Business Cycles in the Wedding Industry: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Every business deals with constant ebbs and flows, and despite the obvious differences between busy seasons and slow seasons, the majority of companies are able to operate in a “business as usual” style throughout the year.

In the wedding industry, however, seasons are everything. 

Though every couple is different, there are remarkable similarities in when people get engaged, book our services, and get married. As a result, wedding professionals need to be prepared for every season—both busy and slow. It can be difficult to get all of your ducks in a row, making the use of an online business manager, or OBM, a big help during the process.

Here’s everything you need to know about business cycles in the wedding industry, how to prepare for them, and when to call in the professionals.

Engagement Season (November – February)

If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram to see an influx of engagement announcements around the holidays– there’s a reason for that. It’s engagement season! 

Engagement season typically kicks off around Thanksgiving and extends through Valentine’s Day. It makes sense, considering this is the time where couples are spending time with their loved ones. Couples want to announce and celebrate their impending nuptials with friends and family. During this time, many couples will get engaged and start to plan their dream weddings.

This is where your wedding business comes in.

During engagement season, make sure that your business website and social media profiles are up to date, enticing potential customers, and ready to capture leads. You may even consider offering special promotions or packages to attract newly engaged couples. For optimal success, here’s what to do during engagement season:

• Invest in advertising and marketing campaigns targeting engaged couples within your target demographic.
• Regularly update your website, portfolio, and social media profiles with fresh content and testimonials from previous customers.
• Prepare sample proposals, contracts, and pricing packages to streamline the booking process.

Hiring an online business manager (OBM) can be very useful during the engagement season. An OBM can assist in crafting and implementing marketing strategies, managing inquiries, and ensuring that your business systems are running smoothly to handle the increased workload.

Booking Season (December – May)

Once couples have celebrated their engagement, they start getting serious about planning their big day. They’ve pictured their perfect ceremony and begin booking vendors and venues. This is called “booking season”. It typically runs from December through May, with peak booking times occurring in January and February.

During booking season, it’s crucial that your wedding business has a streamlined booking process to lock in clients in a timely manner. Here’s how:

• Create an efficient booking system to secure client contracts quickly.
• Offer incentives, such as discounts or packages, to stand out from your competitors.
• Prioritize client communication, follow-ups, and customer service to convert leads into solid bookings.

An OBM can be a powerful tool in your arsenal. They can help you set up automated systems for bookings, manage client communication and ensure that all contracts and payments are processed quickly and smoothly.

Wedding Season (May – October)

Once the planning is over and the pieces have all fallen into place, wedding season has officially begun. The industry is in full swing from May through October, when all of our hard work comes to fruition. It’s the busiest time of the year for wedding vendors. Your services are in a high demand and schedules are packed to the brim.

For a successful wedding season, it’s imperative that you have a well-organized schedule and a strong, knowledgeable team capable of handling the workload. Preparation is key, so set your business up for success:

• Create a detailed calendar, shared with your team, to manage all bookings and events.
• Delegate tasks to a reliable team to ensure everything runs smoothly and deadlines are achieved. You can’t do this by yourself!
• Be prepared for long hours and lots of stress, but know that it will be well worth it in the end.

As mentioned, you shouldn’t face wedding season alone. Though not there in person, an OBM can be a valuable ally that oversees scheduling, helps manage your team, and even handles unforeseen issues that may arise. Like the rest of your team, an OBM gives you the freedom to focus on delivering exceptional, white glove service to your clients during wedding season.

Slow Season (November – January or June – August)

After the hustle and bustle of wedding season, the industry experiences a slowdown and you will have time to take a breath. The slow season typically occurs from November to January, which coincides with engagement season. For wedding businesses located in areas with warmer climates, downtime is usually during the hottest part of the year, from June to August.

During this time, you may have fewer bookings and less revenue coming in, which is completely normal. Though you may be tempted to kick your feet up and relax, the slow season provides you with an excellent opportunity to take the time to reflect and plan for the year ahead. Focusing on how to improve, here’s how to spend the slow season:

• Carefully analyze your performance during the previous wedding season, pinpointing strengths, weaknesses, and room for improvement.
• Invest in professional development and training, especially if you’re bringing in new team members.
• Plan marketing campaigns and promotions to attract off-season clients and begin preparing future marketing efforts.

Though you may not think you need the extra help, an OBM shines during the slow season. They can help you analyze performance metrics, find weak points, set goals for the upcoming season, and implement marketing strategies. With the assistance of an OBM, you can ensure that your business remains visible and continues to thrive, even during the slow season.