How to use Instagram to find your dream wedding venue
…And all of your other vendors too
It’s no secret that Instagram has become the new Pinterest when it comes to social media shopping experiences, but did you know that many brides-to-be use Instagram to search for and discover vendors?
While wedding aggregator services like TheKnot and WeddingWire can be helpful, they quickly become overwhelming and are seldom up-to-date. When I started my venue search, I knew that Instagram would be a reliable source to find photos of recent weddings from professional photographers in my target area of Greater Philadelphia.
Here are my tips for using Instagram to find your dream venue:
1. Follow relevant hashtags
Search for hashtag results that include your “location” + “wedding” like #austinweddings or #bostonbrides. I searched for and followed a ton of content with the following hashtags:
- #PhillyWedding
- #PhiladelphiaWedding
- #PhillyBride
- #PhillyLove
2. Follow relevant Instagram accounts
I scrolled through my hashtags and quickly found a plethora of accounts devoted to showcasing weddings in the Philadelphia area. The beauty of these accounts is that they typically tag every photographer, florist, makeup artist, hair stylist, and event designer who participated in the wedding or photo shoot they’re showcasing. These posts are gold for discovering new vendors. From my search, I found:
3. Follow wedding photographers in your area
From the general wedding accounts you’ve followed based on location, scroll through their posts and bookmark the images that speak to your aesthetic. These posts will lead you to the photographers who captured weddings that are closest to your style. Usually, they’re tagged in the post or listed in the comments.
For my own search, this method led me to:
- Pat Robinson Photography (who I ended up booking!)
- Emily Wren Photography
- Redfield Photography
- Bartlett Pair Photography
4.) Take a look at the venues listed in these photographer’s posts
As I scrolled through Pat Robinson’s gorgeous Instagram page, I saw an awesome image of a bride and groom at Welkinweir Estate surrounded by ferns. I Googled Welkinweir and learned that it’s an amazing venue surrounded by gorgeous greenery, with a unique ceremony setting, a huge tent, and a beautiful stone estate, all in a remote location. Welkinweir is part of Jam Catering’s group of venues, and they have so many unique settings, most of which I wouldn’t have found if I left my venue search solely to Knot reviews.
I followed this formula to find most of my other vendors, including hair and makeup artists (Capelli & Trucco and Jessica B. Beauty), DJ (Scratch Weddings), bakery for our rehearsal dinner desserts (Frosted Fox).
The vendor search process can seem daunting, but starting on Instagram led me to a ton of options in a short amount of time.
