Wedding Planner Marketing That Works – How Katie Sautter Booked 29 Weddings in Her First Year

When Katie joined The Wedding Business Collective to get help with her wedding planner marketing strategy, she went from 1 client to a thriving wedding planner business with 29 weddings booked in 1 year!

The wedding industry is more competitive than ever, and so many wedding pros feel stuck when their hard work doesn’t translate into leads or bookings. Maybe you’ve been there—posting on social media, trying ALL the things, but not seeing the results you want.

If that sounds familiar, I’ve got great news—there’s hope! Just take a look at what Wedding Business Collective member Katie Sautter achieved in her first year of business as a wedding planner.

I’ll get into all the juicy details, but first—meet Katie:

Katie Sautter is a North Carolina-based wedding planner with a love for creating joyful, memorable events. She started her wedding planner business, KS Otter Events, with big dreams of leaving her full-time engineering job.

But like many new wedding pros, Katie quickly realized that passion alone wasn’t enough to grow her business. She was excited, inspired, and driven but quickly hit a wall.

With just one client under her belt, Katie felt completely overwhelmed by all the wedding planner marketing advice, unsure where to start, and making a few costly mistakes—like buying a photo booth that didn’t fit her business.

She found herself wondering things that might sound familiar like “how do I market myself as a wedding planner?” and “how do I market my wedding business?”

She realized she needed more than just hustle; she needed a strategy.

“I was feeling frustrated and unsure of how to move forward. I knew I had the skills to plan a wedding, but I didn’t know how to run a business,” Katie shared.

Sound familiar? If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone.

That’s why Katie joined The Wedding Business Collective

Deciding she was done feeling frustrated and stuck, Katie joined The Wedding Business Collective, my membership designed to help wedding pros book more weddings, make marketing easy, and craft a wedding business that gives them the life and freedom they want.

Katie knew her wedding planner business needed a solid foundation if she was going to leave her day job. As an engineer, Katie understood that working harder wasn’t the answer—working smarter was.

Through The Wedding Business Collective, Katie learned:

• How to talk to her ideal clients in a way that resonated deeply with them, drawing them in like a magnet (no more neutral, bland messaging).
• How to build relationships with venues that became key to her steady flow of leads.
• How to focus her marketing on what worked for her—Facebook groups turned out to be her secret weapon for connecting with clients. (This is different for every wedding vendor I work with. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to “How do I book more weddings?” If someone promises you that there is, run.)

“When I joined The Wedding Business Collective, I had just 1 client. Within a month, I booked 5 more. Shortly after, I saw steady momentum that completely transformed my business. Within a year I had booked 29 weddings!”

This isn’t a fluke—it’s what happens when you have the right tools and support to focus on what works to grow your wedding business.

In case we haven’t met yet…

Hi, I’m Heidi Thompson!

Wedding business coach & marketing strategist for wedding professionals who want to book more weddings, make marketing easy, and build a business that gives you the life and freedom you want.

Since 2012, I’ve been the wedding business coach who helps wedding pros of all kinds build successful wedding businesses that don’t consume their lives whole.

I’m a marketing and business nerd who fell in love with the wedding industry and now as a wedding business consultant and coach, I help wedding business owners build a time-saving marketing strategy that works for them.

Yes, you’re going to book more weddings and grow your business but when I’m your wedding business marketing coach, you’re also going to do it in 40 hours per week or less so you can have a life outside of your business.

How Katie Went From 1 to 15 Weddings In 1 Year In Her Wedding Planner Business

In just one year, Katie went from having no direction to running a thriving wedding business.

Here are just a few things she accomplished:

• Built strong vendor relationships, landing spots on 4 preferred vendor lists.
• Developed a portfolio of raving testimonials.
• Gained clarity and confidence in her wedding planner marketing, turning her website and social media into powerful tools to attract the right clients and book more weddings.
• Created consistent lead generation that set her up for long-term growth.
• Booked 29 weddings with her ideal clients. (She now has 28 and counting for the next year!)

During the podcast interview I did with Katie, she said “The structure you provided helped me realize I knew how to plan a wedding, but I didn’t know how to run a business. That foundation made all the difference.”

You can listen to that podcast episode here.

Katie isn’t just booking weddings—she’s building a wedding business that works for her lifestyle and goals. As I write this, she’s counting down the days until she can confidently leave her day job!

How Did Katie’s Investment in The Wedding Business Collective Pay Off?

“It’s been a huge year for me—and it’s all because of The Wedding Business Collective!”

Since joining The Wedding Business Collective, Katie has:

• Built consistent momentum, going from 1 client to 29 weddings booked in just one year. Last time we spoke, she had 28 bookings for the next year too.
• Landed coveted spots on four preferred vendor lists at venues in her area. As a wedding planner, marketing that brings in referrals from venues is gold!
• Revamped her website and social media to attract her ideal clients with ease.
• Created a portfolio of glowing testimonials that showcase her value and make her stand out.
• Transitioned from her day job to full-time entrepreneurship.

Katie also discovered a new love for the business side of her work as a wedding planner:

“I’m falling in love with the process of growing something from my heart and soul. The Wedding Business Collective gave me the tools and confidence to make it happen.”

Before joining The Wedding Business Collective, Katie was overwhelmed and unsure.

Now, she feels empowered to make confident choices and sees endless opportunities for growth ahead for her wedding planner business.

Katie’s Advice For Your Wedding Business

If you’re where Katie was, wondering if you’ll ever gain traction in your wedding business, here’s what she learned:

1. Find your ideal clients—and speak their language. Stop being neutral. Be bold. You need to stand out if you want to book more weddings.
2. Build relationships with wedding vendors and partners who can bring you steady leads.
3. Invest in the right support and structure. It’s not about doing everything; it’s about doing the things that matter most.

“I wasn’t getting a single booking before joining The Wedding Business Collective. My business was new, I felt overwhelmed, and this program seemed like a great opportunity to build my business the right way. I knew I needed a plan, but I had no idea where to start. Now? I’ve booked 29 weddings in a year, 16 in just the last six weeks! I finally have a marketing system that works, and I’m not constantly second-guessing myself anymore.”

Katie has since scaled lead generation trainsitioned from her day job to full-time entrepreneurship, and built a team of associate planners.

She’s proven that with the right support, you can go from struggling to thriving. And you can too!

Ready to Grow Your Wedding Business Like Katie?

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and get the clarity, structure, and support you need to book more weddings, join the Wedding Business Collective today.

Whether you’re a wedding planner like Katie, a DJ like Neal, or a floral designer like Carolyn, The Wedding Business Collective has everything you need to book more weddings, make marketing easy, and craft a business that gives you the life and freedom you want.

Click here to get started!