Open Air Business June/July 2017

FUNCTION VENUES
detail so while you may not want
to cover all details on your website,
make sure that in your brochures/
PDFs or showround materials you
give them a ‘little white book’ or
equivalent showcasing some of the
special touches you have installed
and can make happen. This will
put you a step above the rest and
in weddings the small details really
are the big ones!
Here are some of my addons
I think you should either be
including as standard or have
available in your venue as extra
paid for services:
› Microphone and PA system for
speeches and Ipod and dock for
ceremony or dinner background
music
› Availability of Wi-Fi and frames/
chalkboards/plasmas for
displaying wedding hashtags,
names of couples or some
personalisation
› Selection of garden games such
as Jenga, score four, quoits etc.
› Basic uplighting package of
key features (columns, pillars
if inside or key shrubbery and
trees, buildings if outside) for the
evening
› Bridal party lunch options
(with champagne!) for the all
important getting ready part of
the day
› Attractive easel and board for
seating plan
› Options for hire of upgraded
tabletop items such as linens,
glassware, crockery and cutlery
› Options for hire of alternative
furnishings such as dining chairs
and bar units.
Don’t wait to be asked for these
things; produce an e-brochure that
you send out early in the enquiry or
planning process so couples know
you can help (or that your excellent
tried and trusted suppliers can
help) with these valued extras. Give
them a shopping list with images;
the detail really matters with
weddings. A bride/groom and/or
wedding planner really cares how
the easel looks, so good quality
products and good images are key.
BE PART OF THE WEDDING
COMMUNITY
Increasingly couples really do their
homework before they buy. I used
to show couples a portfolio of my
wedding work when I first met
them to talk about my wedding
planning services. These days
they know more about me than I
know about myself! Social media
is huge in the world of weddings
and young couples marrying now
see your presence on social media
as a very vital extension of your
website and look into this heavily
before they get in touch. Make sure
that what you are putting out there
is reflective of the efforts you put
into your website, your printed
marketing materials and more.
It’s not just about putting your
content out there either, it’s how
you interact with others in the
wedding community. Modern
couples want their venue to be
highly regarded among wedding
professionals whose style and
opinion they rate (remember they
may have selected their perfect
cake designer or their stationer
before your venue), so make sure
that you interact both on and off
line with wedding professionals
in your area and that you’re
supportive of their creations in
your venue and elsewhere. Make
“SOCIAL MEDIA IS HUGE IN THE WORLD
OF WEDDINGS AND YOUNG COUPLES
MARRYING NOW SEE YOUR PRESENCE
ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS A VERY VITAL
EXTENSION OF YOUR WEBSITE AND
LOOK INTO THIS HEAVILY BEFORE THEY
GET IN TOUCH”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Chandler is a longterm
preferred service
provider for exclusive
venues such as Syon
Park, Highclere Castle,
Spencer House and
Stoke Park Club. Kelly’s
consulting services to
wedding venues draw
on prior experience in
international conference
and event planning,
over 13 years of business
management, and
working directly with
discerning couples
planning their weddings
in diverse locations
and forging successful
relationships with all
components of the
wedding industry. A
former director of trade
body, the Alliance of
Wedding Planners,
Kelly is a well-regarded
innovator, mentor,
trainer and industry
spokesperson on and in
the wedding business.
www. kellychandler
consulting.co.uk
sure you are a genuine part of
the wedding community; this is
incredibly important to many
couples choosing their wedding
location.
WATCH YOUR WORDS
A final recommendation is more
along the lines of words and
expressions to avoid with the bridal
market, and speaking the wrong
language! This is especially relevant
for those venues and locations that
serve other markets in events.
Any mention of ‘sales’, ‘revenue’,
commercial’ or similar words,
whether in terms of job titles,
functions or anything else, is
a major no-no in the wedding
world. While your couple might
themselves work in a commercial
world, nobody wants to think of
their wedding in business terms
or in terms of generating revenue
even though that is the reality.
Avoid these terms where possible.
Similarly pay attention to things
like ‘theatre style’, ‘breakout
rooms’, ‘function suites’ and so
on - all terms borrowed from the
conference and corporate events
market. They might be understood
by events professionals but
they often don’t mean a thing
to a couple or have negative
associations. Instead, focus on
talking about ‘bride’s boudoirs’
or ‘dressing rooms’, ‘crèche areas’,
‘after-party chill out areas’ and
‘ceremony set-ups’.
Last but not least, show your
friendliness and approachability at
every opportunity – it goes a long
way.
REFINE AND SHINE
If you’re an established wedding venue looking to
improve both the quality and quantity of your weddings,
you may like Kelly’s signature three month ‘Refine and
Shine’ consulting programme. Details can be found at
www.kellychandlerconsulting.co.uk/consulting-services/
refine-and-shine-service
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