As a wedding planner, you know the power of having testimonials from brides and probably have already posted a few on your website.

Were you aware that not all testimonials carry the same weight with potential clients? The best ones tell stories of problems brides had that you helped them solve. Brides looking for a wedding planner are more likely to contact you when they can relate to the stories and believe that you might be able to help them too.

Here are 8 tips for getting and using testimonials when marketing your wedding planning business:

Food -Are you a foodie…is food critical to you or not so much Music—Are you really into music and really love to dance, I’ve so put it up there at the top of the list. If not, well put it where you feel m the most comfortable.

Flowers and decoration—How much does it matter to you that the church and the reception venue really look sharp, do you need to satisfy your inner designer?

The Ceremony venue—Are you tied to a church or have always dreamed of a lakeside or mountain top wedding? Dig deep and discover your dreams!

Party Time—Is having a good time really up there, so good a time that you might not remember what you did the next day? Well put it up there ahead of everything else and remember that it likely will involve an open bar!!

OK, you get the idea!

Why this process is important is it helps you prioritize where to spend your money and in the process reduces the stress of planning and helps you rest assured that your day will be what you want. Oh! It can also help keep you focused on your vision.

One final thing…share your priorities with your wedding party and most importantly, your photographer. Why the photographer because she will be with you the entire day and if she knows your priorities she can focus her energy in the right direction. As an added bonus, she can also fine tune her services, so they match your priorities.

2. How to be a green and thrifty princess.

Your dress is the Princess dress you have dreamed about since it can remember. As a little girl, you may have played dress up with your friends and May even have a “wedding” or two with a neighbor boy you had a crush on! It is effortless to fulfill that dream when we a in an economic boom but now, we are not, so maybe you might want to think about … Plan B!

As you already know, you are only going to wear that dress once (hopefully). So, why spend thousands and then have it sit in a box somewhere? What else can you do?

Well, for starters, you could pick out a dress that can be used after your wedding… A simple number that reflects your stylishness and still keeps the princess alive.

The folks down under and elsewhere have pioneered this by opting for non-white dresses! Yes, you read that right…we have seen red, blue, and even green wedding dresses AND the cool thing is they seem to help create an atmosphere of fun and celebration. After all, that is what it is…a celebration.

Others are opting for renting and even picking up a used one. Many of the brides who participate in “Trash the Dress” shoots get some pretty cool dresses for even cooler prices on eBay! Others have gotten great ones at the Salvation Army and even the Goodwill.

The additional benefit of all of this besides saving you money is the green factor…by focusing on multiple uses for your dress or recycling one, you help reduce consumption! And that is good for all of us… plus it frees up cash for other things that may be higher on your priority list.

Stay happy and relaxed!!

 3. Say no to stress on your day!!

Take the stress out!

Remember when we discussed the Princess thing? Well, here is another part of that to help you reduce the stress of the days before your wedding and on the day itself.

Ok…take a deep breath let it out slowly and repeat the following: “There is no such thing as a perfect wedding, however my wedding turns out is how it will be”.

Leave the rainbow to Dorothy!!

Now once you have started repeating this mantra, put some serious thought into finding a good and supportive friend who also happens to be good with details. This lucky person will be your very own personal attendant and assistant. 

So, when Aunt Susie asks “where do I put the gifts?” raise your arm and point ever so innocently while you say" thanks for asking and my good friend (insert name) is completely in charge, so I can be princess of the day and savor my memories!”

See that was easy, wasn't it?

One final thing…sit down with your friend and make a list of all those things that could or might go wrong for you, not the guests or even the groom but for you. So, what would you do if you forgot your false eyelashes? Or you snagged your dress on the door knob and oops,, does anybody have some thread?

You get the idea… This kind of early anticipation can make a major difference in your stress level on your day.

 4. Use your priority list to help you choose your photographer.

Believe it or not, the photographer you select to photograph your wedding can make or break your wedding day, and not just your photographs. Because he will be there with you and your family, in person, interacting with all your family and guests. 

Every part of your wedding is touched by the photographer and her ability to coordinate, and communicate amidst the excitement and anxiety of one of the biggest days of your life.

As you will see later, we are talking about how everything does or does not come together and how you remember your day based on the emotions you were feeling. Your photographer determines this, by the way, she helps you plan your wedding, the way she treats you and your family and friends, and the way she conducts herself throughout the day.

So spend some time with your photographers, pay attention to whether they are listening to you, or if they are just pitching to you. That is why it is important to know your style preferences ahead of time. 

Furthermore, pay attention to their personality and make sure there is a fit in that department as well. While the pictures are important, your ability to work with your photographer and her ability to hear your desires will make the difference between enjoying good memories of your wedding day or not.

One way to make help you figure this out is to make sure at least one engagement session is included in the photographer's services. 

To really make a difference, the engagement sessions should be at least an hour and not limited to studio poses. Engagement sessions give you, your guy and your photographer a chance to see how each other works and to adjust accordingly.

5. Help your photographer help you.

OK, so you have figured out what is significant to you in Tip #1 above. Now regardless of what you chose as a priority, you probably still are going to have someone take photos. So, this tip is critical for you to address early on,, and it is important because you are paying a lot of money for photographs of a critical day in your life.

Sit down with your photographer and talk about how best to use the photos of your wedding AFTER your wedding. You read that right…you see many brides pay thousands of dollars to have their wedding documented only to leave the CD or DVD containing those photos in a drawer…what a waste.

A good photographer will not only help you with the HOW part but also the WHO. And a good photographer will also not attempt to sell you something you may not need. Figure out if your families will want photos and how they would like to use them. Also sit down with your guy and talk about how and where you would like to use your photos. Here are some ideas:

Would your family like a wall collection or a single bridal portrait?

Do you want an album or are you more of a stack of photos do it yourself girl?

Do you have some empty walls that you are saving for a collection of your favorite photos?

Holiday and Thank You cards can be a great use of wedding photos…knowing you want to use some of your photos this way will help your photographer make sure she gets images that will work well for that use.

6. Make sure your photographer can deliver
This seems so obvious, and yet brides miss this one all the time, and pay a BIG PRICE for it after their wedding! Be sure the photographer has many happy brides and grooms, who have taken time to write and tell the photographer how happy they were with both him, and his work!
 
We're talking TESTIMONIALS here! From real people, with their full names, and their city and state, so you can call them if you want to, just to check them out and make sure that they really said what the photographer says they said. (That is a hard sentence to read, but you get the point! Sorry!)

I'm sorry to be so skeptical, but the switch to Digital has made it possible for anyone with a digital camera to think of themselves as professional. Always ask how long they have been photographing weddings and, critical, ask to see samples of more than one complete wedding. If they have been photographing for less than 2 years, get names of clients and call them.

While we all recognize the importance of budgeting, if you have determined that photography is critical to you do not settle for the cheapest. A photographer who charges $500.00 to cover 12 hours of your wedding, perform accurate post-production, fulfill your print orders, is not paying themselves anything. In the end, you end up losing memories of one of the most significant days of your life.

 7. A Magic Way To Have A Great Wedding.


One of the things that you really want to look for in your photographer, is someone who knows how to identify the significant parts of an ongoing story. One who knows what to look for and can capture it in the style you prefer without taking a hundred zillion pictures.

Also look at the photos closely, does the composition reflect your style? Does the collection tell a story that is heartfelt and authentic. Does each photo contain a story?

 8. Be the center of the universe on your wedding day.


This is critical whether you are engaging a caterer, a venue, or a photographer. Make sure you are the only show in town for them on your wedding day, especially for the services you have identified as top on your priority list.

While this is less of an issue with food service and venues it is still significant to make sure they understand that you want them to focus on you on your day, doing so will almost guarantee their best service. 

This issue is particularly significant when it comes to photographers, since many will cram as many weddings into a day as they humanly can. This means they must rush from your wedding, to get to another, and then rush from that one, to get to another.

Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, digital photography has made it effortless for what has become known as "Debbie Digital” and “Uncle Bobs” to offer their “services” without really knowing what is involved in providing great wedding coverage. 

More often than not, they have decided that “taking wedding pictures” is an “easy” way to make some cash on the side. Nothing is further from the truth, good wedding photographs require a photographer who knows how to use a variety of lenses, understands light and can provide more than snapshots.

SO… If capturing the story of your day in a way that evokes your memories and emotions, no matter when you view the photos is high priority, then this type of photographer is probably not going to be a good fit for you.

HOWEVER… If after working through your priorities you determine that photography isn't as important as say your meal, or the music, then this type of photographer may work just fine.

9. Only use real testimonials.

You want to be honest,, so it's better to not have any testimonials than to have fake ones. And don't heavily edit the ones that you get. You want the testimonials to truly represent the voice and the feelings of the couples who gave them to you.

10. Ask for them shortly after the wedding.

Request testimonials before your couples forget about the benefits of the great service you gave them.

One successful wedding planner I know gets glowing video testimonials from her brides and grooms as soon as their reception is over. She then posts the videos immediately on her Facebook page. These videos have attracted a lot of business for her.

11. Get details about why they appreciated your services.

Vague comments such as, “very professional” or “great,” aren't as powerful as a bride sharing details on how you helped her and why she is recommending you.

12. Don't be afraid to make suggestions.

Many times a bride will want to give you a testimonial but won't know what to say. You want to avoid putting words in her mouth, but you can ask questions that will help her. 
For example, ask her to mention what wedding planning might have been like without your services and contrast it with the experience she had with you. Or ask her to discuss what she liked best about using your services.

13. Use real names.

Don't make up names. Ask for permission to use a testimonial, and make sure the bride and groom understand and agree with the amount of information you are sharing about their wedding.

14. Include photographs.


When possible, use a photo of the bride and groom at their wedding next to their testimonial. This will help your brides identify with the couple and give their words more credibility. Be sure you get permission to use the photograph from the bride and groom and the photographer (and give him or her credit for the pictures that you use).

15. Stick to testimonials only from weddings.

You may also be planning baby parties or corporate events,, but brides want to read testimonials from other brides.

16. Scatter them throughout your website.

There is a chance that someone will not look at a “Testimonial” page, so be certain you also scatter them throughout your website, so brides can read about your past successes.

Get plenty of experience, then make sure potential clients know all about it

Show brides your portfolio of photographs from past events and testimonial letters. Talk about the different types of weddings you have executed in various budget categories.

17. Be visible online and offline so potential clients can get to know, like and trust you.

Online, have a blog in which you offer tips and show photos from your work, use Twitter and have a fan page on Facebook, so you can interact with people. Offline, attend events that put you in front of your target market but don't “sell” to them all the time, just get to know people.

18. Use your intuition, understand what clients really want, not just what they say want.

You need to make sure you are listening closely to what a couple says to you. Occasionally, when they are on a tight budget, they don't know the possibilities of what they can have and think minimal. It is up to you to get at the heart of what they really want for their wedding, then use your expertise and the expertise of your vendor partners to come up with a plan to create it within their budget.

19. Develop relationships with high-quality vendors.

Your relationships and negotiation skills will help you meet a bride's budget. This is why you need to have a network of wedding vendors whom you work with frequently and with whom you can negotiate for the best deals.

20. Be creative.

Do not suggest cookie-cutter ideas, think about your couple's personality and find venues, vendors and design elements that would suit them.

21. Really, get to know your bride and groom.

Talk to your clients, ask questions and get to know their likes, dislikes, and allergies before you take them out to meet with vendors, especially in areas such as food, flowers, and music.

22. Thoroughly research your ideas and deliver them with confidence.

When you present ideas to your bride and groom, be sure they are Organized and well-thought-out. Be confident and prepared for any questions they might have. You want to avoid being flustered and searching through notes while you do a presentation.

Write a blog post with a wedding planning tip. Take an idea from a wedding you are working on now and write about it. If you do not have a blog, start a quick, easy, free one at WordPress, Typepad, Blogger, Posters or Tumblr.

23. Update your portfolio. Make sure you have photographs from all of your latest weddings neatly laid out in your book.

24. If you do not have one already, set up a Facebook fan page. If you do, make sure your blog is linked to it, so the blog posts appear on your page.

 Also post information that your fans would find valuable, such as a money-saving tip, ideas for bridal make-up, links to blog posts of wedding vendors that have ideas your fans can use. Show that you are an expert on everything to do with weddings.

25. Contact former clients and ask for testimonials, then post them on your website.

26. Attend a social or business event that includes brides in your niche or people who would be able to exchange referrals with you.

27. Research a new wedding vendor to add to your network, call and suggest meeting for coffee to learn about each other's businesses and possibly exchange referrals.

28. Keep in touch with former clients by dropping handwritten notes in the mail letting them know that you are still thinking of them. This will keep you in their minds when they plan other events or have friends who are getting married.
Once you get into the habit of spending a little time each day marketing your business, it will become easier for you to take the time to do it.

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