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Let’s get your wedding business ready for engagement season!
Hey friends, welcome back to The Brand Strategy Podcast! Today’s episode is all about preparing your wedding business for the upcoming engagement season so you’re able to intentionally connect with your ideal couples when they need you the most. Whether you’re a wedding photographer, wedding or event planner, floral designer, or stationery artist, this episode is for you!
How to prep your biz for engagement season
Over the last 12 years as a brand designer and strategist, I’ve had the privilege of working with so many incredible pros in the wedding industry. I know firsthand what it takes to create elevated, high-converting brands and websites for service providers like you. I also deeply understand the consumer behavior of couples searching for their dream wedding team.
With engagement season just around the corner, couples are starting to take to the internet to find venues, florists, planners, photographers, and all the amazing pros who make their wedding dreams come true. Now is the time to ensure that your brand is ready to meet these potential clients online. So be sure to tune in above to catch the full episode!
Update Your Portfolio:
You’ve likely completed some gorgeous projects over the past several months, and now is the perfect time to showcase them. Show potential clients the best examples of your work that reflect your current style and attract the couples you want to work with.
I love using platforms like Showit because it’s so easy to upload new galleries with just a few clicks. This is also a great time to organize your portfolio strategically. For example, for my stationer clients, I love organizing their portfolio by specific stationery types—save the dates, day-of paper, invitation suites, etc.
Think about the kind of client you want to attract, and make sure your portfolio reflects that. Swap out images that no longer align with your current style or the type of work you want to continue doing.
Refresh Your Website and Services Page
While you’re updating your portfolio, take a look at your hero images and services page. Does anything need to be updated? Are your prices reflective of the elevated service you’re offering for 2025 and beyond? Small changes can make a big impact in how your brand is perceived.
Create Keyword-Rich Content
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a long game, and it’s important to start now. Adding keyword-rich content to your website and social media is an investment in your future success. If you know certain venues or locations that your ideal clients love, consider writing blog posts that showcase real weddings or projects at those venues. Include the venue name, location, and other specific details in your blog post titles, content, and image names.
For example, I once did a huge rebrand for a Dallas-based wedding photographer who had already built up a lot of SEO content for certain popular Dallas venues. We played off that strength by creating venue-specific pages and a venue directory on her website. This helped her connect with couples searching for photographers at those specific venues.
This type of content won’t go viral overnight, but over time, it will help you organically connect with your ideal clients. Which is why I highly recommend getting started now so Google has months to crawl your site in the lead up to engagement season!
Review Your Client-Facing Workflows
Now is also the perfect time to walk through your client-facing workflows, starting with your contact form. Fill it out as if you were a client. Does it still work? Is it easy to use? Are you collecting all the necessary information to put together a strong project proposal?
Take a look at your entire process, from inquiry to proposal to contract and invoice. Is everything working? Is it polished and seamless? Your workflows should reflect the level of service you provide, and they should work for you, too.
I use HoneyBook for my business because it’s an all-in-one tool that makes managing inquiries, sending invoices, and handling contracts easy. This is the perfect time to ensure that everything is working smoothly before the inquiries start rolling in.
Consider a Rebrand or Brand Refresh
If you’re going through these steps and feel like you’ve outgrown your current brand, it might be time to explore a rebrand or brand refresh. This time of year is perfect for investing in your brand so that you can start 2025 strong.
If you’re feeling like your brand isn’t reflecting the level of work you’re doing, consider starting the rebranding process now. Whether you want to launch a new brand at the top of 2025 or take advantage of the slow winter months to work on a rebrand, I find that now is such a sweet, intentional time to dive into a project like this!
Your best brand will be the one you’re fully invested in, not just financially but also in terms of your energy and attention. It’s about creating a brand that serves you not just for this engagement season, but for many seasons to come.
Looking for support?
If you’re ready for the support and guidance of a brand strategist and designer to help you navigate a thoughtful rebrand or refresh, I would be honored to chat with you. You can click here to book a complimentary consultation where we’ll dive into your business, your vision, and how I can serve you well.
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Episode Transcript:
Hi, friend, and welcome to the Brand Strategy Podcast, a show created to equip you with the inspiration, encouragement, and clarity you need to build a brand of your dreams. I’m your host, Bonnie Bakhtiari, brand designer, strategist, and founder of the Illume Retreat from sustainable strategy to heartfelt Encouragement. Each episode is designed to equip you with the tools you need to chase after your dreams because you deserve a brand that empowers you to do what you love, connects with your dream clients, and offers a deep sense of fulfillment along the way. So grab a cup of coffee and join me on this journey, won’t you?
Hey friend, welcome back to the Brand Strategy Podcast where today we are talking about how to get your brand ready for engagement season. This is an episode specifically for my wedding pros. So if you are a wedding photographer, if you are an event planner and designer, if you are a floral designer, a stationer, if you work in the wedding space, then this is an episode that you are going to want to catch.Now, I work primarily with pros in the wedding industry. Over the 12 years that I have been a brand designer and strategist, the majority of my clients have been within the wedding space. And so I intimately understand not only what it looks like to create elevated, high converting brands and websites for service providers in that industry, but I also understand what it’s like for your potential clients to be searching for you.I understand a lot of the consumer behavior and what they’re looking for when they’re looking to hire a pro to help them plan and execute their wedding. And knowing that engagement season is coming up, whether this is your first year or your 20th year, there’s always that kind of habitual time of year when we see an influx in engagements. And that’s when these couples are taking to the internet and they are searching for venues. They’re searching for florists, for planners, for photographers. They’re looking for bakers for their cakes and sweets and all of the people that they need in order to execute this incredible celebration of their love story and their upcoming union. And so now is the time to start thinking about how your brand is going to be ready to meet these people, so to speak, in the online space.
Is your content on your website or your social channel, is it doing enough for you right now so that it’s going to be doing the most come engagement season? Or is it possible that there’s some opportunity to just tighten things up, to assess and to make some thoughtful changes so that your brand is putting your best foot forward online, so that you are able to connect with incredible couples during this upcoming engagement season. In today’s episode, I’m just going to talk you through a few kind of rapid fire suggestions that I would recommend. These are things that I focus on with my own clients.
So right now with my client work, we are looking at client projects that are getting ready to launch during the height of engagement season. And I’m also looking at client projects where we’re making some thoughtful changes in order to get their current brand and site ready for engagement season. So these are kind of two different types of projects.There are some where we’re launching something new, and so it’s like a full complete brand and website launch. And then there are some projects where we’re just making some thoughtful changes. So those are going to be more like brand and website refreshes.
Now looking at where you are specifically, your situation is going to be completely unique because your business is completely unique and your season of professional life is also unique. So what I’m sharing today, as honestly with everything that I share here on the podcast, I make suggestions and you make decisions. So I will share some ideas and it’s up to you to decide what fits into how you are defining success.It’s up to you to decide what you have the capacity to take on. And if what I’m sharing today, some of it or all of it doesn’t resonate, that’s fine. Just, you know, keep it in your back pocket for later or just completely bin it.
But for those of you who are ready to think about how to get your current brand ready for engagement season, here’s some things you can do without necessarily investing in a massive rebrand right now. And for those of you who are thinking, well, actually, Bonnie, maybe I do need to invest in a thoughtful rebrand. We’ll talk about that in a little bit. But for those of us with existing brands where things are working, you’re seeing a steady influx of inquiries from your ideal clients. You are happy with the quality of work that you’re producing and you’re happy with the level of compensation that you’re receiving for the work that you’re producing.
Some things that you might want to consider this time of year in order to get your website and your brand and your social content ready for an influx of inquiries come engagement season is first and foremost to update your portfolio.At this time, you probably have a handful of gorgeous new projects that you worked on over the last several months. Especially if you are a wedding photographer, you quite likely have delivered more than a few galleries over the last couple of months. And I encourage you to look through the examples of your work that you have and assess what parts of that you want to add to your portfolio.This is a fantastic opportunity for you to update your website.
So one of the many reasons why I’m such a big fan of Showit, because show websites make it so incredibly easy for you to just with a couple clicks of your mouse upload entire new galleries. So I love doing this for my clients who are in the wedding industry where we’re able to break out and divide their portfolio by specific couple or for my wedding station or clients.I love to organize their portfolios by specific stationary type. So day of paper, save the dates, invitation suites, things like that. So with that being said, take a look at your portfolio.Ask yourself, is there a way that this could be more strategic? Is there a way that I could design this so that my ideal clients are finding the best examples of my work quickly and effectively? Take a look at the kind of work, the quality of the work that you’re showcasing, and give yourself the opportunity to swap out images that, you know, maybe your style has changed. You’ve kind of outgrown that. Or maybe you are wanting to attract a very specific kind of client with a very specific aesthetic or set of values.And you’re wanting to make sure that your portfolio reflects that, right? This is a great opportunity for you to go and make that happen. This is definitely an easier place to start.
I know that for so many of us in the creative industry, sometimes we can kind of like put off updating our portfolios because we tell ourselves, oh, it’s going to take so much time.And yes, this can be a time consuming process, but realistically, it is such a, it is an action that has such a big payoff in terms of the direct ROI of your time in cultivating new images for your galleries and adding those to your website or going back to your website designer and getting them to add it to the site, right? That can have such a direct payoff in terms of the quality of inquiries you’ll see from new clients and the kinds of aligned projects that you can book. Okay.
So thinking about other things you can do in terms of content, right? Updating your portfolio while you’re in the backend of your website or while your web designer is in the backend of your site.This is also a great opportunity to update any hero images across the site to make any changes to your services page. You know, maybe update pricing for the coming new year. Do any of those kinds of things that are going to reflect the elevated level of service that you’re inviting people into in 2025 and beyond.
Next, I highly recommend that now is the time to start really focusing on adding keyword rich content to your website and to your social content. Just the way that SEO search engine optimization works, it is a slow game. So you’re not necessarily going to write a blog post that is rich in keywords that your ideal clients are searching for and instantly go viral.Chances are it’s going to be a little bit slower of a process than that, which is why doing this sooner and creating more content, more quality content that your ideal client will find valuable come engagement season. Doing that now is an investment into future use success.
So if you know every engagement season, you get a lot of inquiries from people who are asking questions about this very specific thing.Let’s say you’re a wedding planner and you work with a very specific local wedding venue and a lot of your couples really love partnering with this venue, and you know that that’s likely going to be a place that people are considering having their wedding in the future. Well, now could be a great time for you to write a blog post or do a series of blog posts featuring real weddings that you’ve done at that specific venue. And then in the title of your blog post, in the actual content of your blog post, and the way that you’re naming the images that you’re adding to that post, you can share so much about that specific venue, that location, that business name. And then over time, the more time that post is online, the more time that people are searching for that specific venue and that specific location, search engines are going to be crawling your website. They’re going to be looking for those keywords and for that information. And it’s going to be a great way for you to get out in front of the people that are looking for that specific venue and who want to work with planners who are really familiar with that.
Another example of this, a few years ago, I did a huge rebrand for a really successful Dallas-based wedding photographer. And she and her team do incredible work at a handful of just absolutely magnificent Dallas area venues. And she’d already built up a lot of SEO based on those specific venues and that content that she had on her site.And so we actually just played off of that. And we focused on creating, not only did we carry over all of those incredible blog posts that she had created from her old website to her new website that we designed, but we also created venue specific pages on her website. So static pages, not blog posts, but static pages that we then combined into a venue directory on her website.So that first of all, when she books couples and they’re wondering, hey, where should we get married? Do you have any recommendations? She can send them this venue directory, this resource, and they can see all of these different incredible venues that they have access to. And all of these different beautiful examples of the way that this photographer has captured celebrations at those specific places. Also, it’s fantastic for when people in the Dallas area are searching for wedding photographers who work with these venues, or they’re just looking for inspiration, right? I know that when I was planning my wedding, I was Googling like crazy, just trying to find inspiration.So when people are making those searches, those posts, those pages, excuse me, that’s what’s going to be popping up in a Google search, for example. So thinking about what are ways that I can organically work in location specific, keyword rich content that my ideal client will be searching for.
And again, this takes time.I don’t want you to expect that you start doing all these blog posts and then tomorrow it delivers you tons and tons of inquiries. It’s going to take a couple of weeks. It’s going to take months in some cases.That’s normal. That’s just the way that SEO content works. And that’s something that I always encourage my clients to keep in mind is that this is kind of a long game.So how can we be setting you up for success in that way? All right. So updating your website, updating your portfolio, creating a plan with keyword rich content for your blog, and then also for your website. Those are some things you can do that are client facing.
Let’s think about some other things that are client facing for your brand that are a little bit more personal, right? So let’s think about your client facing workflows. This is such a fantastic time before you start to see a new handful of people inquire about your services. Now is the time to check out like, hey, do I like how my contact form works? First of all, is it still working? Did something break over the summer? Second of all, do I like how it’s flowing? Am I getting all the information that I need to really put together a great project proposal for this couple? So this is simple, but just fill out your contact form like you were a client and see what it looks like.Go through your client facing workflows from that initial inquiry form all the way through you sending a proposal, you sending over a contract or an invoice. Take a look at all of the different digital pieces that your potential client will experience before they book with you, before they become an actual client. Is everything working, first of all? Second of all, is it looking polished? Is it looking like a genuine reflection of the level of service that you provide? Is it feeling easy to use? If you’re going through it and you’re confused, then you can bet that your potential client will be confused.And this is a process that we want to be as full of ease and completely seamless as possible. So definitely walk through that. See if there are any changes, any opportunities to just zhuzh things up in a way that will make that client experience more branded, more seamless, fun if possible.And it’s also something that in the end, we want it to work for you.
I use HoneyBook. If you’ve been a long-time listener of the podcast, then this comes as no surprise.But one of the reasons why I suggest using a CRM tool like HoneyBook or Dubsado or 17Hat, something like that, is it’s going to have that all-in-one capability. Everything from managing your inquiries to sending invoices, signing and documenting contracts, payment plans, things like that. So definitely, that’s kind of the boring but necessary side of things.We’re going through and making sure that your client-facing workflows, first of all, that they still work and that they are putting your best foot forward during such a crucial part of the sales process where a lead is interested in becoming an actual paying client of yours. So how can that process be more reflective of the incredible work that you provide? And how can it work for you as a service provider too? Okay, so we’ve talked through a couple ways that you can be getting your website, your social content, your workflows, your client experience ready for engagement season.
If you are going through all of these steps and you’re finding that there’s kind of this disconnect, you’re noticing that you have outgrown the brand that you’ve been living with for the last however many months or in a lot of cases years, then that could be a sign that it’s time to assess your brand and assess your website and explore rebranding.Now is really a great time to think about doing that if you are a wedding professional, right? If we think about yes, engagement season is coming up. I will say some designers will still have availability this late in the season for custom brand and web design projects. A lot of designers will already be booking for start dates of projects into 2025 at this point in time.So do be aware that there might be a little bit of a trade-off.
Yes, you know now is a great time to think about how you might want to rebrand your wedding photography business or you might want to rebrand your stationery business. But it’s also a time to think about, you know, what is the trade-off there? It’s possible that you might be able to go through the rebrand process and launch at the top of 2025.It’s also possible that you might be able to start going through the process and use the winter season, use your slow season and really go inward with your brand designer and strategist. Really dive deep into this brand that you have and then come out in 2025 with an elevated new visual brand, a strategic identity and maybe even a custom designed website that is exactly what you’re looking for. So I definitely recommend looking at your options and thinking about the timeline of what works for you, of what serves you best, of, you know, also what aligns with the dream designers that you’re thinking of working with in the future.
But for those of us who are looking at the concept of investing in a new brand for engagement season, take heart. I didn’t mean to, you know, I don’t know, stress you out knowing that some designers are already booked out. You have a lot of flexibility.So what I mean by that is your best brand, in my experience, will be the brand that you are able to fully invest in. And not just fully invest in financially, but fully invest in in terms of your energy, in terms of your time and your attention. So yes, there are quite a few businesses that I work with this time of year where we are on track to launch at the top of the new year so that during that engagement season we’re introducing a gorgeous, strategically designed new brand and website that will captivate my clients, ideal clients, during this exciting time in their lives.But also, I work with quite a few, and I know that other designers do this too, we are definitely working with quite a few wedding industry pros during the slow season, during those winter months where, you know, no one’s really thinking about getting married, but they are thinking about, you know, planning for the future.
So with that being said, it’s a great time to utilize your time as a pro to invest in your business in that way. So I encourage you to think about going through a process in a way that works for you.This doesn’t necessarily, you know, it’s great if it aligns with engagement season, but ultimately, you know, we are building these businesses with longevity in mind. This upcoming engagement season hopefully won’t be your only engagement season as a wedding industry pro. So thinking about showing up in a way that works for you now, that honors the season of business that you’re in, and that aligns with your, not only your short-term goals, but your long-term goals.
Creating that kind of brand is, I think, going to be the kind of brand that will serve you best. So all of that being said, I know we’ve covered a lot of ideas in today’s episode, but if you’re looking for the support and the guidance to partner with a brand strategist and designer to walk you through that rebrand process or a thoughtful brand refresh process in the lead-up to engagement season and beyond, then I would be so honored to get to chat with you. I am always so incredibly thrilled to connect with wedding industry pros who are doing incredible work and helping these wonderful couples experience such joyful days and celebrations that mark one of the happiest moments of their lives. And if I can support you in doing that work and you get to them as a result, do more of what you do and help more couples on these beautiful, joy-filled journeys, gosh, I would just consider myself to be so lucky.
So with that being said, you can always reach out to me and book a complimentary consultation where I’m going to learn more about you and your incredible business, your vision for your brand, the season that you’re in, and how I could potentially serve you well at BisforBonnieDesign.com/contact. The easiest, quickest way to get ahold of me is to fill out that form, and then I’ll be in touch with the next steps from there.And then, of course, you can always learn more about my approach as a designer and my services on my website at BisforBonnieDesign.com/branding.
Now, knowing that this is such an exciting season coming up where your dream couples are getting engaged and you have this, honestly, just endless amounts of opportunity and possibility to be connecting with them, I hope that some of the tips that I shared today prove useful, give you some ideas of things that you can do now on your own to start getting your work out in front of the people who need it the most. If you can, I encourage you, have fun with it, experiment, play a little bit, see what kind of content you love creating, you know, take some time and really enjoy scrolling back through the portfolio images that you got from earlier this year as you’re adding them to your site and to the galleries on your website.And yeah, just, if you can, have so much fun with this process because, like I said, this is a time of year where just, I think, the possibility abounds. And I know I sound really nerdy when I say stuff like that, but I genuinely feel that energy and that, like, the connection that can happen and the way that you can connect with your ideal couples, they can connect with you and together you guys can just create magic for their wedding. I love that for them and for you.
So, I hope that today’s episode gives you some food for thought and for my incredible professionals in the wedding industry, stay tuned because in the next couple of weeks here on the podcast, I’m going to be sharing a complete rebranding checklist specifically for wedding industry professionals to help you navigate rebranding your existing service-based wedding business with intention. Until next time, I’m cheering y’all on from Waco.
Thank you so much for joining me today, friend. Before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the brand strategy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general has helped you grow your brand, I’d really appreciate it if you left us a review in iTunes. Your positive reviews enable the brand strategy podcast to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives just like you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together we pursue building brands with purpose and intention. Until next time, I’m cheering you on from Waco.
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