W
hen it comes to the most essential aspects of a wedding, location is a huge factor — maybe just behind the all-important dress. Here, we look at some of the biggest draws for potential clients interested in your venue, from the property’s history to attractions in the area, and provide tips for highlighting the pros of your location in your marketing strategy.
When you’re thoughtful and intentional in identifying what makes your property one of the best wedding destinations out there, couples can tell right away whether your location checks all the boxes for their dream day.
Something Old: A Sense of History
Our collective obsession with Jane Austen and the Bridgerton series shows no signs of fading, and therefore (with apologies to Austen), two single people in possession of a decent fortune must be in want of a historical venue. Your property doesn’t have to be on the National Register to appeal to couples who want to star in their own Regency romance; all you need are wide lawns, an elegant facade, and a ballroom of sorts. Got canopy beds and a hedge maze? Even better!
If you’re honing in on a historic ambiance for your wedding promotion, impeccable service is a must. Be prepared to offer bespoke services like custom floral designs or unique culinary experiences, and ensure that every detail will be flawless, from the napkin folds to the turndown service.
Here’s how to reach your audience and allow them to ardently admire your property:
- Invest in visuals. Capture professional photography and videography that brings out the romantic nature of your venue, inside and out. (Real people are best: You might consider offering a wedding couple a discount in exchange for permission to use some footage of their event.) Share them in social media stories, post them on your website, and use snippets in email marketing.
- Tap into the Regency theme. Create collateral, email, and social graphics using calligraphy fonts and old-timey language. (This is a great job for AI: Just prompt it to rewrite your promotional copy in the style of Austen.) Snap moments that encapsulate the vibe — an afternoon tea setting, a wrought-iron bench in a rose garden — and post them on social media.
- Promote your venue’s story. Don’t be shy when it comes to sharing the history of your wedding venue or destination — and that means going beyond simply labeling your venue as historic. Let your “About Us” or “Our Story” landing page really shine here, telling potential customers the evolution of your space throughout the years (or decades). Check out our client Twenty Mile House’s detailed webpage, featuring a timeline of the property’s history, for inspiration.
Something New: A Fresh Feel
On the other end of the spectrum from historic venues: properties that provide a fresh, modern feel for every aspect of the event, from décor to dining to the event schedule.
If you want to go high-tech, consider out-of-the-box options like photo booths with 360-degree photography, robot mixologists, and drones that can capture the event from all angles. A modern wedding destination should offer an experience as seamless and streamlined as its architecture, so be sure your systems are up to speed for reservations, check-ins, and other red tape.
Or, you could focus on being up-to-the-minute in a different way: Become one of the best wedding destinations offering sustainable, eco-friendly weddings. Minimize non-reusable decorations; provide biodegradable confetti instead of rice for tossing; plate individual meals rather than serving buffet-style, which results in more waste; source local flowers, and ask florists to avoid using floral foam, which contains harmful microplastics.
Here’s how to showcase your contemporary venue:
- Give them a virtual peek. Depending on your budget, offer live streams, virtual tours, or augmented reality experiences that allow potential guests to get a close-up look at various aspects of your property, ideally with various floral arrangements, tablescapes, and seating setups.
- Target audiences on social media. Fine-tune your paid social strategy by using Meta Business Suite to target audiences in demographics who might be more likely to be interested in sustainability or high-tech experiences.
- Include an eco-bonus. As part of your sustainable wedding package, add the option for the couple to have a tree planted in their names at a nearby preserve to offset their carbon footprint. Share this unusual offering across your promotional platforms.
Something Borrowed: Area Attractions
Sometimes the best wedding destinations are those with the most fun neighbors. If your property is located near a fabulous scenic attraction or a special museum, or perhaps your area is known for its musical venues or horse racing, lean into it! Offer wedding packages that include guided bus tours, curated pub crawls, a day at the races, etc. Then echo that on site with menus, décor, and cocktail hours that reflect your area.
Here are some ways to promote the things that make your region unique:
- Turn the focus on your neighbors. Share interviews with local proprietors, presenters, curators, and other guiding forces in the community, highlighting what they do and what makes their event and your area so special.
- Partner to make packages. Collaborate with local venues to create a variety of wedding packages that include tickets, tastings, guided tours, and something special that other visitors don’t get, like a behind-the-scenes look at a museum installation or a personalized wine flight.
- Build landing pages to highlight your collabs. Promote your local partnerships by creating individual landing pages that combine your branding with theirs, integrating SEO keywords related to the activities and attractions. Link to them from digital ads, emails, and social posts.
Something Blue: A Ceremony by the Sea
There’s nothing more classic, and for good reason, than an oceanside wedding. Sea, sand, sun, and deep blue views — you really don’t need much more than that to number among the best wedding destinations.
Here are some ways to get the word out about your coastal venue:
- Lean into coastal color palettes. Throughout all your marketing imagery, highlight how well coastal-inspired colors — from ocean blues to soft whites — complement your waterfront venue. When potential clients get a sense of how the tablescapes, signage, and overall decor can flow with the coastal setting, it’ll set your venue up for success.
- Splash the sea everywhere. Make sure all your social channels, website, and emails showcase your oceanside vista. Change them up frequently so visitors and followers won’t tune out an image they’ve seen repeatedly.
- Focus on the ocean’s many moods. Use authentic imagery throughout your marketing materials that shows how the site lends itself to both magical couples moments (like a sunset cruise and cocktails for two on the beach) and family fun (like surfing lessons and whale watching sails).
A Sixpence in Your Shoe: A Luxe Environment
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in your shoe.” The last line of this 19th-century English rhyme fell away at some point over the years, but the sixpence was included in the original to symbolize good fortune and prosperity.
That’s a great fit for our last essential element of the best wedding destinations: luxury. No matter what type of venue or experience they choose, wedding couples and their guests want to feel like they can truly unwind and relax.
Here are some ways to showcase your luxury venue:
- Spotlight your spa. Offer couples treatments, include a tailored spa experience for newlyweds, and use imagery that conjures up warmth, tranquility, and cushiness.
- Partner with an influencer: Connect with a travel influencer who can give their followers a taste of your offerings. Many influencers travel in pairs, so if you collaborate with a couple, give them an experience that’s as similar as possible to the one newlyweds would have.
- Zoom in on the details: Take pictures and videos of tiny moments of luxury throughout your property — pillows being fluffed, fresh flowers on a bedside table, chocolate melting — and share them on your social channels.
Need help getting on the radar as one of the best wedding destinations? Our team of strategists and designers can help you define your brand.