You’ve filed for your LLC, created a website, launched your Instagram, and (*cues champagne*) opened up your wedding business. Congratulations! A lot of hard work has brought you to this point, and the time has come for us to put all that hard work to use. You’re finally ready to book your first set of clients! But… now you’re wondering… how do I get wedding clients when I’m just starting out? My friend, that’s an excellent question–and one I am going to answer for you today. In this article, I’m sharing how to get wedding clients when you’re just starting out.
With a little elbow grease, some patience, and a smidge of tenacity–you can put these three quick tips to work and call in your ideal client in no time. Ready to learn these three quick and easy secrets to getting wedding clients when you’re just starting out?
Here’s how to get your first wedding clients when you’re just starting out…
Step One: Network With Vendors
The quickest way to get to where YOU want to go (you know, having a successful business that makes money and lets you do what you love every. single. day!) is to align yourself with wedding industry creatives who are ALREADY in front of your ideal clients.
Start researching wedding vendors in your area and look for wedding pros who are booking the kinds of couples you want to work with.
Research all you can about their business, explore their portfolios, and go and follow them on Instagram. Begin to compile a list of incredible partners you should align your business.
Here’s a short list of vendors to look out for (and reach out to):
- Wedding Planners
- Wedding Photographers
- Stationery Professionals
- Caterers
- Rental Companies
- Videographers
- Bridal Stores
- Wedding Hair & Makeup Artists
- Entertainment Companies
- DJs & Bands
- Wedding Floral Designers
All these vendors have the power to refer to you–and my friend–there is no better way to get your first wedding client than to have a fellow pro vouch for your creativity and professionalism.
The wedding industry is a relationship business. And the more relationships you build inside the industry, the easier it becomes to book clients with ease.
Once you’ve found all your dreamy partners, reach out to them and introduce yourself. But here’s where I want you to really listen to me: the key to networking is NOT what they can do for you. The key to networking is what YOU can do for them. When you approach your dream partners, do so by showing what you can do to serve and help them.
I promise that the approach of “what can I do for you” will get you building relationships and establishing referrals in NO time.
If you’re not 100% sure who you want to work with yet, grab The Client Cocktail. It’s my quick mini-training that will have you booking out your biz with your ideal clients in no time (and magazine-worthy weddings to boot!).
Step Two: Reach Out To Wedding Venues
The first decision a couple has to make for their wedding is… where are we going to get married? That’s why I want you to research venues in your area where YOUR ideal client is getting married and start to create connections with them.
Where a couple decides to get married says A LOT about their style, budget, and priorities–so aligning yourself with the *right* venues will supercharge your efforts in landing your first client.
Make a list of venues that you are DYING to work at–and start making connections with their owners/sales team. Remember my networking tip from above. It’s not what they can do for you–it’s what you can do for them.
Pretty soon, you’ll have a flurry of inquiries at your dream venues. You’ll be booking weddings at them in no time! And that worry about how to get wedding clients when you’re just starting out? Oh yeah. That’s a thing of the past.
Step Three: Market your business where your customers hang out
Listen. If you’re not going to talk about your business–who will? When you’re just starting out in business and need to get wedding clients–you’ve got to get out there and TALK about your business. But I want to share a little secret with you…
Focus your energy in the *right* places.
Instead of shouting everywhere, I want you to be strategic about where you market your business. This is going to save you a lot of time and a lot of heartbreak. Your goal is to market your business where your ideal clients are hanging out. Where do they congregate, get together, and look for an amazing creative vendor like you?
Are they…
- Reading magazines?
- Searching Instagram hashtags?
- Looking at vendors tagged in posts?
- Hanging out on Pinterest?
- Searching on Google?
- Talking to other vendors?
- Posting in Facebook Groups?
- Browsing online directories?
Once you can confirm where YOUR ideal clients are hanging out, I want you to show up in those places and market your business.
Marketing is simply spreading your message so that it reaches the right people. Once you understand where the right people are, all you have to do is spread your message.
And spread it again.
Oh yeah, and again and again!
(If you’re looking for my thoughts on marketing your wedding planning business, check out all the wedding planner marketing tips I’ve rounded up)
Excited to book your first client?! I know you can do it using these simple steps. Want to make it even easier? Let The Client Cocktail do the work! Learn how to attract, sell, and serve your ideal clients.
OK, let’s do a quick recap. Here’s how to get wedding clients when you’re just starting out:
- Network with wedding vendors.
The quickest way to get to where YOU want to go (you know, having a successful business that makes money and lets you do what you love every. single. day!) is to align yourself with wedding industry creatives who are ALREADY in front of your ideal clients.
- Reach out to wedding venues.
Make a list of venues that you are DYING to work at–and start making connections with their owners/sales team.
- Market your business where your customers hang out.
Instead of shouting everywhere, I want you to be strategic about where you market your business. Show up where your customers are hanging out.
Want more? Check out this video on my YouTube channel ↓
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- How To Become A Wedding Planner With No Experience
- Wedding Planner Pricing: How Much Should You Charge As A Wedding Planner? Learn How To Figure Out Your Price
- How To Prepare For Your First Wedding As A Wedding Planner
- Top Networking Tips for Wedding Planners
- How To Book Your FIRST Client As A Wedding Planner
- 8 Free Ways To Market Your Wedding Planning BizHow To Prepare For Your First Wedding As A Wedding Planner
- How To Find Your Niche In The Wedding Industry: 5 Steps For Niching Down
- Wedding Industry Marketing Trends in 2024: A Marketing Trend Report For Wedding Pros
- Enji Marketing Software: A 2024 Review
- The Best Wedding Planner Podcasts To Grow Your Business
- 6 Things You Need to Include In Your Wedding Planner Pricing Guide
- The Best Wedding Floor Plan Software for Wedding Planners
For More Wedding Industry Business Secrets, Follow Me on Instagram
I don’t need another pair of wide leg linen pants.
I need to wear the damn ones I already own.
Earlier this year, I realized something: I’ve got great taste, a closet full of beautiful things…
And yet I kept reaching for the same 3 outfits on repeat — feeling stuck, uninspired, and like I “had nothing to wear.”
Not true. I had plenty to wear — I just wasn’t choosing to see it.
So I gave myself a challenge:
No new clothes for a year.
Instead of shopping, I’d start styling again.
Wearing what I already have. Rediscovering my personal style. Feeling good in my body right now — not 10 pounds from now, not after the next launch, not when I “have somewhere to go.”
Just because I want to.
Because I can.
And because showing up as yourself — unapologetically and on purpose — is always in style.
I’ll be sharing outfits here and in my stories for accountability but also fun! I hope you’ll follow along, even though this is a lot different from what I normally post. 💜
#ShopYourCloset #OOTDChallenge #Over40Style #ootd #candicecoppola
POV: It’s wedding season… and you’re not drowning.
Because you’ve got a full-time planning assistant in your pocket—and her name is ChatGPT 💅
Emails?
Timelines?
Client updates?
Handled in minutes.
I’ll show you how to train AI to think like a planner—so you can get your life (and evenings) back.
✨ The AI Masterclass is 90 minutes.
⏳ It’ll save you hours every week.
👇 Drop MASTERCLASS below and I’ll DM you the link.
Happy anniversary to the bess thing. 11 years married, 12 together, and lifetimes to go. 💜 so grateful for every second of it @jasonkistoo
You know that moment when someone really sees you?
That’s what the WPI retreat felt like, over and over again.
Yes, there were strategy sessions. Yes, there was hot seat coaching. Yes, there were breakthroughs you could feel in your bones.
But the real magic? Happened in the in-between.
On the couch, over coffee, in those late-night convos where your guard drops and the truth comes out.
There’s something powerful about getting in a room with women who just get it.
Who’ve been where you are.
Who aren’t here to compete, but instead to remind you of what you’re capable of.
You deserve moments like these. Find the space, the time, and the means to invest in yourself.
You ARE worth it.
Love you, mean it.
Xo,
Candice
Photography by the amazing awesome @c10ike
The Latest Wedding Planner Business Advice On YouTube
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