Are Wedding Venues Profitable? What to Know and How to Be Successful

Owning a wedding venue comes with a lot of responsibility — not to mention strategic planning. Learn what makes wedding venues profitable and how franchising can help.

Starting a wedding venue business is a big investment. It requires a lot of time, money, and resources, but tapping into the $61.9 billion wedding industry in the United States is worth the effort for many entrepreneurs. Spending on weddings increased to $27,063 in 2021, up 25% from the prior year, according to The Wedding Report, a market research firm. There were 1.9 million weddings in the United States last year, generating sales of $52.4 billion.

As Billy Crystal put it in When Harry Met Sally: “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” Wedding planners help couples plan the first chapter in their love story. They help people create memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Wedding Venue Reservations

While the marriage marketplace is thriving, determining what makes wedding venues profitable can be a challenge. Opening a wedding venue requires a high initial investment. Scouting out an attractive, year-round venue takes time and money. You’ll need a location with the right amount of pizazz to impress the bride and groom. Plus, the property will need to accommodate all the logistics required for hosting a wedding reception, including a banquet space, commercial kitchen, restrooms, outdoor entertaining areas, and of course, parking.

Even if you are opening a wedding venue on your own property, you’ll still have to foot the bill for construction costs and navigate all the red tape for permits, licenses, and insurance. Expenses don’t stop after you host your first wedding. It will be necessary to reinvest a considerable amount into the business each year for maintenance and enhancements to make a wedding venue profitable long-term.

The wedding industry is traditionally a seasonal business. Brides balk at the threat of rain, snow, and humidity hampering their big day. Most couples want to take advantage of balmy temperatures, flattering lighting, and spring blooms. As a result, the wedding season typically starts in April and runs until the end of June, leaving your venue empty for a good portion of the year. Coping with running a seasonal business requires strategic planning and budgeting to stay afloat. Making wedding venues profitable necessitates working long days and late nights at the height of the season, which creates a high-stress, high-intensity environment.

Entertain a Low-Investment Franchise Opportunity

If the irregular schedule and high costs of operating a wedding venue are making you rethink your approach to helping couples say, “I do,” there are franchise opportunities for people seeking year-round businesses in the wedding and event planning industry.

Investing in a Complete Weddings + Events franchise allows you to become a business owner dedicated to helping people make memories. We customize and design service packages to meet the wedding or event needs of our clients. Our network of photographers, videographers, DJs, and photo booth attendants work together on many types of events, which ensures customers that their big day will go off without a hitch. With over 100 locations across the United States and Canada, Complete Weddings + Events allows business owners to capitalize on brand recognition and proven processes. By combining wedding planning and event planning, business owners are able to generate year-round sales.

Below are just a few of the reasons partnering with Complete Weddings + Events can help you achieve your future goals and own a wedding franchise.

1. Industry leader. Complete Weddings + Events is a family-owned company with almost 50 years of experience planning weddings and events. We’ve helped plan more than 300,000 events, averaging about 13,000 weddings a year.
2. Low-Cost Franchise. You can gain a foothold as a franchise owner in the wedding and event planning industry for a low initial investment starting at just $56,820, while taking advantage of our limited-time Incentive Program.
3. Work From Home Franchise. Our franchise business does not require owning a storefront or a venue. Our franchise owners launch their business from a home office, relying on our proprietary software to help conduct day-to-day operations.

Franchise Training

All of our new franchisees attend a 10-day, in-person training to learn business development strategies, operations, sales, accounting, marketing, and computer software. After finishing the initial training, you’ll have round-the-clock access to our operations manual and online resource platform, which includes handbooks and other reference tools that outline our standard operating procedures. We also host weekly webinars, monthly town halls, and business coach meetings to provide our franchisees with ongoing support.