What’s Working on Social Media Right Now for Wedding Businesses?

Social media changes constantly, and while some advice remains relevant for years, new features and content trends can quickly change what performs well.

At the moment, Reels are still incredibly important, Instagram is introducing new features for carousels, and audiences are responding to content that feels authentic, direct and personal. But this isn’t just about choosing the right format. What you actually say in your content matters too.

Here’s what is working on social media right now and how you can use it to market your wedding business.

Reels Are Still King

I’ve been posting almost every day recently, and my Reels are consistently performing better than my grid posts and carousels. Even when they don’t contain as much detailed or educational content, they’re still receiving more views, reach and interaction.

One thing that seems to be making a difference is creating Reels in Instagram’s Edits app and publishing them directly to Instagram, rather than downloading them and posting them later.

I recently shared a Reel on my wedding harpist account that included ten seconds of a trending song. The caption simply said, “If you know, you know,” alongside one hashtag. It wasn’t heavily optimised and didn’t contain lots of information, but it performed incredibly well for my account.

This doesn’t mean every Reel needs to follow a trend or be created without a strategy, but it does show that Reels remain one of the best ways to reach more people. If you’ve stopped creating them because you think their moment has passed, it may be time to start experimenting again.

Carousels Are Worth Watching

Carousels are also having an interesting moment, particularly because Instagram has introduced the option to add a different caption to each slide.

Previously, you could publish up to 20 slides but only add one caption to the whole post. Now, each image can have its own description.

I don’t think this feature needs to be used on every carousel, but there are plenty of ways wedding businesses could experiment with it. For example, a wedding stylist could create a carousel showing their different candelabras, with a separate description explaining the style, size or best use for each one.

A photographer could use it to talk through the different stages of a wedding day, while a florist could explain the flowers used in each arrangement. It removes the need to list every slide within one long caption and gives people more context as they move through the post.

Because Instagram tends to encourage people to use its newest features, it’s worth testing this one and seeing how your audience responds.

Take People Behind the Scenes

In a world filled with noise, rising prices, uncertainty, fake news and content coming at us from every direction, people are craving something that feels genuine. Content that is authentic, direct and takes people behind the scenes is working particularly well.

When somebody books you for their wedding, they already assume you can do your job. They expect a cake designer to make a beautiful cake, a photographer to take lovely photographs and a harpist to play well.

The reason they choose one talented supplier over another is often the person behind the business.

You are your USP. If you never allow potential clients to see your personality, interests and values, you make it much harder for them to form a connection with you.

This doesn’t mean filming every moment of your day or sharing details you would rather keep private. Think instead about the conversations you naturally have with couples during consultations. Perhaps you connect over your dogs, children, favourite television programmes, love of country houses or the place you live.

These little details can become part of your content, particularly on Instagram Stories.

Try sharing one original Story every day for the next two weeks. Rather than simply reposting something from your grid, share a small snapshot of your life or work. It could be a walk with the dog, a coffee between meetings, preparations for a wedding or the programme you’re watching that evening.

Fourteen Stories over fourteen days is manageable, but it will give your audience a much better sense of the person behind your business.

Experiment With Going Live

Going live can feel intimidating, but it’s also an effective way to take people behind the scenes without creating a polished piece of content.

You don’t need to deliver a presentation or speak continuously. A cake designer could position their phone nearby and film five minutes of decorating a cake. A florist could let people watch while they create a bouquet, or a stationer could share part of the calligraphy or engraving process.

If nobody watches, you can simply delete it afterwards. But each time you do it, you’re likely to feel a little more comfortable.

The only reason I became confident on camera was because I repeatedly pushed myself to go live. When the country entered lockdown in March 2020, I decided to play a few songs on my harp through Instagram Live. I enjoyed it so much that I continued for 100 days. Sometimes nobody watched and, on other days, around 100 people joined me, but the repetition completely cured my fear.

You don’t have to commit to 100 days. Start with five minutes and take a tiny step outside your comfort zone.

Be More Authentic and Direct

Authentic content isn’t only about sharing personal details. It also means being honest about your expertise and the people you want to work with.

What do you genuinely wish couples understood about your part of the wedding? Is there something you regularly explain during consultations? Are there requests you can’t—or don’t want to—accommodate?

Sharing these opinions can help the right clients recognise that you’re the supplier for them. It may also discourage people who aren’t a good fit, which is equally valuable.

Try creating content that starts with, “I’m looking for couples who…” and complete the sentence as specifically as possible.

For my harp business, I often say that I’m looking for couples who wouldn’t dream of having a Spotify playlist on their wedding day. It’s deliberately direct. Some people will disagree, but the couples who value live music will immediately understand what I offer and why it matters.

The more in tune you are with your ideal clients—their wants, needs, desires and the problems you solve for them—the easier it becomes to create content that connects.

Reels and new carousel features can help more people discover your business, but formats and algorithms will only take you so far. The content that builds relationships is the content that shows who you are, what you believe and exactly who you want to work with.