If you imagine today’s couples sitting down with a wedding planning checklist and calmly going step by step, erase that picture immediately. The real process looks more like this. One partner is on the couch scrolling TikTok for ideas while the other is Googling “Perth wedding photographer natural light”, and someone’s mum is sending Facebook links, and Pinterest boards are multiplying like rabbits, and a friend has texted the name of a celebrant they adored, and then at 11.47 pm someone sends an enquiry because the vibe feels right.

This is how couples find vendors now.
It’s layered, emotional, non-linear and happening across multiple platforms at once.
The days of “Google → website → booking” are long gone.

Most wedding vendors still imagine a neat, tidy customer journey. But modern couples don’t travel in straight lines. They swirl. They bounce. They validate. They cross-check. They follow tiny moments of emotional resonance. And if you want to reach them, you need to understand how they actually search.

The Myth of the Single Search Method

There is no one path anymore. Couples use a blend of search engines, social platforms, peer recommendations and online reviews, often simultaneously.

Today’s couples don’t begin their search with a venue tour or a friend’s recommendation. They start online. Research from The Knot shows that around eighty-nine per cent of wedding planning now happens digitally.

Another industry report notes that about eighty percent of couples use search engines to find vendors, which means Google is still a major doorway into your business. From there, the journey becomes wonderfully chaotic, with couples bouncing between Google results, Instagram grids, Pinterest boards, TikTok recommendations, wedding directories, Facebook groups, AI results, and the occasional text from a recently married friend.

And reviews matter more than ever. In Australia, 98 percent of consumers read online reviews before making a purchasing decision, and more than 90 percent consider them influential.

This is no longer a simple funnel. It’s a multi-channel ecosystem.

If your brand only shows up in one place, you’re invisible everywhere else.

Google: Still the Front Door, but Not the Only Door

Google remains the dominant starting point, especially for location-based searches. Couples type phrases like “best wedding florist Perth” or “Albany celebrant warm relaxed style” rather than business names. That means vendors must optimise for how couples describe what they want, not just who they are.

But here’s where things have changed. Many couples land on your Google Business Profile before they ever click through to your website. They check your photos, reviews, hours and vibe right there in the search results. Your profile is no longer optional. It’s part of your storefront.

And then there’s the rise of AI Overviews. In Australia, AI Overviews now appear in roughly 39 percent of Google searches, summarising local vendors before users even see the organic listing.

This means your online presence must be strong enough that Google can confidently describe who you are and why you’re relevant. The future of search is layered and summarised. Vendors must adapt.

Social Media: Not Just Inspiration, but Credibility

A decade ago, social media was where couples found ideas. Now it’s where they vet personality, professionalism and energy.

Instagram remains the leading platform for wedding inspiration, but its role has shifted. Couples don’t just look at your grid. They check your Stories, Highlights, Reels and tone. They want to know if you’re personable, responsive and aligned with their aesthetic.

TikTok has become a powerful discovery tool because authenticity performs better than polish. A vendor explaining how to write vows or sharing behind-the-scenes moments creates trust faster than a perfectly edited video.

Pinterest is still massive for early-stage dreaming. Couples pin colour palettes, floral concepts and table styling before they even know what city they want to marry in.

And Facebook groups remain one of the strongest forms of crowdsourced recommendations. A single post in a local wedding group asking, “Who did you use for your hair and makeup?” can put fifty names in front of a couple instantly.

Social media is less about perfection and more about presence.
Couples want to feel who they might be hiring.

Word of Mouth: Stronger Than Ever, but Now Digital

Word of mouth isn’t just whispered recommendations anymore. It’s tagged Instagram stories, Facebook comments, TikTok testimonials, venue preferred lists and past couples raving in the digital spaces where newly engaged couples spend their time.

And because nearly all Australians read reviews, word of mouth has become both personal and public. The couple who loved you last year might tell their cousin, but they’ll also leave an online review that influences hundreds of strangers.

Word of mouth is no longer a channel. It’s an ecosystem.
And you can help shape it intentionally by delivering a remarkable experience and encouraging online feedback.

How Couples Actually Vet Vendors

Once a couple discovers you, the vetting process begins. And despite being emotional, it’s surprisingly predictable. Most couples follow a pattern that behavioural economists would recognise immediately.

First impression: “Do I like what I’m seeing?”

Relevance: “Does this person fit our vision?”

Credibility: “Are they legit? Are their reviews strong?”

Personality match: “Do they feel like our kind of human?”

Availability: “Are they free on our date?”

Price alignment: “Is this within our scope?”

Decision: “Do we feel good about reaching out?”

This mirrors the fast-thinking model Daniel Kahneman describes, where humans make decisions emotionally first, then rationalise them. Couples need to feel safe and excited before they check the finer details.

Vendors often jump straight to price, but couples are still deciding whether they trust you.
Lead with emotional clarity, and price becomes a neutral part of the conversation rather than a barrier.

The Website: The Final Confirmation Point

Woman researching wedding vendors on a laptop

Regardless of where couples first find you, they almost always end up on your website to confirm legitimacy. This is the moment where first impressions become decisions.

Your website must feel trustworthy, modern and cohesive. It should:
• load quickly
• offer clear paths to Services, Portfolio and About
• use strong, warm copy
• show relevant work
• provide easy enquiry steps
• feel beautifully human

The website isn’t always the start of the journey, but it’s almost always the moment of decision.

How Couples Finally Choose

Couples don’t choose vendors who impress them the most.
They choose the vendor who makes them feel the most understood.

The vendor who:
• communicates clearly
• responds promptly
• has a strong and consistent online presence
• shows a personality they feel safe with
• makes the process easy
• aligns with their vision
• feels human and trustworthy

Couples aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for reassurance.
They’re looking for emotional alignment.

What This Means for Wedding Vendors

You don’t need to be everywhere.
You need to be present where it matters and consistent enough that couples can recognise you across multiple touchpoints.

If you show up with clarity on Google, personality on socials, authority on your website and warmth in your communication, couples will find you — no matter which door they walk through first.

Today’s couples aren’t harder to reach.
They’re just more layered.
Meet them with clarity, consistency and a little humanity, and you’ll be unforgettable.