The wedding industry is worth more than £10 billion per year in the United Kingdom, and whilst a large proportion of that figure goes towards wedding dresses, honeymoons, and lots of alcohol, venues such as hotels are big earners. If your hotel is hosting its first wedding this year, you may feel daunted and perhaps a little overwhelmed, especially if you have limited experience in events planning. But fear not: below, we’ve put together some of the things you need to consider before welcoming your first bride and groom to your hotel’s grounds…
Learn from other hotels
One great way to ensure your first wedding goes down well is to learn from other hotels. Do your research and see what other brands in your area offer for a similar price, and more importantly read reviews from wedding guests – the good and the bad. Small things such as failing to offer your bride and groom a complimentary room or being too slow with your service can quickly add up, so learn from others’ mistakes and brief your team on niggle points to ensure the event goes off with a bang and you score yourself a five-star review.
Price to make a profit
It’s natural to want to undercut other venues when you’re planning a wedding, but you must make a profit. Just because you’re invoicing a couple £15,000, that doesn’t mean that your hotel will come out with a tidy return, as weddings can be very expensive and the manpower and planning can soon eat into your margins. You likely will have to experiment with different pricing points on your first few weddings and learn from your mistakes, but be conservative and make sure you get something back for your work; otherwise, it was a wasted exercise!
Keep your guests happy
Once the big day arrives, you need to know how to keep your guests happy and manage their expectations, too. From fulfilling your bride’s every wishes to ensuring drunken guests are dealt with sensitively, you need to involve the whole team and be as accommodating as possible. The truth is that weddings attract people from all backgrounds – some might be expecting free alcohol all night, children might want to play on your manicured lawns, and broken glasses and plates are to be expected. Stress-testing your team before a wedding is a great idea, perhaps by running a staff party or offering a couple a cheap engagement do.
Consider hiring extra staff
If you’re concerned that you’re going to be rushed off your feet or that your staffers aren’t going to deliver, then consider working with a company that offers catering staff recruitment on a temporary basis. Paying for an extra pair of hands will give you peace of mind and ensure the wedding day goes off without a hitch – well, at least as far as food is concerned!
Create marketing materials
Finally, don’t forget that your first wedding is an opportunity to market your business to more brides to be, so hire a photographer to take some professional shots for your website and for a new wedding brochure, ask for feedback from guests both during and after the event, and gather as many testimonials as you can. If you forget, you’ll be kicking yourself the next time a couple enquires about hosting a wedding with you; it’ll be like starting from scratch again!
Weddings are amongst the most important days of a couple’s life, so doing a good job is critical. If your first event goes off without too many issues, you’ll unlock new revenue streams for your business and take your hotel to new heights. We wish you good luck.
