Beyond The Ceremony Podcast Ep 9: Building Relationships With Wedding Venues with Tara Heath-Arnold

What’s the first thing most couples book when they get engaged? The venue. Which means, if you’re a wedding celebrant, building relationships with venues could be one of the most valuable things you ever do for your business. Celebrant mentor and host Laura Crockett is joined once again by Tara Heath-Arnold (also known as Tara the Celebrant) to talk all things networking, visibility, and venue strategy for celebrants. Whether you're a newly qualified celebrant, still in training, or looking to increase your celebrant bookings, this episode is packed with insight into what wedding venues really want from the suppliers they work with and how to become one of their trusted go-tos. From cold introductions to becoming a recommended celebrant, this candid conversation lifts the lid on what it really takes to create strong, professional venue relationships that support your long-term celebrant business growth. If you’re dreaming of more referrals, better wedding day collaboration, and real industry connections, this is your behind-the-scenes roadmap. Highlights How Tara created a wedding venue strategy from scratch Why face-to-face connection still matters more than social media Tips for introducing yourself to venues with confidence What venues value most in a celebrant How to become a celebrant that wedding venues recommend Why wedding fairs and open days still matter How to improve communication with venues before and during ceremonies This isn’t about flashy sales tactics; it’s about building trust, showing up with clarity, and playing the long game in the wedding industry. Perfect for: Celebrants-in-training New celebrants building their business Experienced celebrants wanting more venue referrals Anyone looking to grow their celebrant business in the UK and beyond - our certification programs at The Academy of Modern Celebrancy are globally recognised! Enjoyed this episode? Please consider leaving a five-star rating on your favorite streaming platform and review to help more future celebrants find us and keep the conversation going. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Could celebrancy be your calling?  Take our quiz to find out if you have what it takes and whether now is the right time to start your journey! 💒 Beyond The Ceremony Podcast: Modern Celebrancy. Unfiltered. 💒 Everything you need to know about how to succeed as a modern celebrant. From top tips on how to create unforgettable ceremonies, to success stories from some of the best in the biz, we will give you a behind-the-scenes look into life as a celebrant. Hosted by Laura Crockett, Award-winning Celebrant, radio personality, and celebrant mentor at the Academy of Modern Celebrancy. Learn more about The Academy of Modern Celebrancy here. MEET TARA After a long career within the financial recruitment industry, progressing from the position of Sales Support to Regional Director, Tara decided it was time to step away from the corporate world.    She then completed a bucket list ambition to study for a master’s in English literature before retraining as a Celebrant in 2019.     Since then, Tara has applied a multi-layered approach to building her business and, in the last five years, has developed some excellent relationships across the wedding and funeral industries.   Tara is extremely passionate about her career within the Celebrant world and is not only an experienced wedding and funeral Celebrant, but she is also a champion and lead mentor for the Academy of Modern Celebrancy,  a role that she loves.    Tara lives in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, with her husband Jules, their two dogs Mitchell and Mindy, and their two Norwegian Forest Cats Zeus and Zelda.    Website | Instagram | Facebook MEET YOUR HOST, LAURA Laura has been an independent celebrant for 5 years and absolutely loves it. It makes her so proud seeing how far she's come in that time. Laura feels like she's found her calling and is so excited to keep progressing and growing her Celebrant business! Laura creates all kinds of ceremonies, including Weddings, Funerals, Vow Renewals, and Naming Ceremonies. Before she was a celebrant, Laura was a breakfast radio presenter, so her happy place is either at the front of a ceremony or sitting behind a microphone! At home, Laura is married to Johnathan (a primary school teacher and her biggest cheerleader) and a mummy to two boys - Woody and Dougie. Laura is also a dog mum to Betty and Barney, the cockapoos! They can often be found curled up by her side when she's writing scripts or lying by the radiator in the office when she's on couples calls!  Website | Instagram | Facebook