to work with vendors who match your vision and can help spread the word about your amazing talents. If you’re not sure how to get started with planning a styled shoot, I highly recommend checking out my friend Margaux’s course Styled Shoot Success Course. It’ll blow your mind.
Create Partnerships with other wedding pros
Teamwork makes the dream work! For real, if you can create strategic partnerships with other wedding pros you’ll be on your way to success in no time. How do strategic partnerships work? Personally, as a wedding planner, I like to partner up with venues first. Clients are more likely to start by booking their wedding venue before any other vendor. If a venue can recommend me as a planner, I have a better chance of getting booked because the recommendation comes from a trusted source.
How do I get on a venue’s preferred list?
This is a question every wedding planner wants to know. Here’s what I found to be helpful when trying to get on a preferred list:
- Ask to take a tour. If a venue is going to recommend you as a wedding planner at their location, they want to know you’ve actually seen the space. While you’re touring be sure to ask questions and take notes. Think about questions that your caterer might ask or perhaps your DJ.
- Write a blog post. While you’re touring the venue, take some photos. This way you can write a blog post and give the venue exposure to new potential clients. This is also a great way to keep track of venues and specs if you’re doing some research for clients who don’t have a wedding venue yet.
- Do a good job on the wedding day. If you’re lucky enough to work at one of your favorite venues before getting on the preferred list, wow them by doing a good job. This might sound obvious but I always make sure I follow the venue rules and do a final walkthrough with the venue manager at the end of the night.
Share your content on Pinterest
If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of Pinterest. We grew our wedding planning business to 6-figures by using Pinterest strategically and for FREE. How? By sharing content that my dream clients want to see. Millions of people plan their wedding on Pinterest each year so it’s an important place to be! Also, your content will continue to live on for months maybe even years after you pin it.
Remember that styled shoot you did earlier? Well this is another great place to add those photos. With Pinterest, you want to remember that it’s a search engine and relies heavily on keywords. Be sure to grab my Ideal Client + Pinterest Tip Sheet from earlier to see exactly what you need to do when you add your images to Pinterest!
Ask for reviews
You just planned an amazing wedding and the couple is over the moon happy. It’s time to ask for a review! I like to create a google form with pre-loaded open ended questions for my couples to answer. This way I can use some of the answers on my website as testimonials. Of course, I also like to encourage my couples to add a review on our Google page along with some of their favorite wedding photos which always gives us better exposure.
Guess what? You can also ask your vendor team to review you. Couples want to know if you work well with others. Having vendors review you during their slow season and returning the favor is a great way to support each other and gain more visibility.
There you have it! Hope these were all helpful tips on how wedding planners get clients. Overall, it’s important to first define what your dream wedding and dream clients look like before taking action. You’ll then want to spread the word! Tell the world what you specialize in so they can help tell their circle as well.
If you want to learn more about growing your wedding business, check out my YouTube channel where I share tips and tricks for wedding pros. I also have a shop that has helpful resources!