Planning Tools, Ideas, & Advice
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For Wedding Pros
You’re wearing all the hats, tending to your clients’ needs, and hopefully finding some time to spend with family and friends away from work. I totally get it. But, as a photographer, wedding planner, or any creative for that matter, it's important to take time to understand what's happening in your business.
Use this simple weekly agenda to put on your CEO hat. In just two hours a month, you can feel confident that you know what’s happening in your business and begin to make adjustments, triage issues, and identify new opportunities in order to continuously move your business forward.
Congratulations on becoming a CEO in the wedding industry! It's important to fully embrace your new role.
You might be curious about what it means to work "on" the business. In this context, it refers to focusing on strategic and future-oriented activities, rather than just working "in" the business, where you're managing day-to-day tasks like collaborating with clients, booking vendors, or coordinating events. The former is more about long-term planning.
Many wedding professionals find it challenging to step back from daily operations, even when strategy is a key responsibility. Setting aside dedicated time each week for a big-picture review is crucial for staying aligned with your business goals and preparing for your strategic planning sessions, whether they are monthly, quarterly, or annually.
In the hustle of the wedding industry, we often overlook our achievements. It's vital to take a moment to acknowledge both significant and minor victories. If you can’t recall any, reviewing recent events may help jog your memory. Keeping a log, journal, or timeline of weddings you've successfully coordinated is a great way to visualize your milestones. Recognizing what’s working allows you to continue or expand those efforts, so don’t skip this important step!
Use this time to evaluate your performance across various channels in the wedding business. Get a high-level overview of your marketing efforts, client inquiries, and bookings. Be cautious not to get lost in the details; it's easy to become immersed in the specifics. While you won't solve any issues during this time, jotting down anything that appears off or needs further investigation will aid in deeper analysis later. Tracking trends in your key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for identifying potential issues. Initially, maintaining this data may feel cumbersome, but it will become easier over time. Below are common areas to review, but feel free to integrate any additional tools or analytics specific to wedding planning.
As you conduct your review, take note of any areas that aren’t meeting your standards. Some issues may require immediate attention, while others can wait until your monthly or quarterly planning. Utilizing project management tools such as Monday or Asana can help keep you organized, prioritize tasks, and monitor their progress.
For self-managed ads, ensure you have established benchmarks. This area might require frequent monitoring depending on your campaigns, but aim to review metrics weekly to confirm that performance is meeting expectations.
7. Email Marketing
8. Conversion
By dedicating time each week for these reviews, you will better position yourself for effective strategic planning and ensure the ongoing success of your wedding business.