Prepare Your Wedding Venue for Proposal Season
Prepare your wedding venue to shine this proposal season with WedPro’s top tips to attract newly engaged couples
The holiday season isn’t just about festive lights and family gatherings; for many couples, it marks a life-changing moment when a single question leads to a resounding “yes.” With engagement rings sparkling under twinkling lights, this magical time is when hopes and dreams change into focused wedding planning. For wedding venues, it’s the perfect chance to position themselves as the ideal setting for a couple’s big day.
Expect a surge of excitement - and enquiries! December through February is peak time for newly engaged couples caught up in their celebration to start searching for their dream venue.
“By investing a little time in optimising your offerings and honing your enquiry process, you can create a seamless experience that resonates with newly engaged couples. Proposal season is the moment to showcase your venue at its finest and make a lasting first impression,” says Ciara Crossan, Founder and CEO at WeddingDates.
Prepare your venue for the influx of enquiries and stand out from the crowd this season with WedPro’s five top actions you can take right now.
1. Update Your Packages
Now is the perfect time to review and refine your wedding packages. Couples will be looking for the best options that suit their style and budget. Offer all-in packages but also suggest flexible, customisable packages to appeal to a wider range of couples, and showcase what makes your venue special.
Couples want to feel that they can achieve their dream day and have the power to choose. Rigidity can be off-putting so don’t assume that they know they can change things. And don’t forget about your value-add items and extras, these details can help to win over some couples. Think outside the box when it comes to adding value, check what your competitors are doing and raise the bar.
Action to take:
● Review your packages and collateral
● Add unique features to your packages
○ a complimentary engagement photoshoot at your venue
○ a discounted rate for winter weddings
2. Get Ready to Showcase Reviews
Social proof is powerful. Put recent wedding reviews and testimonials where they are easy to find on your website, on social media, and in your email communications. Couples want to hear from other couples about their experience with your venue. Nothing says "book now" like glowing testimonials!
To truly maximise the impact of your testimonials, consider creating a dedicated testimonials page on your website, highlighting the best reviews along with photos from the weddings held at your venue. This not only creates a visual narrative of the joy and satisfaction experienced by past couples but also allows potential clients to envision their own special day. Additionally, you can feature a “Couple of the Month” spotlight on your social media channels, celebrating recent weddings while encouraging couples to share their own stories. By actively promoting this content, you build a community of happy couples around your brand, which can greatly influence new clients’ decision-making processes. Remember, happy couples make the best advocates for your venue!
Action to take:
● Actively seek reviews from recent couples
● Ask them for permission to share their wedding photos on your social platform.
Read more about the power of reviews in building trust and authenticity here.
3. Polish Up Your Online Presence
First impressions matter. Couples will start by doing their research for a venue online, and your social media channels and website are their first stops. Is it clear across all your social media channels that you are a sought-after wedding venue? Can a couple imagine their wedding at your venue? Good, clear, high-quality photos and video tours are key to driving traffic to your website and encourage that “click-through”.
Check that your website is up-to-date, with recent hi-resolution photographs, package information, recent awards and testimonials. Make sure your enquiry form is easy to find and easy to complete (No RFPs please!) so you can capture those valuable leads.
Action to take:
● Update galleries with recent photos and refresh blog posts
● Ensure contact details are clearly visible on every page of your website
4. Engagement is key
Couples will also be looking for general wedding inspiration on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Pay special attention to those platforms. Stay active, post regularly, and engage with your followers. Simply sending a direct message when someone follows is a great way to engage and open up a conversation.
Instagram is also changing how hashtags work, so keywords are now the priority. Use relevant keywords in your posts and profile bio to strategically get your venue in front of more couples who are currently planning their wedding.
Action to take:
● Share content such as real wedding stories, behind-the-scenes tours, and planning advice
● Polls, Q&As, and interactive content like venue tours are great ways to get further engagement
Find out more about crafting connections through marketing and engagement here.
5. Fine-tune Your Enquiry Response Process
The speed and quality of response to an enquiry can make or break a booking. Couples expect fast, friendly, and informative replies. During the season you’ll have many enquiries coming in, so you’ve got to stay on top of them. You must have a system in place to manage them efficiently, or you risk missing out on valuable business.
This is the time to review your process, email templates and communications, and make sure everyone on your team is aware of how things should be handled. How do you cover out-of-hours responses? Are your email responses from all team members consistently friendly and building trust?
Action to take:
● Ask your marketing team to help you refresh your response texts
● Use a customisable system like WedPro to automate your enquiry management and send tailored responses instantly and easily track any follow-ups
Take a look at our advice on best practices for responding to wedding leads.
Remember, it’s not just about getting more enquiries - it’s about turning those leads into bookings. By preparing now, you’ll position your venue as the must-see destination for newly engaged couples in the new year. Proposal season is just around the corner, and with these tips, your venue will be prepared to handle the influx of enquiries smoothly and confidently.
Ready to streamline your enquiry management this season? WedPro can help! Our sales pipeline management software automates responses, tracks leads and ensures no enquiry is left behind. Get in touch with us today to learn how WedPro can make your venue more efficient and profitable. Book a demo or consultation call with our team today. Welcome to a more streamlined future!
