Should You Use Facebook Ads for Your Wedding Business?
Written by Melissa Woods
Let's Talk About Facebook Ads IMHO
A lot of the wedding suppliers who have been with us for years, know that we have always used Facebook ads - mainly to raise awareness and sell tickets to our popular wedding fairs, The Un-Wedding Show. And sidenote: that’s also the reason our events have always been ticketed (as opposed to free) … and the reason why our events are a bit more expensive to showcase at… because running Facebook ads (or Meta ads) costs money! And although there are certain things you can tweak and measure, there are no real guarantees… otherwise we would all be rich by now!
If you’ve been considering Facebook advertising for your wedding business (cos maybe your bookings are down) and you think it could help, there are a few things you need to consider… because it’s not the solution that people seem to think it will if they decide to invest some of their marketing budget into it. And for transparency: I’m no expert - I’ve actually always paid an agency to run my ads, until recently. It felt like such a minefield to me, and something I didn’t want to waste any money on trying to get it right, so I paid the experts. But sadly, in recent years, its become much harder to run profitable ads, and I was rarely breaking even by the time I’d taken my agency fees into account, so I’ve had to take that role on myself - and I’ll tell you what I have learned.
Boosted Post vs Facebook Ad: What's the Difference?
Firstly, boosting a post isn’t the same as running a proper Facebook ad. If only it were that easy!
Boosted Post
You write a post, publish it on your Facebook or Instagram page, then hit “Boost Post” to put some money behind it. Facebook shows it to more people, often your existing followers or their friends.
Pros:
Quick and easy
Increases reach and engagement
Can help promote a specific announcement (like a last-minute availability)
Cons:
Limited targeting
No control over placements or detailed objectives
Often leads to likes, not bookings
Facebook Ad
This is where you create a campaign in Meta Ads Manager. You choose your audience, set a goal (traffic, conversions, enquiries), design the creative, and control exactly who sees what and when. The idea is that Facebook learns from your inputs and the actions people take based on those inputs, in order to show your ad to more of the right people and get them to do exactly what you need/want them to do. Sounds great huh?
Pros:
Highly targeted (by location, interests, behaviours and more)
Designed for specific outcomes (like website clicks or form submissions)
Can be measured and tested to see what works
Cons:
More complex to set up
Needs time and data and budget to optimise
Easy to waste money whilst trying to teach Facebook’s learning algorithm
True Story: I wasted a good £600 over the course of a few days whilst trying to set our last ad campaign up. I have a vague idea of how it all works but results can vary from campaign to campaign. And even after I thought I’d kind of got the hang of it, we only just broke even on what was spent overall. We’re happy to break even, if it means we can sell more tickets but the point is that Facebook ads aren’t a guarantee - especially if you have a limited budget, like most wedding business owners do.
So… Should You Use Facebook Ads?
My honest answer? It depends.
If you're in your first year of business and struggling to afford professional photography, products, a decent website or a couple of directory listings, Facebook ads should not be your first priority.
As I always say to my suppliers - anything that is designed to help your business grow and make money will always come at a price. And Facebook ads are a perfect example of this.
When Facebook Ads Work
There is one particular scenario where Facebook or Instagram ads could help wedding suppliers, providing you have the budget or the time to invest in learning the process:
Driving traffic to a free guide or resource on your website - This is great for building your mailing list. Ads that aren’t asking people to buy something are generally cheaper to run.
This is a way to reach more relevant people and bring them into your world by helping them with some sort of pain point. I’ve often run ‘lead generation’ ads to get new couples on our mailing list by advertising a FREE 12 Month Wedding Planning Checklist.
The key is knowing what you want the ad to achieve from your ads. Is it visibility? Enquiries? Followers? Website clicks? The more focused the goal, the more effective the ad should be.
When Facebook Ads Don’t Work
Here’s where I don’t think ads will work for wedding suppliers:
No clear offer or call to action
No proof that people want/need what you are selling
Sending people to a website or an offer that doesn’t convert
Relying on one ad, with no testing or follow-up
Treating it as a one-off push rather than an ongoing strategy
Not enough budget to allocate to even get beyond the learning stage
Facebook ads are not magic. They’re a tool, and like any tool, they work best when you know how to use them!
How Much Should You Spend?
You don’t need to spend hundreds, especially after you know what you are doing. But you do need to spend enough for the ad to gather data and get traction.
For most small campaigns, depending on what your conversion event is - £10 per day is a realistic range to start seeing results, as long as your targeting and offer are strong.
If you’re just getting started, consider hiring someone to help you set up the first campaign. It’s better to spend a little on expert support than burn through your budget with trial and error… like I did!
Facebook Ads Alone Won’t Save Your Business
If you're not getting bookings, Facebook ads are not a quick fix. They won’t solve deeper issues like unclear branding, inconsistent messaging, or a website that’s not converting.
But if you have a clear offer, a solid visual brand and you know who your couples are and where they spend time, Facebook and Instagram ads can be a powerful part of your marketing mix.
Just don’t confuse a boosted post with a strategy. And don’t expect results overnight.
Build your foundations first. Then, if and when you're ready to invest, do it intentionally.
Want to reach modern couples without relying on Facebook ads and algorithms?
Join the Book Of Love Directory - our curated space for creative, modern wedding suppliers in the UK and Ireland who are ready to be discovered and booked by their dream couples!