5 Essential Website Pages Every Wedding Industry Business Must Have

Essential page #1 – The Homepage and key elements to include and optimize

The first one is your homepage. Everyone has a homepage, hopefully. So let’s talk a little bit about it. Your homepage is the very first impression that any potential client might have of your business. It should be clear, concise, it should be to the point, but also making sure that it touches on who you are, what services you provide, and what makes you different. When somebody lands on your homepage, you wanna make sure that they kind of understand the vibe right off the back. If you have a rock solid website, you are going to be able to instantly attract the right kind of person by having the right kind of “vibe”, right?

1. Rock solid above the fold section with three primary assets

So the very first thing that you wanna make sure you have is a rock solid above the fold section. This is the very first thing someone sees when they land on your website before they tap or scroll or navigate anywhere else. That’s called the above the fold, and that is prime real estate. Every person is going to see that section. So we wanna make sure that it is standout and it’s very clear.

Make sure you have beautiful imagery

We wanna make sure that you have your favorite, most beautiful eye-catching images here in order to showcase the kind of work that you produce. So if you’re a wedding photographer, making sure to put your best captured images if you are a wedding planner, making sure to put images that showcase maybe the different styles that you really love tapping into. We want people to instantly know they’re in the right spot.

Make sure that there’s a compelling headline

It needs to be very clear and able to communicate exactly what you do and who you do it for. But it also really needs to be legible. This is something I see often and it’s something that’s very important. Make sure it’s big enough that there’s enough contrast between the images that you might be using there and the headline. And don’t allow the design to take over that prime real estate and make your headline kind of get lost. It needs to be able to communicate what you do easily, and people don’t need to fight the design elements or the imagery or the hierarchy.

Strong call to action

And then finally above the fold, you should have your primary call to action. This should be the number one thing that you want people to do when they come to your website. You’ve gotta direct people when they’re on, your website or else they will aimlessly go wherever and not really have a direction, and then they’re just browsing and then will kind of forget why they’re there and then leave. Or they might just leave automatically if it’s too hard for them to do what they came to your website to do. So make sure that you have your primary CTA above the fold, and I would recommend doing this either in the header. So you can have like a button in the menu at the top or in the header section, which is in that above the fold section. Above the fold and header are kind of used interchangeably. So we wanna make sure that that header section. Contains a call to action button, either in the actual section itself or in the menu bar that’s at the top.

2. Introduction to the founder or team

The second thing that you’re gonna want on your homepage for sure, is that you wanna have a little short intro to you and your brand. So yes, you wanna make sure that you say hi and maybe a little bit about you, but you don’t want this part of the homepage to be an entire paragraph about you or about the business or your journey. You wanna make sure that it’s very specific and to the point because you’re on your homepage. This is prime real estate, my friend, and you don’t wanna waste any space on the homepage and we want to optimize as much as we can.

So in this about section, we wanna make sure that it is connecting to your audience and tying to them, because we don’t know if they wanna know more about you necessarily. They definitely want to connect to the person behind the brand, and that’s the point of having that initial about section. But we don’t want to dive into our entire journey and all of that quite yet. We wanna keep it maybe about why you love doing this or maybe what your most passionate part about it is. That’s relating back to your clients and making it connect with them. You might also touch a little bit about the brand value so that they can see what you’re all about and if you are the go-to vendor for them.

3. Section that guides potential clients to important information they may want to know

The third thing that you’re gonna want on your homepage is clear call to actions that guide potential clients to what information they’re actually looking for. Like I mentioned at the above the fold section, it’s really important to guide your clients through your website, and so making sure that you are steering them in a certain direction so that they’re not just aimlessly wandering through the woods and navigating themselves. Making it very easily navigated, will help them choose their desired location and kind of just ease their overwhelm.

Don’t rely on the menu or navigation bar at the top to guide visitors

We already are kind of guiding them to different locations via the menu and that kind of stuff already, but don’t let that fool you. There are going to be some people who instantly go to the page that they need, but then there’s also gonna be some people who are going to want to scroll through the homepage and kind of be told where to go next rather than looking at a menu and then just selecting where to go. So I like to approach the solution by providing three key places they might wanna learn more about your business or your brand. I would recommend doing this in a way that is very clear and descriptive and encourages visitors to take the next steps that keeps them engaged so that they’re not leaving your site not knowing where to go.

What 3 items to include in this section

On a standard page design for wedding industry pofessionals, I would suggest

1. checking out the services because you wanna provide them with all of the information
2. the pricing, you know what they can expect. They wanna know what what you have to offer. The second thing is that they’ll probably wanna check out some real weddings or some past client work, and I have seen this be very neglected as I was browsing for my own vendors. I definitely wanted to see lots of past client work and kind of full galleries and getting an understanding of what they’re actually able to create so that’s really important
3. Calling them to get in touch, to reach out, to inquire. Because again, that’s probably our primary reason for having somebody on our website is for them to then fill out the inquiry form and get started. So we wanna remind them of that as often as we can without being super annoying.

4. Don’t forget to showcase your beautiful work.

At the end of the day, you are trying to show what beautiful work you’re capable of. You are badass, you are freaking killing it, and you need to showcase that work everywhere. You wanna use high quality photos that actually represent the kind of projects that you want to be a part of. You can scatter them throughout the entire page. You can maybe just have a small little portfolio work section on your homepage as well, but the key here is that it needs to be projects and images that you want to be a part of. For instance, one of my really good photographer friends loves unconventional weddings and super, like, edgy and like different, and so her main photos that she uses are like, Vegas weddings or the couple is having like this whole experience or she has pride and prejudice wedding that she’s done and so she’s showcasing these very unique weddings that she does because she wants to be a part of more of those. You also wanna make sure that you have a lot of brand images as well. This will not only make you look hella professional, but it’ll also bring some more life to your site and more personality and showcasing you and some real authentic brand images will help your visitor connect with you.

5. Display a full gallery of images

And then the last thing I suggest is having a quick gallery of your work just to tell them to check out the full gallery, especially if you are not doing a portfolio blog which I highly encourage, but since we’re talking about five pages here I’m going to assume that you’d maybe just have one portfolio page that has all of your images. I would suggest having a gallery on your homepage that directs them to that portfolio gallery page. And then if you do have a portfolio blog here, I would suggest you showcase the different galleries and direct visitors to those real life gallery events or blog posts. So those are the four things that I would do on your homepage

Essential page #2 – The about page and key elements to include and optimize

The second website page would be the about page. Now, your about page is where you can showcase your expertise, your experience, a little bit of your personality. This page should include information from your background, maybe your brand mission or your values, or why you love doing what you’re doing. But some of the key elements here are that you don’t want it to be solely focused on you. You want it to be, again, keeping in mind your visitors.

Connect with your audience first

Start the page with a personal and connecting headline that will make, people will say, damn, that’s so me. Like she gets me, she’s inside of my head. Like, I can’t believe. Rebel also thought of that because I connect like girl, me too. Right? And they instantly feel connected to you. So yes, you want it to be representative of you and your personality, but you really want it to kind of hit home for your visitors as well, and then they’ll have no choice but to book you.

Make sure you have a good headshot photo & well crafted bio

So with the headshot, I want you to try to make it unique to you. I challenge you not to do the cliche, hold a camera smiling with your hand on your hip and the camera hanging off of you. Instead, I want you to try to pull in some personality, maybe do a little happy dance with your camera gear. Maybe even have the camera gear next to you while you’re you know, doing some sort of headshot. Maybe ditch the camera all together and just show yourself having fun in a studio. Maybe you are doing something you’re passionate about. Maybe you’re reading a book, maybe you are. You know, connecting with clients, something to where somebody can see a little bit of your personality. They know you’re a photographer, that’s why they’re here. This could really set yourself apart as well by having something a little bit different than all the other photographers that your potential clients might be going to. Same thing with my planners, y’all are planning an event. Maybe next time you set up a styled shoot, maybe have some sort of fun image where you are setting the vibe versus just having your iPad or something in your hand looking like you are directing people, right? Something that sets your image apart and just have fun. I personally have a gif of me on a stool that spins around in a circle and I’m looking like a fool spinning around in it and smiling, and that’s just my personality. I’m very like, you know, kind of out there and doing whatever. And so I think that’s what sets me apart versus a super standard – Oh, I’m writing on my iPad, or, oh, I’m on my computer typing. Right?

And then the second part on that, About you section is making the bio relevant to your clients. So yes, you wanna make it about your journey and about maybe your experience and you know what you do, but also make it about how you love to serve your clients and how you, you know, really came into this and maybe how some of your unique personality comes through when you work with your clients and you’re so passionate about it because you love, love. Go deeper than just, oh, I graduated at A&M with a degree in blah, blah, blah. Like nobody gives a shit, right? They want to connect with you. That’s why they’re on the about page. They don’t want to necessarily hear about, I’ve been working in the industry for 20 plus years and I have all my ducks in a row. So make it about you and them at the same time.

Include some fun facts to increase trust and the relationship before it starts

If, for instance, again, bringing up my friend who loves That unconventional wedding she also is a concert photographer and so having fun facts like that, she’s able to connect people who love the like emo scene and like all of that kind of stuff because she says that and she shares it in her branding and in her messaging and in her fun facts section. So just like everything else on the About page, we’re really trying to connect them and you together something that bridges that gap and is like, oh, she gets me. Oh yes, we are one of the same. Right? Because when they feel connected to you, they want to invest in you. If they can see themselves in you, then they’ll invest in you? So make sure you include some of those fun facts. Maybe some of your quirkiness, maybe some things that set you apart on a more personal level. Maybe, you know, just some things that you love to do and maybe even some influences that you have. Those are all great examples.

Include some social proof relevant to you as a person and the way you serve

And then lastly on the about page is to add some social proof. Make sure you have testimonials that reflect the personality. So instead of a testimonial that says, oh, she was these are the best photos I’ve ever received in my entire life. Oh, my wedding went so smoothly. Kristen did an amazing job planning my wedding, instead of those kind of work-based testimonials, I want you to try to pick out some of the more personality testimonials. Ones that say things like, oh, they were so fun. Kristen was there for me when I was feeling super overwhelmed. She made me feel so supported and loved. Madison made me feel so comfortable in front of a camera. Maybe they said something like, you were so fun in the dressing room as the girls were getting ready, jammin’ to some Cardi B before the wedding. You know, something like that. Something that shows that you have personality and that you’re there for them and that you’re passionate about what you do. Include that on the about page.

Essential page #3 – The contact page

The third page is the contact page. This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but your contact page is where potential clients can get in touch with you and inquire about your service. This page should include your contact information, your phone number, your email. Maybe even business hours so that if they inquire over the weekend, they’ll know, you know, oh, she’s not back in until Tuesday, so I probably won’t, you know, hear back from her till then. You also obviously wanna make sure that you have the contact form and then make sure that it’s easy. I think the important part here though is that we wanna make sure that there’s no friction on the contact page in order for them to get in contact with you. Make sure that you, say this is the contact page. I’m so excited that you wanna work with us or are thinking about working with us. Fill out this contact form and I’ll be sure to get back with you in 24 to 48 hours. Right. I also really recommend giving them testimonials on the contact page, again, when they’re on the contact page, they’re thinking about am I gonna make this investment? I’m gonna reach out. I wanna feel confident in them. So maybe give them a few more testimonials. I definitely would put any content under the contact form. Definitely the first thing that you should see on the contact page is the contact form. But after the contact form you could put testimonials. I’ve put FAQs because sometimes even if they’ve gone through the entire website, they’ll probably still have some more questions that they’ll want answered. So you could do that on the contact form page. And this will help when you go to inquire more they’ll have a better understanding of some of the questions that they’ll probably be asking. And then you can also direct them to the portfolio page because if someone came to your website, went straight to the contact form, filled out the contact form, and then you wanna keep them engaged, they can have the opportunity to then go through your portfolio and see more of what you do in order to kind of stay engaged with your brand. So that’s another good section to have on your contact page.

Essential page #4 – The Services page and key sections to include

So the fourth page that you’re gonna want on your website is the services page. The services page is where you can provide detailed information about the services you offer. This page should include, very clear and concise descriptions of each services, as well as pricing and package options. It can also include things like your experience, what it’s like working with you and definitely encouraging them to take the next steps. So I’m gonna touch on just three sections that you will want to have.

One important section to include is the services/packages

If you have just one service. So let’s say you are a wedding planner or a wedding photographer and just do weddings. It’s very easy to then lay out your packages. You can say wedding photography, we’ve got package A, B, and C. You’ll want a description of each of the packages you’ll want. The deliverables that are included in each one. And then I always highly recommend pricing for each of your packages or at the bare minimum, a starting at so that people know kind of what to expect when they are going into it.

If you have multiple services, so let’s say you are a wedding photographer, but you also do couple sessions, you do family sessions, portraits, boudoir, all of those kinds of things, I would first and foremost lay out all of the different types of services that you have towards the top of the services page so that people understand. Okay. She does do multiple different types of photography, not just weddings, but I would highly encourage you to list either your most popular or the most money generating service first. That way you don’t have to make that client kind of sift through a bunch of different services to find what they really want, if at all possible. Make quick kind of jump links. They’re called anchor links to maybe different sections of the services page, depending on which service they’re looking for. So if you have a bunch of different services, maybe try having at the very top weddings or couples or intimates or boudoir, those kinds of things, and then they can jump to the particular section that will then go into more detail about each of those certain services. I would include at least a starting out in each of those packages and services, but you might want to say it will depend on location. It will depend on, you know, how many hours you want, et cetera. Be very clear and don’t make your clients do a lot of work to figure out what services you actually provide.

A second important section to have is a testimonials section focused on outcomes & emotions

So this is going to be results based and emotional based. If they’re on the services page, they are figuring out if they really want to work with you, if you are the right fit for them, what you offer, and then based off of what you offer, they’re gonna then transition into, okay, is she who we wanna invest in? Is this person who we want to take the next steps with? Having real life clients who are showcasing their love and affection for you and what you do will really help move them forward to that next step. So making sure that those testimonials, unlike the about page very like, oh, she was the best. She was so great. Like, those are wonderful, but make the services page testimonials, very result based. More on the lines of the photos were amazing. I couldn’t have thought of anyone else better to capture my wedding. She was able to plan my whole wedding and make it such a breeze. Any of those, like she delivers what she says she’s gonna deliver. So those are the kind of testimonials we’ll want to have on our services page.

The last section to make sure you include is another strong call to action

Make sure that we are telling them that they can take the next step. Again, keeping them engaged. They now know what services we provide. So now let’s either, if they’re on the fence, let’s tell them to look at the portfolio, give them some more reasons to fall in love and engage and those kinds of things, or, if they’re ready, gungho, know that we are the one for them and are ready to move forward. So just make sure that you have those call to actions on your services page.

Essential page #5 – The Portfolio page

So the fifth and final page that you are gonna need on your website is the portfolio page. If you are just starting out, you can totally start by just having a gallery page for this portfolio piece and showcase all of your past work I would highly recommend making sure to have the photos tell a story. So if you are combining a bunch of different events into one, I would recommend telling some sort of story. So whether that is organizing it to where you are telling one wedding, beginning, middle, end, and then going to the next one beginning, middle, end. Or your gallery as a whole, put them all together in one until one beginning, middle, and end with a combination of all of the images. I hope that makes sense, but I think that that’s really important because when a consumer goes to your. Portfolio page. They want to see the whole story, the images that you capture from every part of the day, and you wanna demonstrate that you can capture beautiful images all day long, not just the images that are the perfect situation outside and that you can see over and over again on your page or on other photographer’s page. So if you do go for just one standard portfolio gallery page, totally fine. But that is my recommendation to make sure that it’s super optimized. I know I was really struggling with this when I was searching for my photographer. I couldn’t really get a full understanding of the full ability of the photographer when I just saw, you know, a few images here and there from random weddings or, you know, the same kind of scenario, the same scenery but with a different couple. It’s like the same thing, but different faces. So some of the elements that I want you to make sure that are on your portfolio page is:

Your beautiful photos

You definitely wanna make sure that you have high quality images and again, going back to the homepage and the services page, whenever you put images out there that are portfolio pieces, you wanna make sure that it is the type of weddings or the type of events that you actually want to book more of you attract what you put out there.

Don’t forget more testimonials

If you’re doing a portfolio gallery, I would say make sure that you have a collection of testimonials that are all emotional based. So making sure, again, hitting that emotional pain point saying, you know, these were incredible me and my fiancé cried after receiving these photos. Any of those super emotional based testimonials or texts or emails that you got responded to any of those, I would put on the photo gallery because they’re already kind of emotional, looking through the photos and imagining themselves in that person’s shoes so that would be very powerful. And it just makes it, you know, again, connect like, Hey, this is a real human. They loved it. You’ll love it too.

Lastly, call them to take freaking action

Make sure that it encourages visitors to book a consultation, reach out. Guide them and tell them what the next steps are. You could be like, if you loved this gallery, then we would love to work with you, you would , really be an ideal person for us. Let’s figure out what we can do together. The most important thing for each page is that we want to provide high quality content, create the least amount of friction as possible, and always be guiding visitors to where we want them to go next, and make sure that they always know what their next steps are with you.

That’s a wrap

If you got through this entire post and felt like you have very little or none of the pages and suggested sections on each mentioned in this post, I encourage you to schedule a coffee chat. I have a range of packages to get you a badass website that’s suited for your business no matter the size. From branding to website design to systems & automations!