Hosting an organized couple at your venue inevitably results in a smoother event. While you’d love for that to be the case for every wedding, the reality is you might not have the bandwidth or desire to micromanage every client’s planning process.
That’s where Weven’s tools come in.

As the saying goes, ‘a strong foundation weathers any storm,’ this can also be said for wedding planning; when you start with the right information and tools, both you and your couples will benefit from an easier and less stressful planning process in the lead up to the big day!

So how can you lay the right foundation to save time, reduce stress and offer your couples the best experience? Well, like anything you’ve built -- it’s important to set the tone from the very beginning.

Step 1: Market your offering

Today’s couples are tech-savvy young professionals; they use a myriad of organizational tools to help them run their lives. From team calendars at work, to checklists on their phones, they value tools that help them collaborate, be creative, and stay organized on-the-go. When it comes to planning their wedding they make no exception. For this reason, use every opportunity to get couples excited about the Weven tools you offer from the very beginning. Satisfy their demand for organization and efficiency at their fingertips by letting potential clients know they can get all of that complimentary when booking your venue. This perk will quickly make you stand out from other venues!

Host Tip: Mention the tools on your website, on social media, and in your brochures and other marketing materials! See below for an example from one of our longtime partners, Smith Farm Gardens, who have added verbiage to their website to describe all the great tools that are available to their booked couples

Smith Farm Gardens | East Haddam, CT

Step 2: Educate your couples

While it doesn’t take much for most couples to get excited about these customized online tools that they receive complimentary with your venue, others may need an extra push. Be sure to not only explain the benefits of the tools to the couple, but also what the use of the portal does for you.

Do you need the couple to add their vendor list so you don’t have to chase down that information? Is it easier for them to upload their Special Event Insurance into their account so you receive a notification about its completion? Be sure to educate all event stakeholders on how important the portal is to both the venue and couple!

Whether you make it a part of your contract or you simply mention it with your other venue policies, don’t be afraid to specify your need, as well. Ultimately, it’s going to help the both of you reduce risk and stay organized for a smoother event!

Host Tip: Start by including what information you’ll need from your couples and how they should provide it in your venue rules or rental agreement. Examples include requiring couples to submit their Special Event Insurance through the Document Manager or uploading their vendor list through the Vendor Manager in their Weven Planning Portal. Trust us -- your couples will thank you for setting expectations early on and giving them a streamlined process to prepare for a stress-free wedding day!

Step 2: Hold the line!

It’s easy to get into the habit of making exceptions for each one of your couples, especially for something as personal and emotionally significant as their wedding. That being said, it’s important to uphold the process and standards you’ve set for yourself and your business. Ultimately, your sanity, your staff and your clients will all be grateful that you did!

Take advantage of Weven’s collaborative tools which were designed just for this reason! For example, the “Log Message” feature can be used if a couple is emailing your personal email. In this case, log your message in the conversation history for that event and respond there to ensure all communication related to that client is tracked in one place. Weven’s event-specific file and vendor upload features enable you to add key documents and vendors to your couples’ event on their behalf, again maintaining maximum organization!

Host Tip: If you find that couples are attempting to take things outside of their Weven Planning Portal or are relying on you to upload all of their documents or vendors, remind them of the importance of their planning portal not only for you, but for them. Ultimately the goal is a smoother event for all and the only way to get there is to both do your share!

Looking for more tips on how to get the most out of Weven’s platform? Check out these tips for venues https://weven.cc/wedding-venuessurrounding successful marketing, lead management and event management ideas for you and your venue team, or learn more about Becoming a Venue Host.