4 answers
Emily
Student
Lompoc, California
1
Question
Updated
206 views
Do you have any advice regarding marketing a wedding and event planning company in California? #Spring26
I am planning to earn a bachelors degree in Event and Experience Management, and I will be opening my own wedding and event planning company. I am looking for advice regarding marketing this type of company. What methods of marketing are most effective for this type of business, and what platforms should I use? #Spring26
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4 answers
Heidi Crall Blanchard, PMP
Software Consultant
2
Answers
Oak Lawn, Illinois
Updated
Heidi’s Answer
Hi Emily,
Starting a wedding planning company is such an exciting adventure, and using social media and platforms like Thumbtack is a fantastic way to kick things off. Networking is definitely key, and here are a few more ideas to help you succeed:
- Attend venue open houses in your area. They're often free and a wonderful opportunity to connect with industry professionals.
- Join local Facebook groups where brides are looking for vendors. It's a great way to find potential clients.
- Consider interning with a more experienced planner to gain valuable insights and experience.
Wishing you lots of success in your journey!
Starting a wedding planning company is such an exciting adventure, and using social media and platforms like Thumbtack is a fantastic way to kick things off. Networking is definitely key, and here are a few more ideas to help you succeed:
- Attend venue open houses in your area. They're often free and a wonderful opportunity to connect with industry professionals.
- Join local Facebook groups where brides are looking for vendors. It's a great way to find potential clients.
- Consider interning with a more experienced planner to gain valuable insights and experience.
Wishing you lots of success in your journey!
Janica McCool
Digital Experiences
2
Answers
Conroe, Texas
Updated
Janica’s Answer
Create a social campaign targeting prospective brides. Look for couples that have a good social following you could trade services with to use their influence to promote your business. Word of mouth is critical in this space, they are trusting you with their special day so having outside influence will help when you are ramping up. Also, look for other partners in your space that you can repost and share their services. As your business grows, use paid media to amp up your coverage. In addition, create an engaging website that will showcase your services and the ability to connect to you for more information. You should also leverage LLMs to optimize your content, since most people are now using AI to search.
Nicole Leeds
Marketing
1
Answer
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Nicole’s Answer
Weddings and events are such a visual industry, so social media is your best friend here. Instagram and Pinterest especially, since that's where couples actually go to dream and plan. You don't even need a full portfolio to start. Post inspiration you love, mood boards, styling ideas, anything that shows your aesthetic and taste. It signals to potential clients what working with you would feel like. Whatever you put out, keep it consistent. Cohesive visuals build trust fast in this space. When your feed looks intentional, people take you more seriously, even if you're just starting out.
A few other things worth trying:
Build relationships with venues directly. Venue coordinators get asked for vendor recommendations constantly, and if they know and like you, that referral pipeline is gold. Same goes for photographers, florists, and caterers. Peer referrals in the events world are huge.
Put together a solid pitch deck or look book early. Even as a student, having something polished to leave behind when you meet vendors or venues makes a big impression. I'm biased, but Canva genuinely is great for this kind of thing. Easy to keep on-brand, and you can use it for everything from proposals and presentations to the behind-the-scenes stuff too. Client checklists in spreadsheets, run-of-show timelines in docs, mood boards, invoices. Keeping it all in one place and looking consistent makes you look way more professional from day one.
Also consider documenting any events you help with during your degree, even volunteer or school ones. Real photos of real events go a long way when you're building a portfolio from scratch.
A few other things worth trying:
Build relationships with venues directly. Venue coordinators get asked for vendor recommendations constantly, and if they know and like you, that referral pipeline is gold. Same goes for photographers, florists, and caterers. Peer referrals in the events world are huge.
Put together a solid pitch deck or look book early. Even as a student, having something polished to leave behind when you meet vendors or venues makes a big impression. I'm biased, but Canva genuinely is great for this kind of thing. Easy to keep on-brand, and you can use it for everything from proposals and presentations to the behind-the-scenes stuff too. Client checklists in spreadsheets, run-of-show timelines in docs, mood boards, invoices. Keeping it all in one place and looking consistent makes you look way more professional from day one.
Also consider documenting any events you help with during your degree, even volunteer or school ones. Real photos of real events go a long way when you're building a portfolio from scratch.
Sara Lighthall
Marketing
3
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
Sara’s Answer
Hi Emily! Love that you have such a strong vision for your career and know exactly where you want to take your career.
Weddings are such a visual experience, so I would lead with visual marketing as much as possible. Think about your own wedding planning company - what is your niche / style? make sure that comes to life in your logo, instagram grid, look book, etc. Canva is amazing for creating a ton of promotional assets (IG posts, website, presentations) with a consistent look and feel.
Video is huge for weddings, especially social video. If you start planning or assisting at weddings, make sure you (or a friend!) are taking video content throughout the day that bring the event to life. Create a reel and tag all of the other vendors at the wedding to expand the reach of your content.
Weddings are such a visual experience, so I would lead with visual marketing as much as possible. Think about your own wedding planning company - what is your niche / style? make sure that comes to life in your logo, instagram grid, look book, etc. Canva is amazing for creating a ton of promotional assets (IG posts, website, presentations) with a consistent look and feel.
Video is huge for weddings, especially social video. If you start planning or assisting at weddings, make sure you (or a friend!) are taking video content throughout the day that bring the event to life. Create a reel and tag all of the other vendors at the wedding to expand the reach of your content.