12 Keys to a Genuinely Interesting Real Wedding Blog Post

We’re all short on time in our businesses right now. 

This weekend’s wedding(s). Last week’s editing. Next year’s inquiries. It’s coming at us from a thousand directions and at 100 mph. 

And yet, we still have to find a way to get it all done.

One of the most important activities you can do to reach growth goals is share content from real weddings. During the pandemic, the challenge was how to get new content without a lot of weddings happening. This year, the challenge is how to put out new content with so many weddings happening. 

I’m not going to offer any time management advice, although I did recently read Effortless by Greg McKeown, which was a quick read with lots of tactical suggestions. I highly recommend it. 

What I will share is that your website visitors want quality over quantity when it comes to content. I know too many wedding pros who spend hours every month putting together blog posts that do little to connect with their perfect buyers. 

Stop wasting time creating mediocre content. Start putting out work your ideal clients crave.

Good enough isn’t good enough

It’s not enough to upload a gallery of photos to your site and consider it a blog post. Sorry. Who is this couple? Why should I care about their event? What did you do to help them have a great time? What do you want the audience to know after going through the post? 

People want affirmation, not just inspiration. Sure, they want to get ideas from your work. But they also want to know you work with people like them – and can help get them what they want for their wedding too. Real weddings are proof you can do what you say you’ll do.  

This is your chance to tell the story of a similar couple who just went through what the reader sees ahead for themselves. And to do that well, you need to follow these

12 keys to a genuinely interesting real wedding blog post:

1. Tell a story with images and words

People want transformation, not information. When you tell a story to get your point across, the person hearing/seeing it is up to 20x more likely to remember parts of it through a story than if you simply recite facts and figures. 

Real weddings are a good way to imprint the information into the minds and memories of those who visit your website. People tend to remember the story most when you incorporate a combination of images and words, so be sure to include both in your post.

2. Know your audience’s triggers

If you don’t know what motivates your best buyers, then how can you give them what they want? Seriously. Every single thing you do to market and sell your services starts by knowing the psychographics for your favorite clients.

And we’re not talking about the surface-level needs. You have to know what deep-seeded desires and concerns lurk down in their psyches. What do they most desire? For a primer on nine core motivators check out Will Leach’s Marketing to Mindstates. 

My guess is that you’ll find your clients tend to be motivated by belonging, engagement, autonomy, achievement and/or esteem. The key is discover which one – and then build content and messaging around it.

3. Pick a conflict and perfect solution

A great story offers the audience a plot to follow, and weddings usually lead us through minor struggles to get to a happy ending. I think you’ll instantly see this plotline in every one of your favorite rom-coms. 

The key is to showcase your services as the perfect solution that helped the couple through their worries to meet their desires. Before you begin to post images or write copy for the real wedding blog post, make sure you’ve focused your tale on one or two ways you helped this couple get what they wanted.

4. Set the stage with an introduction

Now that you know the story you want to tell, it’s time to set the stage. Think Star Wars and the opening introduction “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” floating across the galactic background. 

At the top of the post, create a headline with a few short paragraphs to introduce the plot and lead characters. Give the reader a little about their desires and the kinds of adversity they experienced trying to reach their goals. This will tee up your involvement as the one who helped deliver their happiness at the end.

5. Introduce the main characters

Real wedding readers want to know about the people in the post. But they don’t care as much about their love story as they do their hopes and dreams and obstacles they faced in planning their wedding. 

Couples getting married want to know that others have gone through what they’re going through right now. So, get into the headspace of your real wedding couple early on. Call out what newly engaged couples want – and don’t want – so the reader can identify with and see themselves in the story about to unfold.

6. Focus on your services and how it helped this particular couple

Remember, you’re not the hero of the story, but you do help your couple get what they want. Don’t make the post about you, because the wedding’s not about you. It’s about them. And their dreams and their challenges and their triumphs. 

Most people who achieve success want to feel as though they were the agents of their accomplishments. Don’t take that away from past clients or future couples. Instead, show how you directed and supported them along the way, especially on the big day.

7. Select images you audience cares about

Do not put in all the photos from the wedding. Do not put in 14 images of the wedding party. Or 21 pictures of the bride getting ready. Or 45 photos of people d
ancing the night away. Pick one or two of each. 

First, you’re telling a short story, not writing a real wedding version of the 1,000-page War and Peace.

Second, if you know your perfect couple’s motivators you can and should focus the images on what triggers them most. People having fun? People sharing tender moments? People indulging in revelry? People honoring traditions? Show the entire story, but share what matters most.

8. Include captions to keep the narrative going

People read captions 300% more than regular body copy. Use captions periodically and you’ll draw the reader’s attention and interest to select photos. 

Our brains are wired to detect new things, so in a sea of images a small line of words jumps out.

You can also apply this to slim sections of body copy to help break up image scrolling. Get them to stop scrolling, then hook them with a line or two of words to explain the moment or highlight what’s going on in the storyline.

9. Summarize the outcome at the end

Every rom-com has a happy ending, and so should your real wedding tale. The introduction sets up the plot and characters. The captions and brief body copy move the story along. Now it’s time to wrap it up with a neat little bow at the bottom of the post.

We suggest celebrating the ideal outcome your clients experienced through your services. Keep it simple and share what it felt like for them to get what they wanted. 

10. Include the larger cast of other characters

Clearly, you weren’t the only one who helped the couple plan a successful wedding. You were surrounded by other vendors who should be mentioned in the closing credits. 

A list of the relevant vendors for the wedding is always a nice touch to add, because it puts the spotlight on others who will feel inclined to do the same for you with their own posts. All this helps SEO and referrals for everyone involved, so be sure to include links to IG and/or websites.

11. Use CTAs for more stories or deeper diver

Calls-to-action (CTAs) at the bottom of the post are easy ways to get readers to continue on to the next story you want to tell. 

Most website templates have an option to add a “next” or “previous” button at the bottom of a blog post. Use it. And make sure it’s big and clear to the site visitor. Don’t be cute with CTAs. Be bold.

12. Include reviews about the story

Social proof is one of the most powerful persuasive tools. When we see others doing something we tend to follow the pack. It’s called the herd effect. A strong recommendation by a past or current client who appears to be like the audience you’re marketing to is incredibly effective.

It’s hard to overuse testimonials from your clients in a real wedding post. Drop in 4-6 shorter comments from the couple that further the storyline and support your services. Drop in a longer one at the end, or even try out a video testimonial from the couple to create authenticity and reinforce the delivery.