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A Wedding Business Podcast - Tips and tricks to, grow and sustain a amazingly successful wedding business in a way that's is fun and gives you tons of freedom.
Welcome everyone to the Wedding Pro Academy Podcast. I'm Nicole, your host. I'm an expert in the wedding industry and I've personally built two 6 figure businesses from the ground up. I am obsessed with building businesses that make lots of money but do so in a way that also create luxurious amounts of freedom. So, if you're looking to build, grow, or scale a wedding business in a way that doesn't burn you out, and you'd love some guidance from someone who has done just that, this podcast is for you.
Nicole:Each week I'll cover strategies, ideas, tips, and tricks that will give you your dream wedding business too. Thanks so much for tuning in today. Now let's dive in! Hello everyone! Welcome to Episode 69.
Nicole:Today's episode is going to be 12 questions that you guys have submitted about starting a wedding business and building a brand I've been in weddings for fifteen ish years now since 2011 and I know it's been a bit since I've started a wedding business but I have also started multiple businesses so I have a lot of background around starting businesses from scratch and building brands and what it really takes to get businesses off the ground and stay sustainable for years So I wanted to give you my take on what it really takes to start a wedding business and build a brand and answer some of the questions that you guys have around this subject. So for anyone that's building a business from scratch, building a wedding business, these are questions that you probably have that hopefully will help you figure out what you're supposed to be doing and how to create a wedding business that is sustainable, that lasts more. You know, you get past the two year hump, which is what happens to a lot of wedding businesses. You start, you're all excited, nothing's working and nothing's working and then you quit and then you try something else or you just give up.
Nicole:You never really leave the side hustle and go all in. So let's talk about some of the questions you guys have. Okay starting a wedding business. One of the questions you had was what did you do in your first year that actually brought in clients? The first year is really tough and I did have a really hard time getting clients in that first year.
Nicole:One of the things that I did which was not ordinary, and I don't even know if this would still work, but I was basically willing to try anything. I was all in on this business. I was gonna make it work no matter what. So one of the things I did was I put a post on craigslist, offered up wedding planning services, nobody else was doing that and I actually had a couple of people that reached out and I booked my first wedding that way and it was two lawyers who were getting married and I mean, they had money, but they were just on Craigslist and they happened to see my ad. It connected to my website.
Nicole:They reached out. I met them at their office. They had a law firm, you know in Downtown Honolulu I met them at their office and I told them about what I could do for them and they hired me on the spot so that's how I booked my first wedding that's one of the weird ways that I was able to get in. But the other thing I can remember doing in that first year that really helped was the wedding expo. It was an easy way to get in front of a bunch of people, you know, and put myself out there.
Nicole:And I I remember doing a raffle and I, it was about, you know, you get $500 off if you win this raffle. And I just actually reached out to everyone that entered and offered that deal and booked a bunch of weddings that way. So that was how I got my first clients. And I, I did it in a way where I was really willing to do anything. Took just to get the experience, to get the reviews, just to get the practice.
Nicole:Okay, second question. If you were starting over this year in 2026 with no reputation, what would you focus on first? Well, like I said before, I would really focus on just getting clients getting any weddings that you can get without being too picky about you know who and what kinds of weddings because really you don't know what kinds of weddings you're gonna like and the point of just getting in with any of the weddings is just for the experience, just for the connections, just for the testimonial and the connections that you're gonna make just by getting in with weddings is gonna be worth you know its weight in gold. That's how you're going to make connections with the venues with other photographers with other officiants people that can recommend you so you want to just get in the door that's what I would focus on and I would probably also focus on SEO. I don't think search engine optimization SEO ever went out of style I think you're always going to need to have SEO I focused on that in the beginning with my wedding business I've said this before it's helped tremendously I still focus on it I still spend a lot of time on it and I think it's absolutely necessary if you want a wedding business that is going to stand the test of time so I would focus on getting a wedding any wedding however you can get it and SEO.
Nicole:Okay next question: What mistakes did you make early on that cost you time or money? One of the things I did in my first year I can remember is doing actual paid ads like in magazines wedding magazines. I still actually have these magazines that reach out to me to do these paid ads that were at the time really expensive and I thought would get me a lot of coverage that would get me inquiries. I never got any inquiries off of these ads and they were really expensive I don't think they were worth it I wouldn't do it again in fact I didn't do it again after that one time I also actually did it for the SEO for the link from their website which was beneficial but the ad itself I don't think did anything for me. Next question: How did you price yourself in the beginning without undercharging?
Nicole:In the beginning what I did which is probably what most of you guys are doing is I just looked at what everybody else was charging I picked a number that was close to it and made it a little bit cheaper. Mostly because I didn't know what to charge, didn't know what the going rate was, but what happened is that I included way too much stuff. Was over delivering for a price that was way too low, but I wasn't really good at marketing that yet. So I don't think it's about, you know, how much you charge so much as how how well you're able to deliver the value that you bring to your client, to the your possible client. So how well can you share and tell them what you do and how much you can help them and the value that you're gonna bring to them?
Nicole:That's how you should price yourself. If if you can sell the value and it's bigger than the cost, then it's gonna be a no brainer for them. So you have to really get behind the cost. If you're gonna charge, you know, $3,000 for day of planning, but you don't feel confident about that, you don't see how, you know, like why it's worth that cost. What is the value that you bring the experience, the, you know, the promise behind it.
Nicole:If you can't get behind that, then don't charge that much. Bring it down, bring it down to a price that you can get behind that you can feel super confident about that's what I would do. What investments were worth it early on and which ones weren't? Well for me I didn't spend any money really on building my business. I didn't do any of the paid advertising.
Nicole:I did all the SEO myself because I wanted to learn it also because it was cheap. I didn't do any of the paid listings either. The one thing I did do that was paid that was worth it for me in the beginning and I don't think it's worth it anymore because things have changed since I started was get a listing on The Knot and that was super helpful. Not necessarily in bringing me in new clients although it did bring in some they weren't like the best fit. What it did help with was SEO so getting my website ranked on Google because the incoming link was so important so that was really helpful to me.
Nicole:I think getting any incoming links to your website from reputable websites is going to be very valuable and that is any anything you can do to get your website ranking up onto that first page of Google I would put time and energy and money into that and spending some time on SEO would be extremely valuable and helpful to you. That is worth it. As far as spending money there's so many ways you can get in free but I would get in the local wedding association that's an annual cost at least it is here in Hawaii that was worth it because I got to make connections something that wasn't worth it was like I said magazine ads would not do that again I didn't spend much money so I didn't have a lot of excess cost that wasn't worth it to me. Was kind of willing to do it the hard way which did pay off but it did take a while for me to get going because I didn't put money in upfront. Okay number six how did you stand out in a saturated wedding market?
Nicole:It used to intimidate me all the wedding planners that were out there there were just so many and it seemed like everybody used them and nobody knew who I was and nobody wanted to try somebody new because I didn't have the reputation I didn't have the connections I didn't have you know people didn't know who I was however that's not true that's total bullshit and it was just a lie that I was believing and once I stopped looking at everybody else I stopped looking at their websites, their packages trying to make mines look like theirs. Once I stopped doing all of that and I just said you know I'm in my own lane it doesn't matter that's when I started to get clients. So I stopped looking at what everybody else was doing, which in the beginning was really hard. That's all I did was look at what everybody else was doing, but what they're doing didn't matter because my people, my couples, they wanted what I had which was very different from what everyone else was doing and I didn't need to offer the same things. I didn't need to structure my company in the same way or structure my packages in the same way.
Nicole:What I needed to do was be more me and the more that I stepped into my my, you know, authority, my authenticity, the more I stepped into what I loved doing into myself And I stopped trying to prove my worth and my value and be like everyone else but better. Like, I just stopped thinking about all of them and I just did my own thing and focused on what I loved and what I did best and the people that I loved working with the brides and grooms that were my people once I just focused on that and I only talked to them I built all my packages only around them that's what helped me to stay in business for so long and what has created a brand so I would focus on you stop looking at what everybody else is doing figure out what you do best who you work with best what kind of couples you are the best fit for, and only think about them, only talk to them, create your website around them, create your packages around them, and don't worry about everyone else. You're not for everyone. And there's tons of wedding vendors out there, but you're not in competition with them because who you are is very, very different and extremely special.
Nicole:And all of the weddings are not going to be meant for you but the ones that are are going to be perfect for you. Okay let's talk a little bit about branding. Here are some questions you guys had around branding. At what point did you feel like you had a real business instead of a side hustle? For me I never had a side hustle because by the time I got to this business, the wedding business, I had already failed two other businesses that I was side hustling on and I mean those businesses I've side hustled hard like I had a website, I had flyers, I did marketing, I was like all in on it but I just couldn't make money in them at least not enough money to quit my regular you know salary job.
Nicole:So when I decided to do weddings, I quit my job and was, like, all in. There was no backup plan. There was no if I don't make it, I'll just get another job. It was like, no. I'm making it and this is it.
Nicole:This is what I'm doing. This I'm figuring it out. I'm making it. I have to make it. And because I jumped in head first on this business, it I made it.
Nicole:It wasn't easy and there were lots of moments where I felt like what the fuck am I doing? You know? But I was so determined to make this work that I didn't have a backup plan and that actually worked in my benefit because I was all in I was going to put in twelve hours a day if I had to make this work I was going to make this work and I did so I think from the beginning I had a real business because I was so determined in this particular business to make it work and once you do that with a business you really can't fail so going all in in that manner is scary It's super scary. It's sketchy because, you know, you don't have money back up plan, but that also is highly motivating. And it's really, like, lit a fire under my ass to, like, make this happen no matter what.
Nicole:I had to make this happen, and I did. So next question number eight. How did your brand evolve over the years? Well for me my brand changed a lot. In the beginning I was offering just the basic wedding planning services that everybody offers you know day of, month of, partial, full wedding planning services and then half you know a few years in I realized I could just do smaller elopements on the beach and that would be way more fun because I wasn't really loving doing these big weddings it felt like so much work for not that much money and I knew there was a better way and I was always thinking like my brain is constantly working like what else can I do how else can I make this better how can I make this you know how can I make more money by doing less and enjoying it more?
Nicole:Like, I was always thinking about how I could do this and then I came up with some ideas and I tested them out and I was like, oh, I love this little beach package. Let me do more of them. So I kept trying new things until I ended up with a business that was all little packages that were all inclusive, were all my style, that were way more fun for me, that made way more money So I started off doing the traditional wedding planning thing and ended off doing something very very different, something very niche, something very know me and that's how my wedding business progressed but I found myself in it and you will too so the longer you do it the more you start to think about like what is working what isn't working what can work better what works better for me what is more me the more your wedding business will evolve into something that is so special and that is going to be you know that is going to make money because it's what you love. Okay number nine what services became the most profitable for you? For me it was changing around my whole business doing something that I really loved niching down creating all inclusive packages having add ons add ons are big they help bring the bottom line cost of a package up significantly and I even did this in the beginning when I was doing regular weddings.
Nicole:I would do add ons for like outdoor weddings because they took way more time and I had to set up tables and chairs and wipe everything down and carry all this equipment out. That was gonna take time and energy and manpower and I had to charge for it. So I would charge an extra thousand dollars for that. If, you know, there were extra things that I could do that other vendors were doing like setting up arches for florists. I bought an arch, added that in, that was an upgrade that I could do pretty easily.
Nicole:So little things that I could upgrade on helped bring the bottom line up. That was kind of an easy way to make more money with my business. Next question: What parts of the business did clients value most that surprised you? Well I could tell you what clients value most now and what clients have always and probably will always value most is communication. Simple!
Nicole:I don't know why so many wedding vendors are shitty communicators but couples they're you know they go through phases with their emotions they're anxious in the beginning they're stressed out, they don't know what's going on, they need constant communication, they need to know what is happening at all times, where they are in the planning process, what's next, what's coming, you know, what their options are and the more you communicate them, the more you are on top of the communication instead of waiting for them to reach out to you the more at ease they're going to feel the more cared for they're going to feel the happier they're going to be the better testimonial you're going to get everything gets better from there So even with my employees I make sure they are very very communicative with my clients because the more you know you can establish trust through constant communication through guiding and leading your client the more care for your client is going to feel and the bride and groom they will settle in and chill out and start enjoying this process once they know you're on top of it. Communication for me has made a huge impact I think it's something that all wedding vendors especially wedding planners need to prioritize.
Nicole:Next question: How did you build relationships with venues and vendors in Hawaii? Okay this is a really interesting because in the beginning what I thought I needed to do was get on every you know wedding venue preferred vendor list. Wedding venues have like this list and they give it out to everyone that goes to the venue and it's like here are all the wedding planners we recommend, all the florists we recommend and I thought if I could only get on that list I would book weddings. So what I did you know, being scrappy like I was, was I went out to every wedding venue with cookies and brochures and I talked to them about what I did and tried to build a connection that way. But that never did shit for me.
Nicole:They never put me on the list. They ate my cookies. They said thank you. You know, they we had a great little lunch, but they never added me to their list. What did work with getting on their list was actually working weddings with them.
Nicole:So once you've actually gotten in and you've worked weddings with venues with other vendors and they like working with you because you're again very communicative you're telling them what's going on you're giving them everything you need they need you're making their jobs super easy if you make their jobs easier they like working with you they want to put you on their list that's how it works so I would focus first on getting in with the bride and groom you want to just book the wedding however you can book the wedding if that means Google Ads if that means Instagram Ads if that means building connections through the wedding industry, if that means going on Craigslist, if that means wedding expos, however you got to do it book a wedding and then that's how you meet the vendors. Meeting the vendors is gold! What you want to do once you're in that wedding is treat every vendor like royalty. Okay? As a wedding planner, I am like bringing photographers water, I'm giving them breaks, I'm checking on them, I am making sure the venue has the correct maps, the exact timelines, everything signed, I'm making sure they get paid.
Nicole:I'm doing all this extra stuff for them because I'm making their job and their life easier because I want them to remember me and by doing all of this, you know, you know, part parts of their job, making their life easier. They're gonna recommend clients to me. Like, why wouldn't they? Of course, they want to work with me again. So, that's how you get in with other venues and wedding vendors.
Nicole:That's how I've done it. It works like a charm and you're probably the kind of person that wants to help people anyways. I mean, who else wants to be wedding planners? People that are helpers. So, you're already there, you're already on-site, you may as well be helping everybody else out.
Nicole:That's the way I see it. We are a team. I'm always working as a team. I'm not just there to do my job. I'm there to help everybody else, to make everybody's job easier and that helps the bride and groom too.
Nicole:Okay last question number 12 what marketing strategy consistently worked best over the years? I've talked about this before lots of times actually but SEO you got to have search engine optimization you have to prioritize it that might mean paying for it if you're not willing to get gritty and learn it yourself but you should because it's not going to go away you have to be ranked on page one of Google if you want to book weddings that's you know very very important and should be prioritized that is the marketing strategy that I went all in on from the very get go and I know I've done a few episodes on SEO but for me it took a whole year to get on to page two and then I pretty quickly moved on to page one after that. I've been on page one ever since but I've dropped in ranking between number one and like number six and it's just something that I do all the time because SEO is what gets you business if people search for you they you know on Google they will find you and you will get inquiries and that's how you book weddings consistently that's how you stay in business lately I've had a lot of clients tell me they found me on chat GPT but Google I mean it's still very very important you want to show up on page one of Google.
Nicole:The marketing strategy that I focused on since the beginning and that has worked magic for me is SEO, and it's not easy. I'm telling you now. It's not easy. It's constantly changing. It feels like nothing's working.
Nicole:Nothing's working. Nothing's working. And then all of a sudden, boom. You are on page three. And it comes out of nowhere, but it's just this consistent, you know, work that you put in.
Nicole:Set up the backlinks. You wanna set up, you know, the the way the text on the page, all of your titles, all that. You want to learn SEO and start doing a little at a time. Just spend time working on it or hire someone that can do it for you, but you need SEO if you want to stay relevant, if you want to stay in business if you're in it for the long haul. Alright guys that's all I have for you today if you have any other questions on starting a wedding business or building a sustainable wedding brand that lasts the test of time please email me send me a message on Instagram I'd be happy to answer you know these questions I love doing posts on this so you can find me at weddingproacademy.com I do have my wedding business master class opening up soon so get on the wedding business master class list so you can be the first to know because there's a special discount that goes out to everyone that signs up first and it's a really really amazing class if you are starting a wedding business and you want to know how to get in to the wedding industry and not waste time and book your first weddings quickly simply easily learn how to sell and market and close brides because there's very specific strategies to doing this, and it's different from any kind of other sales.
Nicole:Brides and grooms are a very unique different market and you need to know how to talk to them what they need to hear how what things they value and how to address them and how to like connect with them in this very real way that makes you seem like a non negotiable like they have to work with you and only you that's the you know the value you need to explode when you talk to them and that is what will get you booking consistently but showing up consistently for your business working SEO there's a whole section on SEO in my master class because I think it's that important but there's just so much more so get on that list weddingproacademy.com I hope you guys enjoyed this episode I'm gonna be doing more questions like this next week because you guys sent so many great ones I have questions on money and business operations processes navigating partnerships, motherhood, and entrepreneurship. I am a pro at that one. And how to pivot your business when everything kinda goes to crap. So, like, pivoting during COVID, pivoting during what's going on with the economy right now because wedding businesses, you know, you're an entrepreneur.
Nicole:You need to learn how to pivot no matter what because we are not, you know, gonna let our businesses sink. Right? So there's lots of ways to do this and I talk about that all next week but I hope you guys have a great weekend and thanks so much for tuning in I will see you soon bye for now