Back to Basics: Future-Planning for Your Wedding Business

As we count down the days until 2022, you might be picking up last-minute party supplies, breaking out the good bubbly, and getting ready to bid adieu to a year that has been all over the place. 

While we started 2021 with no idea when weddings would be back on the forefront, we’re ending it with a wedding boom that is unlike anything the industry has ever seen. But this boom is here to stay, long past the time you finally remember to end the date with a two instead of a one. (No? Just us scribbling out numbers for a month?)

With days left in the year, time is running out to get your wedding company on track for 2022. We aren’t going back to the pre-pandemic days of doing business, so it’s vital to consider how to adapt and maintain momentum in the late stages of the pandemic and beyond.

Here are four areas to evaluate in your end-of-year (or beginning-of-year if you’re pressing pause until next week) business audit.

Policies and Procedures

By now, you’ve likely updated your policies and procedures multiple times in the past couple of years. You’ve learned the term “force majeure” and have had to refer to it more times than you’d like. You’ve answered every contract question in the book. You’ve received complaints and praises for your attention to detail.

As we settle into a new normal, it’s wise to revisit your contract before booking season picks up. Make sure you’ve dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s. Things are about to be very busy, and you won’t have the time to update policies on the fly. 

While you’re at it, consider pulling out the most important policies and procedures to create an FAQ page on your website. That way, you don’t have to answer the same questions on repeat — you can simply refer them to your website. You can also include this link in your onboarding packet to reiterate the expectations for your agreement.

Staffing and Training

Many wedding businesses have hiring plans in 2022 as they rebuild their teams just in time to encounter the wedding boom. Consider how your expectations have changed since the last time you hired, which may have been in 2019 or prior. Will you require new hires to show proof of vaccination? Is your team still working remotely? Update your job description(s) to reflect any changes.

In terms of onboarding and training, be mindful that you will need to cover COVID-related issues in addition to your usual training plan. Employees may need to learn proper sanitation procedures, best ways to discuss safety measures, and contingency plans should a team member or client test positive.

Beyond the training stage, it’s essential for leaders to hold their team accountable for following through on guidelines. Couples trust that wedding professionals will prioritize the health and safety of themselves and their guests above all else. 

Systems and Workflows

If the past two years have felt like you’ve been scraping together a system that kinda sorta works for the most part, now is the time to buckle down and get your business foundation in order. Otherwise, small issues may snowball into major problems when you’re swamped with double-digit events at any given moment.

Run an assessment of your current systems and workflows, including any tech tools you use in your business. Is everything working as expected? Are there weak links impacting your operations, client experience, or productivity?

Perhaps a year of remote delegation made you realize it’s time for a better project management platform. Or maybe you’ve noticed more clients wanting to communicate via text, so you try out an SMS service for your business. When your calendar and inbox are both overflowing, you’ll be grateful to have spent time organizing your backend.

Sales and Marketing

Your messaging will need to adapt to the times, as the wedding boom causes a surge in demand. Couples know that there isn’t time for indecision, so they are pulling the trigger sooner than ever. (Some are even booking venues without ever stepping foot on site!)

With that in mind, sales may be a tad easier in the next few years — but marketing could feel harder as you need to stand out in an extra-noisy market. Stay true to your brand and highlight the unique value that you bring to the table. 

If you’ve been considering a new marketing campaign or branching out to a new channel, this is the year to do it. Couples are looking high and low for advice, support, and guidance; stay top-of-mind by showing up where they’re already spending time.

So, how prepared do you feel for 2022? If you read through this list and thought, “I’ve got this in the bag,” kudos! But if things could be better in your business (even a little!), dedicate some time this week to work on your business fundamentals and stave off the holiday hangover of starting January off on the wrong foot.