Calling all Celebrants – Are you ready for Proposal Season?
Right now, somewhere in the UK, someone is planning the perfect proposal. They’ve bought the ring, chosen the moment, rehearsed what they’ll say. By the end of this month, thousands of couples will be newly engaged, fizzing with excitement and starting to dream about their wedding day. Ask yourself, are you ready for proposal season?
Here’s what you need to know: the celebrants who are visible, memorable, and ready right now will be the ones filling their diaries for 2027 and beyond.
If you’ve been putting off updating your website, meaning to post more on Instagram, or thinking about reaching out to wedding venues “when you have time,” this is your wake-up call. Proposal season waits for no one.
The Proposal Season Reality Check
Let me be blunt: most celebrants completely miss this opportunity.
They’re busy with end-of-year admin, winding down for Christmas, or assuming that wedding planning happens in the spring. Meanwhile, newly engaged couples are in the most active research phase they’ll ever be in. They’re consuming wedding content voraciously, asking friends for recommendations, and yes—searching for celebrants.
The celebrants who understand this? They’re capturing bookings for weddings 18-24 months away while others are still in their Christmas jumpers wondering why their phone isn’t ringing.
What’s Actually Happening in December and January
Between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, more proposals happen than any other time of year. Then there’s another surge around Valentine’s Day. It’s why this time of year is known as proposal season. These couples enter what I call the “honeymoon phase” of wedding planning—they’re excited, engaged, and actively seeking information.
Research shows that most couples:
- Start looking at venues within the first month of engagement
- Book their venue 12-18 months out
- Are actively consuming wedding content across multiple platforms
- Don’t yet know what a celebrant does (or that they need one)
That last point is crucial. You’re not just competing with other celebrants for attention—you’re often introducing couples to the concept of a celebrant-led ceremony for the first time.
The Three Things You Must Do This Week to get ready for proposal season
I know you’re busy. You’ve got ceremonies to write, end-of-year bookings to fulfil, and probably Christmas shopping you haven’t started. But if you only do three things this week, make them these:
1. Fix Your Website Now
Open your website right now. I mean it—open it on your phone.
Does your contact form work? When did you last update your blog? Is your availability clear? Does it load quickly?
Your website is your 24/7 salesperson, and it needs to be working overtime during proposal season. At absolute minimum:
- Test your contact form (seriously, test it)
- Add a blog post titled something like “Just Engaged? Here’s What You Need to Know About Your Wedding Ceremony”
- Update your homepage to mention availability for 2027 weddings
- Check it looks good on mobile (most people will view it on their phones)
2. Create “Just Engaged” Content This Week
Don’t overthink this. You don’t need a professional photographer or perfect lighting. You need to show up where your couples are.
Post on Instagram and Facebook this week with content specifically for newly engaged couples:
- A congratulations post acknowledging proposal season
- A quick video explaining what a celebrant does
- A testimonial from a happy couple
- Behind-the-scenes of you writing a ceremony
Use hashtags like #justengaged #weddingplanning2027 #weddingcelebrant and your location tags.
3. Reach Out to Three Wedding Professionals
Send a friendly email or DM to three wedding venues, photographers, or planners in your area. Keep it simple:
“Hi [Name], I hope you’re well and gearing up for a busy proposal season! I’m [Your Name], a wedding celebrant based in [Area]. I’d love to connect and explore ways we might support each other’s couples. Would you be free for a quick coffee in the New Year?”
That’s it. No hard sell, just relationship building. These connections will pay dividends for years.
The Bigger Picture: Your 90-Day Proposal Season Strategy
If you want to go deeper (and you should), here’s what a comprehensive proposal season approach looks like:
December Focus: Be Visible
- Update all your platforms
- Post consistently (3-5 times a week on social)
- Launch a simple Facebook ad targeting newly engaged couples in your area
- Attend any end-of-year wedding networking events
January Focus: Capture Enquiries
- Respond to every inquiry within an hour if possible
- Follow up with anyone who enquired in December
- Keep posting content for newly engaged couples
- Attend January wedding fairs if they’re in your area
February Focus: Convert and Prepare
- Follow up with warm leads
- Analyse what’s working
- Collect testimonials from recent weddings
- Plan your spring marketing
The Mistakes That Will Cost You Bookings
I see celebrants make these errors every year:
Being invisible. If you’re not showing up consistently online, couples assume you’re not available or not active. Consistency beats perfection every single time.
Generic messaging. “I create meaningful, personal ceremonies” could describe every celebrant. What makes you different? What’s your approach? Who do you particularly love working with?
Slow responses. When someone enquires about your services, they’ve often contacted three or four other celebrants. The first to respond has a massive advantage. Set up systems to notify you immediately when enquiries come in.
Not tracking results. If you don’t know where your enquiries come from, you can’t make informed decisions about where to invest your time. Keep a simple spreadsheet tracking every enquiry and its source.
Giving up too quickly. Not every booking happens immediately. Some couples need weeks or months to make decisions. A good follow-up system is essential.
Your Next Step to get ready for proposal season
I know this might feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to celebrant marketing. But remember: you don’t have to do everything. You just need to do something.
Choose one action from this post and do it today. Not tomorrow, not next week – today.
Update your website’s homepage. Post something on Instagram. Email one venue coordinator. Book an hour in your calendar this week to plan your proposal season content. If you’re new to blogging, take a look at this post for some tips to get you started.
Then tomorrow, do one more thing. And the next day, another.
Proposal season success isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about showing up consistently, being authentically you, and making it easy for couples to find and book you.
The couples who will fall in love with your approach, trust you with their ceremony, and rave about you to their friends—they’re out there right now, newly engaged and starting to plan.
Make sure they can find you.
Want more detailed guidance on building a successful celebrant business? We cover proposal season strategies, content marketing, and booking systems in depth in our celebrant coaching. Book a FREE 20 minute call with me today to explore how coaching could change your results in 2026.