menu

upgrade your clients

power in purpose podcast

Join My Mastermind

shop the shop

Grab tools and resources to instantly level up your wedding biz. From pricing calculators to email templates, business processes to swipe files... the Candice Coppola Shop has it all.

hey there!

I believe that entrepreneurs who lead with their purpose are more successful, less likely to burn out, and deeply connected to why they do what they do. 

I help women like you build a profitable business with purpose.

close menu

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME

For Wedding Planners

get biz tools

like a pro

All the training and support you need to design, coordinate, and plan high-end weddings

Let's Go!

How to Attract Your Ideal Clients

How To Get Wedding Clients When You’re Just Starting Out

June 21, 2023

is honeybook the right fit for your biz?
how to get your first client
8 free af ways to market your biz
Now Trending:
I'm candice!

I'm Candice, your new tell-it-like-it-is BFF (and purpose cheerleader). Are you ready to grow and scale a profitable business with purpose–and one that gives back to your meaningful life? Thought so!

hello,

What's your brand cocktail for success?

take the quiz

*cues up to the bar* Let's start the tab, shall we? Take the quiz and find your brand cocktail for success.

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?

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. Inside this article, I'm sharing how to get 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!).

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. Inside this article, I'm sharing how to get wedding clients when you're just starting out.

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!

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

For More Wedding Industry Business Secrets, Follow Me on Instagram

Weekend mode ✨activated ✨

It’s been a month since we moved into our home and most mornings, we sit outside here with our coffee and talk about the day ahead.

Someday, I hope to sit out here with the women in my mastermind and talk about our years and lives ahead. ✨✨✨

For now, good morning ☕️ and happy Saturday

#barbados #backporch #candicecoppola #weddingproinsiders #weddingindustry #weddingplannereducation #weddingpros #weddingindustry #newhomeowner #saturdaymorning #saturdaymood
Happy international Women’s Day! ❤️ When I was thinking about what this day means to me, I think about all the amazing women in my life - and how lucky I am to know them.

Thank you to every woman in my life who has listened, laughed, shared, uplifted and taught me valuable lessons. Every day I feel lucky to serve women and support women. 

Shout out to @techsavvycreative who is smart and kind and the sweetest friend! ❤️❤️❤️ #internationalwomensday #womensupportingwomen #womeninbusiness
Raise your hand if you let shiny object syndrome wreck havoc in your business 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻

Steven Greitzer from @ourprovenance joined me for a tech talk this week on the podcast! We definitely chat about the mistakes we make when it comes to tech - and how you can be more intentional with the tools you use.

He also shares his predictions for tech this year! 2023 was definitely all about ChatGPT and the rise of AI, and Steven has some opinions about what you can expect in 2024. 

If you’re not familiar with Stephen, he’s the founder and CEO of Provenance. After spending many years officiating weddings and coaching first-timers to do the same, it became painfully clear that the only resources out there for wedding officiants were generic Madlib templates, convoluted blog posts, and outdated scripts.

Today, Provenance has a suite of AI tools that has been helping thousands of couples, officiants, and guests design personalized and meaningful ceremony scripts, vows, and toasts for modern-day weddings.

With over a decade in the tech space, and now a tech founder himself, Steven was the perfect guest to have on this week to break down tech trends we need to watch out for!

It was an awesome episode and I’m excited for you to tune in and hear Steven’s predictions. 

#provenance #weddingplanning101 #weddingplanningsoftware #weddingindustry #weddingideas #candicecoppola #powerinpurposepodcast #aitools #weddingtrends #weddingpros

The Latest Wedding Planner Business Advice On YouTube

+ show Comments

- Hide Comments

add a comment

Join the Convo

Check out the most recent posts

Here's some recent posts to check out

before you go...

More Strategy Tips

on YouTube

Downloads packed with my 10+ years of expertise planning million-dollar events

It's time to give your wedding biz a glow-up.

shop now

Resources that get delivered immediately

You just found your new biz BFF.

Get ready to grow your business with intention, one episode at a time. Join me every Tuesday to have a conversation about marketing, mindset, or money on The Power in Purpose Podcast.

it's like having me in your back pocket (literally)

LISTEN ON apple
LISTEN ON the blog
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
listen on google

Each week, we explore how to build a profitable business with purpose—and the stories behind successful entrepreneurs who have. Get ready to dig in and have meaningful conversations about business and life, as we explore the strategies and techniques that build the kind of business you want. 

I believe entrepreneurs who lead with their purpose are more successful, less likely to burn out, and deeply connected to why they do what they do. 

listen on amazOn

these posts are on fire

Wanna steal my biz secrets?

or at the very least, hear the story about how I met Beyonce?