When running a business, understanding the customer journey is essential for success.
It’s the roadmap that guides businesses from the initial discovery phase to conversion and beyond. However, when it comes to the wedding industry, the customer journey is very different from typical businesses.
The wedding industry stands apart from others due to its very specific customer base and the nature of its products and services. Unlike businesses with recurring clientele, such as restaurants or handymen, wedding vendors serve clients experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime event.
This uniqueness profoundly influences the customer journey for brides- and grooms-to-be.
1. Discovery: Wedding planning begins with discovery
Couples start their wedding planning journey by trying to find the perfect vendors to bring their dream wedding to life, but it can be challenging. Many brides start this phase of the journey years before even getting engaged.
Discovery involves extensive research, browsing through websites, social media platforms, and seeking recommendations from friends and family. In the digital age, online presence is paramount, making search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, PPC ads, and a visually appealing website crucial for wedding businesses to stand out.
Unlike many businesses, where past customers will return when the need arises, most couples are starting from scratch in the discover phase of wedding planning. And on top of that, because of the significance of the decision, they spend a lot of extra time in this phase.
2. Consideration: Analyzing all of the wedding vendor options
Once couples have compiled their list of wedding vendor options, they enter the consideration phase of the journey.
Here, they dig deeper into each option, evaluating portfolios, reading reviews, and likely reaching out to many of their top choices. It’s a time of comparison and contrast, so it’s crucial for wedding businesses to show some sort of differentiation.
Unique value propositions, creative styles, personalized connections – anything you can do to stand out from the crowd (because it is a crowded market) will help you win over a client during the consideration phase.
3. Decision: Choosing Each Wedding Vendor
The decision phase is obviously the exciting part for wedding professionals.
After careful deliberation, couples are finally committing to work with you, sealing the deal with a contract and deposit.
Trust, reliability, and clear communication are important during this stage, because couples are spending large amounts of money and making a commitment that is often a year or two in advance. That means accepting payments through trusted platforms (e.g. don’t say “cash only”), sending a contract that protects both parties, and responding to questions in a timely manner.
4. Experience: Making Planning & The Wedding Day Enjoyable
As the wedding day approaches, couples enter the experience phase.
This is where vendors have the opportunity to shine, delivering exceptional service and exceeding expectations. The experience phase sets the stage for getting referrals down the road, so it’s important to go above and beyond.
Wedding planning can be stressful, and wedding days feel hectic. Whether you add or take away from a bride and groom’s anxiety will make all the difference in how they feel about working with you. Be sure to communicate thoroughly, anticipate needs before they arise, and be a positive and encouraging presence throughout the whole process!
5. Post-Wedding: The follow-up stage
Even after the vows have been exchanged and the cake has been cut, the customer journey isn’t over.
The post-wedding phase involves gathering feedback, sharing photos and testimonials, and maintaining a positive relationship with clients. For wedding businesses, nurturing these post-wedding connections can lead to valuable referrals.
Couples who are referred by past clients are the most likely to hire you, and usually the most likely to pay high prices for your services. They already have a level of trust in your services, whether that’s from being a guest at the wedding or hearing directly from the bride and groom.
Missing out on wedding referrals is essentially throwing away thousands of dollars in free business.
How the wedding planning “customer journey” impacts marketing
Understanding couples’ mindsets, struggles, desires, and motivations in each stage of the journey can be the difference-maker in helping your business thrive.
Many companies approach marketing with a “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” strategy but then get frustrated when they have no idea what is or isn’t working. Taking the time to know your audience deeply and think about where they are on their wedding planning journey can be a game changer as you try to market your business.
At Pinck Media, we specialize in helping wedding businesses create marketing campaigns that are based in actual strategy.
We start at the foundation – truly knowing your clients. From there, we make educated decisions about marketing channels, tactics, messaging, and conversion optimization.
The customer journey for wedding businesses is truly unique. It is a once-in-a-lifetime event, shaped by romance, family dynamics, the pursuit of being Pinterest-worthy, and childhood dreams. By understanding and embracing the uniqueness of this journey, wedding businesses can more effectively market themselves in a way that consistently brings in new clients.