How to Get Your First Wedding Venue Referrals

Venue Referrals: The Engine of Your Wedding Business

Ask any successful wedding florist where their best clients come from, and the answer is almost always the same: venue referrals. When a venue coordinator recommends you to a couple who has just booked their property, that recommendation carries enormous weight. The couple already trusts the venue, and by extension, they trust the vendors the venue endorses.

Building venue referral relationships takes time and intentional effort. Here is the playbook.

Step 1: Identify Your Target Venues

Do not try to build relationships with every venue in your area. Focus on five to ten venues that match your style, price point, and service area.

Selection criteria:

• Does the venue host the type of weddings you want to design? A $5,000 minimum florist should not target a budget barn venue.


• Is the venue within your service radius (60 minutes from your studio)?


• Does the venue's aesthetic complement your design style?


• How many weddings does the venue host per year? High-volume venues generate more referrals.

Step 2: Make the First Contact

How to approach a venue coordinator:

• Email first. Introduce yourself briefly: your name, your business, your style, and your interest in their venue. Ask for a 15-minute meeting or site visit.


• Bring a portfolio. When you meet, bring a printed portfolio or iPad with your best work. If you have done weddings at similar venues, lead with those images.


• Ask questions. Learn about the venue: how many weddings per year, what floral styles their couples typically request, what their load-in process looks like, any restrictions on installations.


• Do not ask to be on the preferred list immediately. This is a first date. You are building a relationship, not closing a deal.

Step 3: Demonstrate Value Before Asking for Anything

Offer to do a complimentary installation at their next open house or bridal showcase. This is the single most effective strategy for building venue relationships. Here is why:

• The venue coordinator sees your work quality firsthand


• Brides attending the showcase see your designs in the actual venue


• You get professional photos of your work in the venue space


• You demonstrate reliability and professionalism before any paid work

Cost: You will spend $300 to $800 on flowers and materials. Consider this a marketing investment, not a loss.

Step 4: Deliver Flawlessly on Your First Paid Wedding

When you book your first wedding at a target venue, treat it as your audition for every future referral. Venue coordinators evaluate florists on:

• Punctuality: Arrive when you said you would arrive.


• Cleanliness: Leave no mess. Clean your work area. Remove all trash and packaging.


• Communication: Introduce yourself to the venue coordinator on arrival. Confirm your timeline. Alert them to any issues immediately.


• Quality: The flowers should be exceptional because the coordinator will walk through and notice.


• Professionalism: Your team should be dressed appropriately, polite to other vendors, and focused on the work.

Step 5: Follow Up and Maintain the Relationship

After every wedding at a venue:

• Send a handwritten thank-you note to the venue coordinator


• Send a small seasonal arrangement to their office (quarterly is ideal)


• Share professional photos from the wedding and tag the venue on social media


• Send a brief email after each wedding: "Thank you for another wonderful evening at [Venue]. Here are a few photos from Saturday's celebration. We would love to be considered for future referrals."

The Preferred Vendor List

Most venues maintain a preferred vendor list, a curated group of vendors they actively recommend to couples who book their property. Getting on this list typically requires:

• Successfully completing two to three weddings at the venue


• Positive feedback from couples and other vendors


• Consistent quality and professionalism


• An ongoing relationship with the venue coordinator

Some venues require a fee to be on the preferred list. Others curate based on quality alone. Ask about their process.

How Many Venues Do You Need?

For a wedding florist doing 10 to 30 weddings per year:

• Three to five strong venue relationships will generate 60 to 80 percent of your bookings


• Two to three secondary venues provide additional opportunity


• Focus on depth over breadth. A deep relationship with five venues beats a shallow one with twenty.

Venue relationship strategies are covered in Chic Academy, including our venue outreach email templates and follow-up calendar system.