Why Collaboration Is Key to a Wedding Venue’s Success

Creativity and passion run through the sector, from venue managers dedicated to hosting the most unforgettable wedding days to photographers capturing all the little details that make each day so special. While it may also feel like a competitive market to be in, there’s room for everyone –  and, in my experience, pooling together talents and resources can only be a good thing. Collaboration really is key to a wedding venue’s success – and this shows up in many forms.

Styled Shoots

Styled shoots are always a good idea. They offer a unique opportunity to join forces with fellow industry professionals – I’m talking everyone from florists to makeup artists – to create a themed shoot that may well end up being one of the best marketing tools you have. Whether you want to capture specific images on a certain theme (perhaps you want to champion LGBTQ+ weddings, for example) or simply show off how great your venue is, a styled shoot provides an invaluable catalogue of professional images for you (and the rest of the contributors) to use throughout your website, socials, marketing and blogs.

Wedding Showcases

Gone are the days of dull, uninspiring wedding fairs; savvy venues know the best way to let couples get a genuine feel for what their wedding day might look like is through an aspirational wedding showcase. This is a real collaborative effort, where instead of suppliers having their own stand at a venue, you all work together to show off a real wedding day ‘experience’. The result? An immersive, joined-up event that can really capture the imaginations of potential customers whilst helping to forge beneficial links with local businesses.

Recommended Suppliers

Through wedding showcases and styled shoots, you inevitably build up an awesome list of industry contacts. Forging strong links with those who really get your venue vibe leads to a mutually beneficial relationship. An easy way to do this is by including a page on your venue website about your recommended suppliers – not only does this help give prospective couples a reassuring reference point when starting the search for their vendors, it also lets you raise up local suppliers who you trust and who know your venue inside out.

Embrace Outsourcing

Sometimes we have to admit we can’t do it all. This isn’t a bad thing; it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. The truth is, running a wedding venue and hosting weddings is A LOT. When you factor in generating new leads, following up with enquiry emails, staying on top of all your socials or keeping your website up to date, it’s just not realistic to expect that every aspect of building and nurturing a successful wedding venue can be done by a small team. This is where outsourcing can really transform your business ­– and the general mood of your team, who finally have the time to focus on the part of the job they love the most. Of course, outsourcing aspects of your business may feel a little scary – so make sure you do your research and choose people who really get you and your venue. You want them to feel like an extension of your in-house team, not a separate entity. When done right, it’s a partnership that can make a lasting difference.

Working with Third Party Websites

Third-party websites can provide a huge level of support and guidance to your venue. Working with their teams to come up with ways to showcase your venue to its very best – as well as making sure it’s getting seen by the right couples – is a worthwhile collaboration that can have a big impact with very little effort. What’s not to love about that?

Social Media Support

A simple way to spread your reach is by engaging with and supporting other wedding industry social media accounts. By tagging other businesses in styled shoot posts, sharing relevant posts in your stories (for example, when a wedding dress boutique posts a picture of a bride wearing their dress at your venue) or simply commenting on their content, you’re collaborating, supporting them and boosting your visibility to other prospective couples. And, chances are, all of these wedding businesses will return the favour.

Working together reaps so many benefits; it’s hard to see a downside. So, whether you’re a well-established venue or newly opened, reach out to other local businesses and see where it takes you.