Growing your Venue in 2023 – Insider Tips
As we book events into 2023 (and beyond), we see a trend: wedding sizes are getting smaller, but spending continues to increase. While some of this can be attributed to price changes in the market, it’s also becoming evident that couples still want to have their cake, but they may want to share it with fewer people. In 2022, virtually every area of the United States started to experience a wedding-boom that could easily continue over the next few years. It’s not surprising that some venues are reporting that they’re already nearly booked out for 2023. To meet demands, venues will have to be strategic and adapt as trends continue to change. From classic to contemporary and everywhere in between, there’s a need for wedding venues of every size. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect in the coming year and how to leverage the changing wedding scene for your success.
On the grow: New micro-venues enter the wedding arena while larger venues pivot
Elopements and micro-weddings are on the rise. A recent study found that weddings cost, on average $28,000. In the multi-million dollar wedding market, there’s still plenty of room for growth. Trends indicate that couples are choosing a smaller guest list in favor of indulging and sharing memorable experiences with their closest family and friends. As a result, unexpected places such as restaurants, breweries, art galleries, and even bookstores are experiencing exciting opportunities to rent out their spaces for weddings. At the same time, larger venues are finding ways to stand out by utilizing outdoor areas and providing unique entertainment experiences. Small weddings in big spaces may choose to include entertainment, such as showing a film or treating guests to a small live theater performance.
Connecting with the elopement & micro-wedding crowd
Smaller weddings may include locals, semi-locals, or true elopers who have traveled from another state (or country) to get married. Wherever they’re coming from, they’re looking at both big and small, traditional and unusual wedding venues. Couples coming in from out of town are often seeking referrals or recommendations. One way to connect with them is by networking with wedding officiants, vendors, photographers, and Airbnb hosts in the area. Consider advertising on travel websites or being interviewed for travel blogs and podcasts. If you’ve not already done so, create a virtual tour of your venue so the eloping couples can make decisions and feel familiar with your space. Pro tip: This can be accomplished with short videos very easily on your social pages right now.
Reviews continue to matter
In 2023 and for the foreseeable future, reviews continue to matter. This may be especially true for eloping couples who may not be able to tour the facility and instead rely heavily on reviews. Weddings can turn up the pressure, and having an experienced staff is necessary in order to ensure the best guest experience. For these reasons, enthusiasm and creativity are as important as experience. Partnering with professional event management and staffing service is one way to elevate your events and ensure consistently good feedback. Professional bartending service, event management, staging, and clean-up are the key to quickly turning your spaces over for several events in a row, especially between weddings.
Planning on starting or expanding your wedding business in the coming year? To find out how Avant Garde can help with business plan development and strategic planning in addition to event management and staffing, contact us here.
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