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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.
Speaker 1:Each week I'll cover strategies, tips, tricks that will give you your dream wedding business too. So much for tuning in today. Let's dive in. Hello, everyone. Welcome to episode 56.
Speaker 1:Today we'll be exploring the truth about competition in the wedding industry and why the idea of there being so many other insanely good wedding vendors is keeping you stuck and whether or not that's even true. So I'll give you my take on it and then explore a little bit of how this belief of you know this industry being insanely saturated is not really true and how it's holding you back. So first let's talk about the fear and why the idea of the wedding industry being so saturated is making you feel stuck and scared and like not fully stepping into your potential. And it would make sense because every time you open Instagram or social media, you'll see everyone and their mother doing a wedding business. Right?
Speaker 1:There's another photographer. There's another planner, another florist, and it seems like everyone is booking weddings. And they're telling you about how many weddings they booked and how awesome they are, and they're sharing all of these stunning weddings. And you're starting to just feel like, my god. What the fuck?
Speaker 1:Like, how come I can't book those weddings? There's just too many other photographers. I can't jump into this industry. It's it's too saturated. And it feels like there's a thousand wedding photographers, and they're all trying to do the same thing.
Speaker 1:And how could you even jump into that market when it's already so saturated? These other photographers are already so good. They're established. They're so in demand because that's what they're telling us. Right?
Speaker 1:How is it even possible that you could jump into this already saturated market when you've only got a sliver of the experience, the confidence, the connections that they all do. That's what gets you into this fear place. And this fear, just the fear, not your actual potential or what you're capable of doing or what you what, you know, you have to offer. It's the fear that's stopping so many talented wedding business owners from growing, from booking weddings. And so here's what you're missing and what I want you to try to understand.
Speaker 1:Competition isn't the actual problem. It's that you're not making yourself stand out enough. You're not selling your uniqueness, your specialness. You don't see yet. Yet, you will, which you don't see yet how special you are.
Speaker 1:And if you don't see that, you don't feel it, you're not living it, you you're not embodying it, you can't sell it. So saturation is only affecting the people who look and sound the same, but I want to remind you, you're not the same. You're not the same as all those other wedding photographers. You are insanely different in all the best ways. What what you do is so special.
Speaker 1:So think about it. What do you do differently? Is it how you guide couples on their wedding day? Is it the the vibe that you bring into the room that totally makes their wedding day feel like so much fun? Is it your creative eye that makes you that allows you to capture emotion in a moment on film because that's really, really special and very unique, and not everyone can do that really well.
Speaker 1:Think about what makes you different. How are you special? And if you're not really sure, then maybe you just haven't done enough weddings. You haven't worked with enough people. But once you've done enough weddings, you will start to see what makes you different and what are the things that you love.
Speaker 1:And if you can sort of, like, figure that out and step into that, that is what you need to market. That is how you will connect with your people. The more clear you get on what makes you special and the more confidence you have in expressing that, the more magnetic you're gonna be to your people. So that is the the little piece that you might be missing making that is the make or break to your wedding business take taking off. It's not really that the market's too saturated.
Speaker 1:It's that you haven't yet rooted to your what makes you special and unique and different and the best. And it's gonna be very very specific to you. Nobody else has this. So that's what I want you to start thinking about. The idea of saturation in the wedding industry, it's really just bullshit.
Speaker 1:Okay? Because here's the truth. There there's plenty of weddings for all of us. There's so many weddings, like, gazillions. Like, people get engaged every day.
Speaker 1:Now how do I know that? Because the wedding industry isn't just one market. It's a thousand little micro markets. And couples aren't just looking for any old vendor, they're not just looking for a wedding photographer. They're looking for one who feels exactly, perfectly right for them.
Speaker 1:And couples are always going to pay more, they're going to wait longer, they're going to choose alignment over price. They want to make sure you're right for them. They're not just going to pick anyone. You got to trust in that because that's how you know your people will find you. So here's an example.
Speaker 1:Let's think about Starbucks versus other coffee shops. Why do people walk past cheaper coffee every day to buy Starbucks? I mean, Starbucks is, like, legit $10 now for a cappuccino. It's insane. Yet, we spend that money because we know we're gonna get a good cup of coffee.
Speaker 1:And if you are into coffee like I am, you'll pay extra to ensure that that first sip is like, oh. It's like, right? It's like, ugh. You want that first sip to be like the best because it makes your whole day, and I'm not willing to go to McDonald's for coffee even if it means I'm gonna save, what, $8? That's a lot of money.
Speaker 1:And especially when you drink coffee every day. But it's important to me that I get that experience. So it's kind of same thing with weddings. Another example would be, like, think about luxury hotels. How they're always booked.
Speaker 1:It's it's not because they're cheaper. It's the experience. Right? It's the trust they've built with with their people. They know.
Speaker 1:I know this now because now I'm like a snooty person that only goes to these specific five star hotels and I know that it's worth it. The luxury hotels like, they're booked out solid, not because they're convenient. They're booked out because they're trusted. I'm gonna choose the Four Seasons over, I don't know, some crappy hotel because I know when I get there, I'm gonna get into my room and be like, right? That feeling that, I know everything is gonna be at this certain level.
Speaker 1:I know I'm gonna get this experience that is this five star experience. One that once you've had it, you can it's really hard to go back. Well, people feel this way about weddings too. They want their wedding experience to be five star. And in order for them to choose you and book you, they need to trust that their experience, that their final product, that them choosing to book you is going to be a five star experience that it's gonna be a thousand percent worth it.
Speaker 1:And now this doesn't mean that you have to be like the best photographer. It just means that you have to be ideal for your people. So getting really clear on who your people are and what exactly they want. That's the key part. So you and another vendor, you can offer the same exact service, but it attracts entirely different couples.
Speaker 1:And remember that every year, millions, like legit millions of people get engaged. Yet, we're acting like there's only five couples to go around. Like, it's not oversaturated. You're just forgetting that there's weddings for everyone, and there's very specific couples for very specific vendors. I'm not trying to book every single bride out there.
Speaker 1:I don't want to do that. I want to book only my people, my types of brides and grooms. So remember, you're not competing with everyone. You're competing for your people. Very, very important.
Speaker 1:Okay. So why is getting in this comparison loop keeping you stuck and keeping you small? Comparison happens when you are not rooted to how insanely special you are and you're not clear yet on who your ideal couple is, your ideal bride and groom. You're not clear yet on your brand voice, who you're serving, what your offer is. You're not clear on the value that you're bringing.
Speaker 1:That also makes you, like, wishy washy about your price. So if you get stuck watching what everybody else is doing and you're comparing and you're second guessing yourself, what happens? You pull back. You're not being your authentic best self, and that isn't going to attract more couples. It's going to repel them.
Speaker 1:So what you need to do is get more, more, and more clear about who you work best with and how what your offer is, and it needs to be really intentional. It's not for everyone. It's for one specific type of bride. And what happens to a lot of newer wedding business owners is that we all copy what everyone else is doing in the beginning. And we do it because it's easier, it's safer, it's simpler, And you think, well, it's working for them.
Speaker 1:Look at them. She's booking a whole shitload of weddings. I should just do what she's doing. But that's never gonna work for you. You think, I'll just do something similar, but then I'll just put my twist on it.
Speaker 1:And then you're not even getting people reaching out to you. And you're wondering why it's because you're diluting what makes you magnetic. You're diluting who you are authentically. And if you don't trust in your magic and your special sauce and what you have to offer, what makes you different and unique, then your couples aren't going to trust in that either. And they're not even going know what that is.
Speaker 1:So try I keep saying this, get really clear on who your ideal people are, your ideal brides and grooms, and what it is that you offer them that nobody else does. And remember, you don't need to be better. You just need to be more clear. And this sort of comparison copying thing, this was what I did in the beginning, and this is what I see so many other newer wedding businesses do. You look at what everyone else is doing.
Speaker 1:I would look at the other planners' packages. I look at how they advertise. I do like my market research because I'm, like, crazy. You know? I need to, like, know everything and do all this research, and then I come up with this perfect way to kinda copy them, but make mine a little bit better and a little bit cheaper.
Speaker 1:And I think well, of course, people would choose need to choose me because look at how like, I'm offering basically what they're offering, but it's better. It's it they got more hours with me. You know? They have this extra stuff with me, and it's cheaper. But the truth is all of that is, like, so inauthentic to what who I really am and what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:I'm not even tapped into what I'm doing, doing, what who I am, what I have to offer, what makes me special. I'm not even connected to that because I'm so caught up in trying to put out this perfect package, this perfect offer to look perfect on paper. I'm not really thinking about my bride or what she wants. At least I wasn't in the beginning. And that all of that just made me a watered down version of that other planner that seemed cheap and like way less appealing, way less authentic, and, like, duh.
Speaker 1:Of course. Because that wasn't me. That was her. So let go of all of that because here's what happened. Once I stepped into, like, really clicking with the type of bride I loved working with most, the types of weddings I loved working with most, I got really clear on the reason why I loved it.
Speaker 1:Like, why it made me the happiest, why I was the best at doing this specific type of wedding. I redesigned my whole website, my whole brand, my whole online presence to reflect this. I stepped into this version of myself that could be the very best for this very specific type of wedding. And it felt very natural and authentic because these are the weddings I loved. I became once I did that, became way more appealing.
Speaker 1:I booked way more weddings. Everything got so much easier. And it's not because I was charging less. It's not because I was doing more. It was because I was bringing something totally different and insanely specific set up perfectly for one very specific type of bride and groom.
Speaker 1:And this is very, very different from how I was approaching my wedding business in the beginning. In the beginning, I was trying to appeal to everyone. I was, like, fishing and throwing out this huge cast net. I my kids are into fishing right now. So they do this cast net thing where they throw out this big ass cast net into the water, and they're hope they're just like, whoever whatever I catch.
Speaker 1:I'll catch a crab, whatever. Like, I don't even need to catch fish. I'll catch anything. I'll catch a bird. You know?
Speaker 1:Like, legit. They catch birds sometimes. But that's kinda what it's like. You're throwing out this cast net, and you're just trying to catch any wedding that'll come your way because you don't trust that your people will come. And now it's, like, very, very different for me because I'm not throwing out this cast net because I don't wanna catch birds and crabs.
Speaker 1:I want to catch this very specific fish. This very specific bride and groom. My bride and groom. The kind of bride and groom that I love working with that is the perfect fit for me, that I'm the perfect fit for them. And getting really clear on that changed everything for me and allowed me to really step into my confidence, and I was able to naturally increase wedding bookings.
Speaker 1:And it's not because it was perfect. It's not because I'm the perfect wedding planner. It's because I am so much more authentically me. So what I want you to do is start thinking about claiming your lane in the wedding industry unapologetically. So let's spend a little bit of time talking into how to do this.
Speaker 1:How do you step into your authority in the wedding industry? What if you're not sure what types of weddings you love yet? And that's all okay. So wherever you are in this path, don't beat yourself up about it because you're going to figure it out. And if you don't know yet what types of weddings are your favorite, what you're best at, you don't feel drawn to a specific type of bride or groom.
Speaker 1:It's just because you haven't done enough. So you need to do more weddings. And then after a certain amount of time of being in the wedding industry, of doing all kinds of weddings, just taking all of them in the beginning, you will naturally feel drawn to one type of bride and groom, to one type of wedding, and it'll feel like a pool. And then there'll be others that you're like, fuck this. I don't wanna I don't wanna do those kinds of weddings anymore.
Speaker 1:I hate those weddings. So those are not your people. Those are not your types of weddings, which is totally fine. But the ones you feel pulled towards, the ones you're like, yes. I love that wedding.
Speaker 1:It was so good. It was so perfect for me. That's your niche. Okay? Those are your people.
Speaker 1:Pay attention to that pool and start to define your lane. What are the types of couples that you love to help and you love working with? What is the experience that only you can bring? What is the energy that you bring to their wedding day? Start thinking about that.
Speaker 1:Get getting really clear on that, and that's what I want you to talk about in your marketing. That's how I want you to reorient your website. Talk about your people. Talk to your bride. Not everyone.
Speaker 1:Just your bride. So how you get clear on your lane, you need to get clear on your story. Who you are? What makes you insanely special? Because there's only one you.
Speaker 1:And only you can give the brides and groom this very specific experience. You gotta get clear on your values. What is most important to you? It's probably also most important to your bride. Talk about that.
Speaker 1:Get clear on your standards. When you know your specific bride and groom and what they want, you're gonna get really clear on your standards, and they're gonna be so high because you want the best for your people, and they're gonna love this. You also gotta get clear on your boundaries, which means you'll no longer feel pulled or, like, not pulled, but, like, you'll no longer feel like you need to book every wedding because everyone is not for you, and you'll start to trust that your people are always coming. When you start to claim your lane, you're gonna stop competing on price because you know your offer is insanely valuable to your people. You're gonna start attracting more aligned inquiries because you're speaking directly to your people and only your people.
Speaker 1:So, of course, the people that reach out to you, they're going to be like, hell, yeah. Like, this is exactly what I've been looking for. I get that all the time. People find me, and they're like, oh my god. I love what you do.
Speaker 1:This is exactly what what I wanted. Of course, they say that because I know you. I know exactly what you want, and I created this whole package exactly for you. The other thing that's gonna happen is that you're gonna start to repel, push away the wrong weddings because you aren't just offering all the things anymore, and that's a good thing. So start thinking about who do I not want to work with anymore?
Speaker 1:What do all my favorite weddings have in common? What am I afraid to say publicly that would actually get me the right people? Say that. Okay? You wanna start talking to your people in a very real authentic way through your marketing, through your website copy, through your blog, through social media because once you really root to your offer and your people and you're connecting with them, they're gonna start wanting to book you.
Speaker 1:That's where I want you to to get to. Okay? Because authenticity and confidence, that's what books weddings. And here's why. It's because couples it's like an energy.
Speaker 1:Couples can feel uncertainty if you're uncertain about what you're offering and if they should work with you or not, they're gonna feel it instantly. It's an energy. It's a vibe. What they want is they wanna be led with confidence. And if you're not leading them, then you haven't fully stepped into your authenticity and your authority, and you're giving out wishy washy vibes.
Speaker 1:And that doesn't sell. That doesn't make them want to book you. Confidence is what communicates safety. Couples need to trust you. Like, fully trust you.
Speaker 1:Before they're ever going to pay you any money, they need to know that you know that you're the best, and they're going to be able to feel that in your energy. When you step into the lane that feels most authentically you, it's your style. It's your favorite weddings. It's the stuff you're naturally drawn to. It's the stuff you're naturally good at.
Speaker 1:It's this is how you step into that confidence of being the best. Of course, you're the best. It's all your favorite shit. It's all your favorite people. It's the stuff you love.
Speaker 1:So you're gonna be the best at it. That's, like, natural. That's how you blow their minds. It's because you're leaning into what you love most, and this oozes confidence. And confidence is insanely magnetic.
Speaker 1:It's the type of energy that makes you very very attractive to couples. That's what you need to be working towards. The other thing leadership is very attractive, especially for brides and grooms that are in the beginning stages of planning a stressful wedding. And there's so much pressure on them to have this perfect day. So when you can step into being a leader in your field and couples can feel that you believe that you're a badass at what you do, And they they trust that you're gonna guide them and lead them through the marketing, through the sales call, through the planning process, through the during the wedding.
Speaker 1:That is what they're like, that's what they're dying to feel. That's what they need. They hired you because they want someone who's the best. They want someone who's gonna make things easy for them. They want someone who's gonna tell them what the fuck to do because they don't wanna have to think about it.
Speaker 1:They just wanna be guided. They want to be in the moment. They don't want to have to like figure out all the nitty gritty details. They want you to just guide them knowing that you are going to give them the best possible experience because you are that good at what you do. That allows them to just let go and be in the moment and that's what they want.
Speaker 1:So the moment you stop trying to prove your value and start straight up owning it, that's when your business is going to explode. So if competition, you know, has ever made you second guess yourself, now you might understand why. But it's not because you're not good enough. In fact, it has nothing to do with that at all. It's because no one ever taught you how to position yourself clearly in this industry.
Speaker 1:And this is exactly what I'm trying to get you to to to understand. And if you're feeling a little stuck with this, inside my wedding business master class, I teach you exactly how to define your lane, how to communicate your value, how to build a business that doesn't rely on comparison or hustle. I show you how to step into your authority fully and in the best possible way because until you do that, you're really never gonna be in a place where your business will take off, and it's never gonna feel good. That's that's the other thing. You want your business if it's gonna take off, it's because you love it.
Speaker 1:You gotta, like, fully love it, and the way you get into that place is by stepping into your authentic, most special self. And we all have something everyone I've ever worked with. They have something that's so insanely special about them, and they just can't see it because they're, like, so stuck in trying to copy everybody else and just trying to make it work and trying to make money and all that. But the reason why you're not making money and you're stuck is because you haven't stepped into what makes like, what makes you so special, and you don't know how to communicate that to your ideal bride and groom. You don't need to compete.
Speaker 1:You don't need a strategy. It's it's more about stepping into this persona, into this authenticity. And that's exactly what I teach in, the wedding business master class. You can check it out at weddingproacademy.com. And remember, you don't need more visibility.
Speaker 1:You don't need to be doing a, you know, reel three reels a day on Instagram. What you need is more conviction, more rootedness to how special you are. Because once you stop chasing weddings and you get super clear on your value, your offer, your specialness, your people will start finding you. When you're not super clear on your value and how insanely special you are or who your people are, like, that is what that that's the problem right there. That's the block.
Speaker 1:So this is the work we do in my master class. You can check it out at weddingproacademy.com and I hope you guys found this helpful. I hope you start thinking about it in a different way And hopefully, makes you feel a little bit better about the competition out there because there's plenty of weddings for all of us. Okay? We don't need to compete.
Speaker 1:The wedding industry isn't weird like that. At least I don't feel like that. And I'm in Hawaii where there's a ton of wedding vendors. I mean, so many. But we all help each other out, and we know there's plenty for all of us.
Speaker 1:In fact, we share weddings. That's how awesome the wedding industry is. If I'm if that bride and groom is not the right fit for me, I know someone else that they will be the right fit for and I will send them their way. Alright, guys. I hope you have a great weekend.
Speaker 1:I will see you all next week. Again, check out wedding pro academy dot com and bye for now.