Feb. 29, 2024, 8:41 p.m.
Where does $20k with Easy Weddings and friends get you?
The Celebrant Institute Monthly
One of my favourite things about people saying never is how one day they'd have to take it back. In the same way whenever someone predicts that the world will end on a certain day, I now know for sure that said date will come and go without my imminent destruction.
So it is with advertising. Everyone has their story about how this works and that doesn't.
But have they put their money on the line and tested it?
Many of you have and you shared your stories with me over the past month. I personally, in our business, invested over $20,000 last year to kickstart our celebrancy business after taking a year off and I share the results of that investment on the Celebrant Institute blog this week.
The one thing I can tell you after this whole affair is that the best alternative to advertising on wedding directories is to be remarkable.
I hope this month's email is helpful, encouraging, and good-for business. If it's not moving your needle on at least one of those metrics, then I've failed you again!
– Josh Withers 👋🏽
📻 This month we're releasing a new podcast and membership called "Insights"
In response to my story about wasting money on Easy Weddings we wondered, how can we find out what today's couples are spending, how they're choosing wedding vendors, and what websites, magazines, directories they're using?
We thought, surely the easiest way is to just ask?!
So this month we launch a new podcast: Celebrant Institute Insights Podcast.
Real wedding booking and spending stories from real couples that are getting married or have gotten married recently and how they chose their celebrant.
Members at the new Insights membership level - monthly and annual membership join links - will get access to the podcast - the subscription links are in the members portal at members.celebrant.institute.
If it's the first time you've checked you'll see there's also a secret members-only podcast in there as well which we release episodes onto sporadically.
Want to put a couple forward? We'd love to meet your couples, plus we're paying them $100 for a date night if they are interviewed for the podcast. That's actually what you're funding in the higher membership tier, us paying couples. Send your couples to celebrant.institute/interview and we'll get them on the podcast plus send them a $100 visa debit card so they can treat themselves to a date night!
Upgrade your membership? Finally, if you're already a standard member of the Celebrant Institute you can upgrade your plan in the members portal - screenshot demo.
📊 What Return Did I See From A $20K Advertising Investment Last Year?
Last year I had to start again after taking a year off. After 15 years of making weddings I took a break. Covid’s affects on our businesses had ripped my heart out, parenting never takes a day off, being a husband is my most important work, and no-one was getting the best of me. I was dropping the ball in all areas of life, so I refunded a bunch of weddings, asked many of you to cover for me for others, and Britt and I packed up the family and went to Mexico, then the USA, hopped-skipped-jumped through Austria, France, Liechtenstein, England, Italy, and Singapore to eventually come home to the Gold Coast, and now Hobart.
I think its important to evaluate, and re-evaluate, all elements of life on a regular basis so basically putting my entire celebrancy practice on ice was a pretty harsh way of finding out I still loved the art of celebrancy, I just had a really rough 2020-2022 and my therapist is impressed I’m still smiling – he does think I have a self-deprecating sense of humour though.
🇦🇺 Those upcoming changes to the marriage laws
As of time of writing, just after lunch on the 29th of February, the laws have not passed and our submission was mostly ignored. You can track the progress on the APH website and apparently it's being addressed again today, so we'll wait and see.
A fascinating quirk I've noticed is how parliament works, and we all know that one is called the government and one is called the opposition, but it still felt weird to read about the bill passing the lower house, the House of Representatives, and the coalition all voted no, which I'm sure isn't a reflection of the bill, but just how the two-party-system works. Still felt weird to read the no.
📸 The Photographer, The Dress, And The Celebrant
One of our members sent in this incredible story this week. With their permission we're sharing it with you on the blog today because (a) because they’re an incredible story teller and I think you’ll all enjoy it, and (b) because there’s learnings in there for all of us.
💒 New “Stuff” To Include In Your Wedding Ceremonies
Karen asks: "I would like “new stuff” to include in my ceremonies." So here's some ideas.
💰 What is everyone charging?
If you missed it, then you missed a highly controversial piece from last month where we surveyed your colleagues to answer the big question: what is everyone charging?
🛳️ When Can A Celebrant Marry A Couple Overseas And Without A NOIM?
Did you know that in a very specific circumstance a certain kind of celebrant can marry a certain kind of couple in a country that isn’t Australia – and it’s all allowed by Australian law, plus it’s a valid Australian marriage?
📃 On Paying For A NSW Official Certificate Of Marriage
Do you have to pay for and order a NSW Official Certificate of Marriage?
💻 Which Births, Deaths, and Marriages are online?
You asked, we answered.
🧑🏾💻 Website tips
If I visit your website, in the first moments can I determine:
- who you are, what your name is?
- what you look like?
- where you are based?
- which area/s you service?
- a very early idea of what kind of person you are and what kind of ceremony you make?
If not, invest some time this week in changing that. And if you need website help, we're always here, just hit reply.
That's another month at the Celebrant Institute, written in Hobart (where it's hitting a heatwave of 24 degrees today!). Sarah and I are ever-excited to help and answer your questions over at celebrant.institute/ask and you can always manage your paid membership at members.celebrant.institute and your email subscription at mail.celebrant.institute
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