6 Creative Ways to Get More Reviews For Your Wedding Business

Question: How can I get more reviews and testimonials from brides?

Rachel writes:

RE: Social proof – I’d like more examples of what qualifies. The thing is I have done very few weddings lately (I did two last year!). I only have three reviews. I do have a few thank you notes.

Would it be out of line to quote the Thank You notes and use them on my new website? I did a bunch of weddings 3-5 years ago. Would it be weird to ask these brides for a review with it being so long ago?  Any other ideas for Social Proof? (Read this article for a detailed description of social proof and why it’s important.)

Thank you!

Answer: Ask and offer bribes!

Hi, Rachel.

You can definitely use quotes from your thank you letters on your website.  Absolutely.

Social proof is ANY proof of your value in the opinion of someone else.  That includes reviews, references, testimonials, comments and more.

Here’s how to get more social proof:

1) Reach out to those “old” clients.  

Give them a small thank you gift in advance when you ask (like a $5 or $10 gift certificate) to give them an incentive.  You’ve got nothing to lose!

2) Contact previous clients from other jobs.  

I’m assuming you’ve done good work at your previous job?  There’s no reason you can’t ask for reviews from people who’ve hired you to do other work in the past.

They can write a review or character reference for your LinkedIn profile or that you can use on your website.  You can pick out the aspects that most apply to your current wedding business.

3) Get other wedding vendors to review you.

Think about it: few people are better qualified to review your performance than your wedding professional peers who’ve seen it all.

Ask them to write a review for your business on Yelp, LinkedIn or as a personal letter or video you can use on your website.  Offer to write a review for them in exchange.

Bonus tip: arrive early to a bridal show or networking event and capture a quick video testimonial before the action begins.

4) Get on the spot video reviews.

A great idea is to get a quick video testimonial from a bride and groom right at the wedding.  They’ll be at their most excited and the resulting video will be a glowing endorsement of your services.

If you’re concerned about bugging the couple on their wedding day, call them up after they return from the honeymoon and invite them out for coffee.  Pick up the tab and shoot a quick video testimonial.

5) Recycle your thank you letters.

What about those great thank you letters you get from couples who don’t post reviews online?  Repurpose and recycle!

Write an email to the bride or groom containing the exact words they used in their thank you letter.  Ask them if they would mind taking a moment to just copy and paste their review of your business online, and include the direct link to your review profile.

You’ve just made it super simple for them to post a review.  Add an incentive and it’s practically guaranteed.

6) Don’t forget your email, social media and blog comments.

When you write up a real wedding post and the bride or groom leaves a happy comment thanking you for doing an awesome job…that’s a review!  So are those gushing emails the couple sends both before and after the wedding, or other tweets or comments you get on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep a special file on your computer for all your reviews in their various forms.  Then remember to repurpose and reuse them as:

•     Testimonials on your website and marketing brochures.

•     Copy and paste them to invite those couples to post online reviews.

•     Create a photo slideshow containing photos and rave reviews from your couples.

•     LinkedIn reviews.

Most importantly, make a habit of reaching out to collect reviews from EVERY client you get.  Don’t be discouraged by your newness; it’s a strength, too!

What do you think about getting reviews?

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