Staying Organised in Your Wedding Business: But still Mastering Client Work

Running a wedding or creative business is a dream come true for many, but balancing working with your clients whilst managing your business strategy can be overwhelming.

However, staying organised is the key to not only surviving but thriving in this industry. And it’s the behind the scenes work that will enable you to grow year on year. But strategy and business tasks can be tough for wedding businesses to get enthusiastic about, because understandably you’d rather be working on your clients projects or weddings. That after all brings you more joy.

As someone who has been in the creative space since 2002 I cannot stress enough that balancing working ON your business is as important as IN it.

ON – working on the growth of your business so marketing, sales, PR, accounting, strategy etc

IN – working on projects and weddings for clients

Here’s how you can keep your wedding business organised while delivering exceptional client work.

Implement a Semi Automated Client On-boarding Process

On-boarding a client ensures nothing slips through the gaps with every customer experiencing the same on-boarding journey. It’s a repeatable process even if elements of it is tailored to each client. Having part of this automated ensures you can spend your time serving clients and bringing in new clients. It keeps the energy high as you begin to work together, no regrets. If you haven’t done so already map out the client journey and all appropriate touch points, this will help you decide what can be automated and what needs a real time response.

And finally it reduces overwhelm AND all those repetitive questions clients ask.

For further support check out this previous blog post where I share how to onboard wedding and creative clients

Use Project Management Tools

Managing multiple weddings or projects requires stepping away from excel and embracing a smart project management system. Tech tools like Trello, Asana, or Aisleplanner can help you keep track of every detail. Here’s how you can use them effectively:

• Project Management: Break down each wedding or project into tasks and assign deadlines. Oftentimes you can send links to clients so they can check in on progress.
• Calendars: Sync deadlines with your calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts
• Client Portals: Some tools offer client-facing portals where they can view the progress, share ideas, and upload necessary documents. Even if you want to keep it low tech you can share google folders with clients.

Automate Where Possible

Automation is your best friend when it comes to managing a busy wedding or creative business. There are several areas where you can automate to save time:

• Email Responses: Set up automated responses for common questions, reminders for payments, or updates on project progress.
• Social Media: Use scheduling tools like FEA Create, Planoly, META or Hootsuite to plan and schedule your social media posts in advance. This also makes it easier to repurpose content
• Billing and Invoicing: Many CRM systems will allow you to automate your invoicing, ensuring you get paid on time without having to chase clients. Plus no more sitting there recreating invoices for clients when your time can be spent elsewhere

Automation allows you to focus more on being creative and delivering your clients dream and less on repetitive administrative tasks. In other words keeps you in your zone of genius.

Read more about zone of genius in this blog article , it’s a game changer for sure!

Create a Client Communication Plan

Clear and consistent communication is crucial when managing expectations with clients. This should be explained during the on-boarding process. When managing the UKAWP I sometimes would have couples call me expressing distress with a planner or supplier, but frequently it was because boundaries were not clearly laid out in advance. So establish a communication plan for each client, detailing when and how you will provide updates, this may vary client to client. This might include:

• Regular Updates: Send a summary of what has been done, what’s coming up next, and any pending decisions needed from the client in order to proceed.
• Meetings: Advise when planning meetings will take place and ideally pre schedule them
• Feedback: Provide opportunities for your clients to give feedback regularly to ensure their vision is being realised. Again set this out in advance. So do you prefer a phone call? Do you want them to add comments directly onto documents? Want all requests via email or are you ok with whattsapp? If you don’t tell them how will clients know how to feedback to you?

A structured communication plan keeps your clients informed and reduces the chances of last-minute surprises.

Organise Your Digital Files

In the digital age, staying organised means keeping your digital files in order. You don’t want to be in a situation where you lose everything – full disclosure this happened to me in 2019, I lost so many files and photos due to a hard drive failure.

Things to think about:

• Cloud Storage: Use cloud-based storage solutions like Google Drive or Dropbox to store contracts, designs, vendor information, and client notes. This allows easy access from anywhere including your phone
• Smart Naming: Develop a consistent naming system for all your files, making them easy to find. For example, use “ClientName_ProjectName_Date” for your files.
• Backup: Regularly back up your files to avoid losing important documents like I did!

An organised digital workspace is as important as a physical one, ensuring you can quickly access what you need, when you need it.

Set Boundaries

I’ve spoken about this many times both online and offline. But setting boundaries is crucial for staying organised and avoiding burnout. Establish clear working hours and communicate them to your clients. This helps manage their expectations and allows you to focus on other clients or tasks without constant interruptions. Never be available 24/7, this is not appropriate or logistical.

• Prioritise Self-Care: Schedule time for yourself to recharge especially once a project ends or the wedding is over. This will make you more efficient when you are working.
• Delegate: Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to your team or outsource certain aspects of your work, like accounting or social media management.

By setting boundaries, you maintain control over your schedule and ensure you’re at your best for every client.

Conclusion

Staying organised in your wedding business requires a combination of structured processes, the right tools, and disciplined time management. By implementing these strategies, you can handle multiple clients efficiently while delivering exceptional service, making each wedding a memorable experience for your clients and a successful project for you. Remember, a well-organised business not only enhances client satisfaction but also paves the way for your growth and success in the wedding industry.

Further Support

If you are ready to overhaul your business so you are ready to scale then I’d love to hear from you. I work with clients in a number of ways. Pop on over to my everything page to learn more or simply book a call below.