How to Get More Wedding Bookings Without Working More Hours

Right now, couples are actively looking for their vendors, and if your marketing isn’t doing its job, they’re booking someone else.

If you don’t have time to focus on your marketing so it actually attracts and helps you book your ideal clients, you’re going to miss out.

Since the end of COVID, I’ve seen a clear pattern in the wedding businesses that are able to book all the weddings they want at the prices they want to charge.

What’s the difference between wedding pros who are fully booked and those still struggling?

It’s not working more hours. It’s not hustling harder. And it’s definitely not just doing more marketing.

In this episode, we’re diving into what truly separates wedding pros who get booked out from those who feel stuck—and 3 big things that come as a result.

In this episode we’ll cover:

• Why wedding pros who are doing all the marketing things are still struggling to book weddings.
• The real reason some businesses stay booked out while others are stuck waiting for inquiries.
• The one shift that changes everything when it comes to attracting and booking your ideal clients.
• How to spend less time on marketing while getting better results.
• What you need to focus on right now to set yourself up for a successful 2025 and 2026 booking season.

How to Get More Wedding Bookings Without Working More Hours

Hello there, my friend! I’m Heidi Thompson, and I help wedding professionals all over the world book more weddings with clients they love—without working the insane hours that our industry normalizes.

Today, I want to talk to you about how to get more wedding bookings without working more hours and three big things that come as a result.

Right now, couples are actively looking for their vendors. If your marketing isn’t doing its job, they’re booking someone else. If you don’t have time to work on your marketing so it actually attracts and helps you book your ideal clients, you’re going to miss out.

Since the end of COVID, I’ve seen a clear pattern in wedding businesses that are able to book all the weddings they want at the prices they want to charge. That pattern boils down to two things:

• Being intentional
• Having a marketing plan

Not working more hours. Not hustling. Not working harder. Not doing more marketing.

The Wedding Pros Struggling the Most

The wedding pros who struggle the most are the ones relying on couples randomly finding them or getting referred. This group has no strategy or plan to actively attract their ideal clients, so they’re left waiting for leads.

Since there’s no strategy, they have no power or control over how things are going. Many in this group feel frustrated—and I get it. I would too if I had no way to change my results.

The Wedding Pros Who Are Booking Out

On the flip side, wedding pros who position themselves as the go-to person for their ideal clients and make time to create and execute a marketing plan are the ones getting booked out.

A marketing plan that attracts your ideal clients and makes you stand out makes a substantial difference. It matters more now than ever in today’s crowded market.

The difference is intention. Struggling wedding pros are winging it, hoping business falls into their laps. The ones who are killing it are being intentional about what they spend time on. They know exactly what to do and proactively take steps to get bookings.

You Need a Strategy for 2025 and 2026

So as we move through the rest of the 2025 booking season and into 2026, you need a strategy and a plan. That’s where the Wedding Business CEO Summit can help. Get your free ticket now at weddingbusinessceosummit.com.

Why This Matters

1. Financial Freedom from Clients Who Value Your Work

Floral designer Carolyn Kulb is a great example. When I first met her, she was still flower farming and just starting to market to couples. She wasn’t getting quality leads and was paying for advertising that wasn’t worth the ROI.

After shifting her focus to attracting and booking her ideal clients, everything changed. She told me that after joining The Wedding Business Collective, she felt like she got an MBA in six months.

Her pricing now starts at $12,000-$18,000, and she booked a wedding with a $35,000 floral spend! She’s been able to outsource and start teaching, too.

DJ Neal McFarlane was a solopreneur struggling to attract enough of his ideal clients. His business has since grown into a multi-DJ company because he realized he didn’t want to work every weekend until 3 AM.

Now, he has associate DJs trained in his unique style, so every client gets the same experience. He has more revenue, more time, and the freedom to teach new DJs, something he loves.

2. Freedom to Spend Time with Family & Travel

Officiant Erin Goodman had a full-time job, a growing wedding business, and two teenage kids. She made the decision to take weekends off so she could enjoy time with her kids before they left for college.

Stationer Emily Stotter has two young kids and a growing business. She focused her limited time on marketing strategies that got her booked and set herself up to start outsourcing.

Officiant Liz Grimes went from getting price-shopped to raising her prices multiple times. She cut her workweek down to 30 hours max before retiring earlier than she thought possible. Now, she’s traveling full-time with her husband, exploring the wilderness in their camper—and recently moved to Vietnam!

3. Feeling Like a Legitimate Business Owner

When business is going well, you feel proud, confident, and in control.

Emily Stotter said she no longer feels like she’s “flying by the seat of her pants.”

Planner Kay Northrup admitted she was winging it before joining The Wedding Business Collective, but now she has a clear plan.

Photographer Christy Hunter said that after going through the Create Your Overwhelm-Squashing Marketing Plan course inside The Wedding Business Collective, she told her husband it felt like she’d taken a whole semester of business school. Now, she feels like a real business owner, doing less but getting better results.

The Wedding Business CEO Summit Will Help You Get There

If you don’t have time to work on your marketing, you won’t book the weddings you want.

If everything feels chaotic and overwhelming, you’ll drop the ball for clients and stay stressed.

If you’re always working long hours, you’ll never enjoy the freedom and flexibility you wanted when you started your business.

None of those struggles are necessary to grow a successful wedding business. They’re just traps that wedding pros get stuck in.

Let’s get you unstuck.

Join me and 44 other speakers at the Wedding Business CEO Summit. Get your free ticket at weddingbusinessceosummit.com or comment “summit” on my Instagram, @evolveyourweddingbusiness, and I’ll DM you the link.

I can’t wait to see you there and help you create a more profitable, stress-free business!

Links & Resources:

Get your free ticket to Wedding Business CEO Summit
The Wedding Business Collective

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