Not getting enough wedding bookings?
Relying on a single directory listing isn’t enough anymore.
If you don’t take control of your online presence now, you risk another season with empty weekends.
> Many wedding venues and suppliers are overly reliant on third-party directories
> Engaged couples are searching across Google, ChatGPT and social channels - and if you're not visible, your competitors will take your bookings
> Without an integrated digital marketing system, you're missing enquiries and leaving costly gaps in your calendar
We get it. For over 20 years, RealWeddings has been helping venues and suppliers connect with couples and grow their bookings.
From our beginnings as Australia’s award-winning high-end wedding magazine, to building one of the country’s most trusted digital wedding platforms, and now a specialist wedding marketing agency, we’ve always been at the forefront of the industry.
We’ve seen the changes first-hand.
Today, an engaged couple's journey starts online — searching on Google, scrolling Instagram and TikTok, checking reviews, comparing listings, and researching websites long before they ever pick up the phone or send an email.
At the same time, competition has intensified, with more venues than ever vying for the same couples.
That’s why we created RealWeddings Digital Agency — to give venues and suppliers a proven, end-to-end digital marketing system designed specifically for the wedding industry.
Instead of overpaying for exposure on third-party platforms, you get the tools, strategy, and visibility you need to own your own pipeline of wedding enquiries.
Trusted by
The wedding industry has changed.
Competition is tougher than ever and every venue is fighting for a bigger slice of the wedding pie.
1
The COVID Aftermath
The pandemic created unprecedented uncertainty, forcing thousands of couples to cancel, postpone, or dramatically downsize weddings. The ripple effects are still being felt: disrupted planning cycles, couples booking later than ever and the rise of 'micro weddings' mean many venues are struggling to rebuild reliable pipelines.
2
Rising Competition from New Entrants
In the last several years, the market has seen an explosion of new venues — from boutique wineries and restaurants pivoting into weddings, to hotels and resorts aggressively chasing the wedding dollar. This saturation means couples have more choice than ever before. And every venue is competing for visibility online.
3
The Digital Buyer’s Journey Has Changed
Couples now do the majority of their research online before ever contacting a venue. They compare dozens of options on Google, Instagram, TikTok, and wedding directories, and they carefully scrutinize websites, reviews, and social feeds. If a venue’s complete digital presence isn’t polished, optimised, and actively maintained, couples simply scroll past. This shift has raised the bar dramatically and made inbound marketing a make-or-break factor.
4
Dependence on Expensive Third-Party Platforms
Third-party platforms have grown more dominant, charging premium fees just to get exposure. Many venues feel stuck — overpaying for listings that don’t always deliver quality enquiries. At the same time, these platforms control the relationship with the couple, leaving venues with little ownership of their leads. The cost of relying solely on third-party listings has increased, squeezing margins and making long-term growth harder without an independent digital strategy.
Stop relying on overpriced platforms and start controlling your own lead flow.
RealWeddings Digital Agency helps venues generate more wedding and event bookings through an affordable, fully integrated digital marketing system.
Expertise That’s 100% Wedding-Focused
Most generalist agencies don’t understand the unique seasonality, buyer journey, and emotional decision-making behind weddings. By working with a specialist agency, venues tap into strategies built exclusively for the wedding market. This means faster results, fewer wasted dollars, and campaigns that actually resonate with couples.
One Integrated System, Not a Patchwork of Tactics
Instead of juggling multiple vendors (one for SEO, another for ads, another for social), venues get a complete, end-to-end system that covers all touchpoints: search engines, social platforms, listings, and reviews. This integration ensures consistency across every channel and makes performance measurable in a single dashboard.
More Time to Focus on Running the Venue
Venue managers and event coordinators already juggle enquiries, site visits, contracts, and delivering unforgettable wedding days. Outsourcing marketing removes the stress of trying to keep up with Google algorithm changes, social media trends, or ad dashboards. With experts handling lead generation, the venue team can focus on what they do best.
It works, too
The numbers tell the story: we know how to get results that matter.
95% reduction in lead cost
We helped a Melbourne wedding venue cut its cost-per-lead by 73% — from $187 per wedding enquiry to under $10 per enquiry— while generating 799 conversions.
By refining their targeting and campaign structure, we turned a struggling ad account into a high-performing lead machine that delivered more enquiries at a fraction of the cost.
180% increase in enquiries
At a boutique Victorian country hotel, we delivered a dramatic turnaround in just 12 months. By implementing a fully integrated marketing system — combining SEO, paid ads, social media, reviews, and listings — the hotel was able to triple its inbound enquiries across weddings, accommodation, and dining. Leads increased by 180%, climbing from 2,484 to 6,846 in a single year. This surge in demand not only boosted wedding bookings but also lifted occupancy rates and dining revenue, proving how a holistic digital strategy can transform a venue’s bottom line.
No.1 on Google
One of our Sydney wedding venue clients increased their organic wedding-related keyword rankings from 100+ to the top spot on Google resulting in a huge increase in online visiblity, leads and bookings.
Ready to expand your venue's online presence and generate more bookings?
The Husband-and-Wife Team Behind RealWeddings
Husband-and-wife team Toby and Kirsten MacKelden have been at the forefront of the wedding industry for over 20 years. From launching Australia’s award-winning 'RealWeddings' magazine to building one of the country’s most trusted digital wedding platforms, they now lead RealWeddings Digital Agency, helping venues and suppliers grow bookings with proven, results-driven marketing strategies.
Kirsten is the co-founder and Client Director of RealWeddings Digital Agency, bringing over 20 years of experience in the wedding and publishing industries. She launched 'RealWeddings' as Australia’s award-winning luxury wedding magazine before evolving it into one of the country’s most trusted digital platforms for wedding venues and suppliers. Today, she leads client strategy at RealWeddings Digital Agency, helping venues and suppliers craft marketing approaches that resonate with couples and convert into bookings.
Kirsten’s achievements have been recognised nationally — she was previously named Telstra Business Woman of the Year (Business Owner Category – Victoria) and was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Her deep understanding of both the creative and commercial sides of the wedding industry allows her to guide clients with a rare mix of empathy, insight, and results-driven focus.
Kirsten MacKelden, Co-Founder
Toby MacKelden, Co-Founder
Toby is the co-founder and CEO of RealWeddings Digital Agency, where he specialises in helping venues and suppliers achieve sustainable growth through strategic digital marketing.
With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and technology, Toby has worked with leading organisations including Clemenger BBDO, Deloitte, IBM (Micromuse), and Saatchi & Saatchi (Samuelson Talbot).
He has also consulted for global corporations, including Google, MSD, Pfizer, and Bain & Co.
Having built and helped scale businesses across agency, entrepreneurial, and corporate environments in Australia, the UK and the US, Toby brings a unique perspective on the intersection of technology, marketing, and customer behaviour.
At RealWeddings Digital Agency, he applies this expertise to help venues generate more enquiries, book more weddings, and compete effectively in an increasingly digital-first industry.
Discover what’s working, what’s not, and where your biggest growth opportunities lie.
Book Your Discovery Call
The first step is simple — schedule a Discovery Call with our team. On this call, we’ll discuss your venue’s objectives and collect the information we need to prepare your personalised 'Digital Snapshot Report'.
This comprehensive audit covers SEO, local SEO, social media, reviews and reputation, and online listings.
You’ll see exactly how your venue compares to competitors, where enquiries are slipping through the cracks, and the opportunities available to grow your bookings.
Having an integrated, all-in-one digital marketing system is essential because every pillar of digital works together to drive enquiries. SEO and local SEO ensure couples can find you in search, paid ads amplify your visibility, social media builds inspiration and trust, listings expand your reach, and reviews shape reputation.
If even one area is weak, it undermines the others — for example, there’s no point spending money on ads to drive traffic to your website if couples then see poor reviews and choose a competitor instead.
> Rank in the Google Map Pack
> Drive more organic web traffic
> Generate more 5-Star reviews
> Increase your social media audience
> Leverage paid ads (Google & Meta) to drive leads
What others have to say about working with us
Our enquiries have improved out of sight, and this is due to the work your team is doing behind the scenes, to consistently improve our digital footprint. We are learning so much through this process and our online Zoom meetings are not only fun and refreshing, they bring clarity.
Gold Coast Cruises
We engaged you to assist us with our SEO and digital marketing at The Hills Lodge. After only a few months we have improved our visibility and are now starting to reap the benefits. Prior to signing with you, I did go out to the market and found your pricing to be very competitive based on what was included in the agreements and the support offered.
The Hills Lodge
Working with your team has been a breath of fresh air. I can honestly say your communication and organisation really puts your clients first and I know from experience and dealing with lots of other platforms that this is not always the case. Which for me is incredibly frustrating and time consuming with me chasing them up. So a big thank you for running a super informative and sleek business.
San Remo Ballroom
I'm so happy to still be working with you. Your business is going from strength to strength which means it also benefits us by working with you. Thank you for all your support over the years and many more to come.
Middle Brighton Baths
Frequently asked questions
“Why should we outsource to an agency instead of managing marketing in-house?”
Running digital marketing properly today requires expertise across SEO, ads, social media, reviews, and more. Most in-house teams simply don’t have the time or depth of knowledge to cover it all. By outsourcing to RealWeddings Agency, you get a specialist team dedicated to weddings — giving you better results, faster, and at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time staff.
“How do I know you’ll deliver results for our venue?”
We’ve helped venues achieve dramatic growth, including tripling leads in 12 months and cutting cost-per-lead by 99%. Our approach is data-driven: we start with a Wedding Leads Gap Analysis that shows exactly what’s working, what’s not, and where the opportunities are. From there, we create a tailored strategy and track performance in real time — so you always know it’s working.
“Isn’t hiring an agency too expensive?”
We've structured our services to ensure they're affordable - particularly compared to the cost of hiring in-house marketing staff. The real cost isn’t the monthly fee — it’s the lost bookings if your marketing isn’t effective. Our goal is to generate a clear return on investment. We focus on making sure every dollar you spend works harder to bring in couples who are ready to book so that you remain a happy client for years to come. We also don't lock you in with restrictive contracts. We earn your business month-to-month.
“Do you really understand the wedding industry?”
Absolutely. RealWeddings has been at the forefront of the wedding industry for over 20 years — from magazine, to digital platform, and now a specialist agency. We know the seasonality of bookings, how couples research venues online, and what influences their decisions. Unlike generalist agencies, we speak your language and know how to market venues specifically.
“How will I know what you’re doing is actually working?”
Transparency is central to how we operate. With our MarketingHub dashboard, you’ll see every key metric in one place — SEO rankings, enquiries, ad performance, reviews, and more. No jargon, no guesswork — just clear visibility into your ROI, 24/7.
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