Networking Secrets For Wedding Planners: Success Strategies

Networking is an important aspect of growing a wedding planning business and creating a great vendor list to refer to clients. Wedding planners can attend local industry events, read online reviews, join local Facebook groups, and connect with other professionals on social media to expand their network. They should also consider their own strengths and weaknesses and choose a planner who can complement their skills. Building a solid network of event professionals and being strategic about preferred vendors are crucial steps in establishing a successful wedding planning business.

Identify good networking opportunities

Identifying good networking opportunities as a wedding planner is crucial for expanding your professional connections and accessing more career opportunities. Here are some strategies to help you identify and make the most of these opportunities:

Research and Select Relevant Events:

• Browse networking sites, industry-specific platforms, and local Facebook groups to find upcoming events, such as conferences, workshops, mixers, and industry gatherings.
• Research past iterations of conferences and review the list of speakers, panelists, and attendees to gauge the type of professionals who typically attend.
• Select one or two events or organisations that seem like a good fit, and consider attending a few meetings as a guest before committing.
• Larger wedding industry organisations to consider include WNUSA, ILEA, WIPA, ABC, and NACE.

Utilise Social Media:

• Leverage social media platforms to determine who might be attending particular events.
• Follow wedding professionals and event venues in your area on Facebook, Instagram, and other relevant platforms.
• Engage with their content by leaving comments and reaching out via email or direct message to introduce yourself and express interest in their work.
• Social media can also be a great way to stay in touch with your connections, fostering a friendly and genuine relationship.

Identify Potential Connections:

• Before attending an event, identify a few individuals you would like to connect with.
• Reach out to them beforehand and let them know you will be attending and would like to chat.
• During the event, make it a priority to find and engage with these individuals.
• Look for people who ask thoughtful questions and actively engage, as they may have deeper insights and stronger critical thinking skills.

Evaluate Mutual Benefits:

• When evaluating potential connections, consider your mutual contacts and whether you trust their credibility.
• Assess their association with causes and organisations to understand their professional involvement and interests.
• Challenge your preconceptions and keep an open mind—valuable connections may come from less visible or traditionally successful individuals.
• Reflect on how you can help others. Volunteering your time and offering assistance can be a great way to build trust and foster meaningful relationships.

Decide who you want to connect with

Before attending a networking event, it is important to identify three people you would like to connect with. These may be event professionals you have already connected with on social media, in a private Facebook group, at a wedding, or from a previous industry event. You could also reach out to other wedding planners in your area, who can be a great source of referrals for your business.

Once you have identified these individuals, reach out to them before the event to let them know you will be in attendance and would love to chat. This will give you a goal to work towards at the event and push you out of your comfort zone.

It is beneficial to become friends with other wedding planners in your market. This can be tricky as a newer planner, but it is worth the effort to build these relationships. You can also connect with other event professionals on social media, follow them, and leave comments on their posts and images. If you follow someone for a while and really like their work, reach out via email and invite them to meet up so you can learn more about their business and possibly add them to your recommended vendor list.

When deciding who to connect with, it is important to be strategic and careful. Your reputation is on the line with every recommendation you make to clients, so you want to build a solid network of event professionals to refer to. You can do this by checking online reviews for local industry professionals and looking through their websites to learn more about their business. You can also read blogs from other event planners—if several planners in your area all use the same florist or consistently rave about the same catering company, you know those companies are likely the best in the area. Reach out to these vendors and schedule a time to meet and get to know them.

Additionally, many cities have local Facebook groups for wedding and event professionals, which can be a good place to get to know vendors in your market and learn about future networking events and photo shoot opportunities.

Think about how you can help others

When networking as a wedding planner, it's important to go in with the attitude of how you can help other wedding professionals. Here are some ways you can do this:

Offer to help with tasks

Ask venues if they need help with styling an open house, or see if a dress shop could use a hand planning a trunk show. Volunteering your time and skills is a great way to build trust and foster a good working relationship with vendors.

Follow up with helpful information

After an industry event, follow up with connections by sending over helpful information related to something you discussed. This could be in the form of a how-to guide, a list of recommendations, or a relevant article or blog post.

Meet up one-on-one

If you feel you've made a good connection with someone, suggest meeting up to chat further. This could be for a coffee, or you could invite them to your office or workspace to get to know each other better.

Send a small gift

If you feel you've made a strong connection, you could follow up with a small gift. This could be something related to their business or a personal gift if you feel you know them well enough.

Be flexible and accommodating

Wedding planners often have a lot on their plate, so it's always helpful when vendors offer support by being flexible, accommodating, and proactive. For example, you could ask if they need any help with the timeline, lighting, or backup plan.

Provide feedback and referrals

One of the best ways to build a strong relationship with wedding planners is to provide feedback and referrals. You could send a thank-you note or testimonial after working with them, highlighting what you appreciated about the collaboration. You could also recommend them to your clients, friends, or family.

Share insights and suggestions

As a wedding vendor, you can offer valuable insights and suggestions to wedding planners based on your area of expertise. For example, a photographer could suggest the best moments and emotions to capture, or a caterer could recommend dishes that are likely to be a hit with guests.

Remember, networking is about building lasting relationships, so always look for ways to provide value and support to your connections.

Attend local industry events

Attending local industry events is a great way to network as a wedding planner. It can be daunting to grow your network of event professionals, but your reputation will benefit from every recommendation you make to clients.

Firstly, research what is happening in your area. Identify a few good networking opportunities, such as open houses, wedding professional organizations, or chambers. Then, decide who you want to connect with. Identify three people you would like to meet and reach out to them before the event. This could be event professionals you have connected with on social media or in a private Facebook group. Once you are at the event, make it your priority to find these individuals.

When attending a networking event, think about how you can help others. For example, you could ask a venue if they need help styling an open house, or see if a dress shop could use help planning a trunk show. Volunteering your time is a great way to build trust and get to know other professionals.

After the event, make sure you follow up. Send a helpful email or invite one of your connections to meet up one-on-one. If you have a good connection with someone, you could even follow up with a small gift.

Networking is a fantastic opportunity to create lasting relationships that can lead to new business. It is also a great way to learn about the latest trends in wedding planning and make more contacts.

Join a local Facebook group

Joining a local Facebook group is a great way to network as a wedding planner. Many cities have local Facebook groups for wedding and event professionals. To find these groups, you can simply search for them on Facebook. Go to the search bar, enter a group name or keyword, and tap or click on "Groups". This will display any groups related to your search.

Once you've found a group that you're interested in joining, you can send a request to join. If the group is public, you'll be able to see the posts and members, but you won't be able to interact until your request is accepted by an administrator.

Local Facebook groups can be a great way to get to know vendors in your market and learn about networking events, photo shoot opportunities, and even give and get leads for weddings and events. You can also use these groups to find out about future networking events and connect with other wedding planners, who can be a great source of referrals for your business.

Don't be shy about attending networking events and reaching out to other professionals in your area. Building relationships and creating a solid network of trusted vendors is key to growing your business and providing valuable recommendations to your clients.

Frequently asked questions