A Wedding Pro’s Guide to Creating and Organizing Your Blogging Strategy

One of the questions I get most often from wedding pros is “What should I blog about?” If you’ve ever written your own blogs, you can probably think back to a time where you sat down to write a post, but the ideas just wouldn’t flow. Or maybe you’ve been blogging for years and you’ve gotten to a point where you’re wondering what to write about this month. You’ve already covered your main topics and feel like you’ve exhausted the keywords for your region.

If you’re like most wedding pros, your blog probably feels like a collection of random posts that don’t really work together. You write something, publish it, hope it gets found, and then scramble to think of the next topic. Meanwhile, you see others in the industry who seem to never run out of ideas and have a blog page that looks organized and strategic. Seriously, how do they do it?

The key difference likely comes down to one thing – topic clusters (aka, a content strategy) that organizes your blog and not only solves the question of what to blog about, but also serves your clients and increases your bookings.

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What Is a Topic Cluster? 

A topic cluster is a system that organizes your blog posts around a central theme or topic, with each post linking to and supporting the others. Think of it like a tree – your pillar page is the trunk of the tree and the supporting blogs are the branches.

How topic clusters work: You choose a main topic (aka, your “pillar page”) and create supporting content that covers different aspects of that topic. All these posts link to each other, creating a web of related content that search engines can easily crawl and that guides your ideal clients exactly where you want them to go.

Wedding Topic Cluster Example

Let’s look at a sample topic cluster in action. If you’re a destination wedding photographer specializing in Tuscany, your topic cluster might look like this:

• Main Topic: Tuscany Destination Weddings
• Pillar Page: “The Complete Guide to Planning Your Tuscany Destination Wedding”
• Supporting Posts:
  • “5 Most Romantic Tuscany Wedding Venues for Intimate Celebrations”
  • “What Your Guests Need to Know About Your Destination Wedding in Tuscany”
  • “Sarah & David’s Vineyard Wedding in the Heart of Tuscany” (portfolio post)
  • “Legal Requirements for Getting Married in Tuscany: A Complete Guide”

In this topic cluster example, each post naturally links to the others, keeping couples engaged with your content longer and positioning you as the go-to expert for Tuscany weddings.

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How Topic Clusters Elevate Your Wedding Blog 

Gives You a Clear Content Roadmap

Instead of wondering “what should I write about next?” a topic cluster gives you a clear roadmap. When you map out topic clusters, you can see exactly which content you need to create to serve your ideal clients completely. It allows you to easily spot content gaps and reduce keyword cannibalization. 

Guides Potential Clients Through Your Website & Increases Your Inquiries

Topic clusters naturally guide couples through your website. Someone searching for “Washington elopement locations” finds your venue roundup. Then (while scrolling through that post) they click through to read about a real elopement you photographed at Mount Rainier. From there, they discover your complete Washington elopement planning guide. By the time they contact you, they’re already sold on not just the location, but you and your expertise.

Answers the Specific Questions Couples Are Actually Asking

Most couples today aren’t just searching for “wedding photographer near me” – they’re asking very specific questions such as “Do I need a permit to get married at Mount Rainier?” or “What’s the best time of year for a micro wedding in Washington?”. With AI searches growing, more and more couples are looking for comprehensive answers that cover all aspects of their specific situation. A well-built topic cluster ensures you’re answering not just their main question, but all the related questions they’ll have next.

Makes Every Piece of Your Wedding Content Work Harder 

When you blog without a topic cluster, your blog posts often end up working alone. With topic clusters, though, every post supports and strengthens the others. In turn, this improves your SEO across the board and keeps visitors on your site longer.

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What to Include in Your Topic Clusters

We already looked at a sample topic cluster, but let’s break down exactly what to include in your topic cluster to make it as effective as possible.

Comprehensive Planning Guides

These are your pillar posts – detailed resources that cover everything couples need to know about your primary location or service. 

Examples: “How to Elope in Washington State” or “The Complete Guide to Planning an Intimate Micro Wedding”

Location or Vendor Roundups:

These blog posts help couples discover their options while showcasing your local expertise. Because they usually focus on higher search keywords, they’re also some of the best blogs to drive traffic and help you get found by prosepective clients.

Examples: “7 Breathtaking Mountain Wedding Venues in Washington State” or “Best Micro Wedding Venues for Intimate Indoor Celebrations”

Location or Venue Spotlight

Rather than just highlighting a list of ideas, you can go even further and create a deep dive resource for your favorite locations or venues. 

Examples: “Complete Guide to Planning a Mount Rainier Elopement” or “Treehouse Point: Your Complete Guide to Planning a Micro Wedding in Washington’s Enchanted Forest”

Real Wedding Showcases (aka Portfolio Blogs)

This is where your visual work can really shine. Create real wedding posts that demonstrate your work and inspire couples to dream about what their own day could look like. (Note – you can have multiple types of portfolio posts. Just be sure to focus on a variety of keywords).

Examples: “Sunrise Elopement at Artist Point: Sarah & Mike’s Mountain Adventure” or “Intimate 15-Guest Celebration: How Emma & James Planned Their Perfect Micro Wedding”

Practical Planning Resources

Address specific questions and concerns your ideal clients have. These wedding FAQ and planning blog post tackle the nitty-gritty details that couples need to know but might not think to ask until later in their planning process. They’re also perfect for addressing common questions you get asked repeatedly.

Examples: “What to Pack for Your Washington Mountain Elopement” or “Micro Wedding Timeline: Planning Your Small Wedding in 4 Months”

Seasonal or Style-Specific Content

Lastly, create blogs that cover any variation within your main topic. Focus on things that make you stand out or topics that your ideal clients would love to know more about.

Examples: “Where to Elope for the Best Fall Colors in Washington” or “Micro Wedding Budget Breakdown: What to Expect for Your Intimate Celebration”

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How to Build Your Topic Cluster Strategy

Ok, now that you know what to include in your topic cluster, here are four steps to creating your topic cluster strategy.

Step 1: Identify Your Core Topics

The first step in building your topic cluster strategy is to identify your core offerings and match them up with what your ideal clients need. I usually like to start with identifying your primary service (ie – elopements) and location (ie – Washington State).

From there, make a list of all your secondary locations (national parks, state parks, etc.) and service types (micro weddings, engagement sessions, etc.). Remember, your pillar page is your primary hub and your supporting content branches out from there.

Your pillar topics should align with:

• Geographic areas you serve (states, cities, national parks, venue types)
• Types of celebrations you specialize in (elopements, micro weddings, destination weddings, adventure ceremonies)
• Unique services you provide (adventure photography, intimate celebrations, multi-day coverage, destination planning)
• Problems you solve (planning guidance, location scouting, vendor coordination, permit navigation, styling assistance)

The key here is choosing pillar topics broad enough to support multiple pieces of content, but specific enough to attract your ideal clients.

Step 2: Research What Couples Actually Search For

Once you’ve identified your primary pillar, research what couples are actually searching for. You can use SEO research tools like Google’s “People also ask” section or Answer the Public to find real questions couples have about your topics.

💡 Pro Tip: Look at the questions that come up repeatedly. If you keep seeing variations of “Do I need a permit to get married at Mount Rainier?” or “How much does a micro wedding cost?”, those are great blog post ideas for supporting posts in your topic cluster.

Make a list of relevant questions and group them by theme. Pay attention to the language couples actually use, and note any seasonal or timing-related questions that might indicate when couples are most actively planning. You can also pull from real questions you’ve received from your couples in the past. Your topic clusters should answer these questions comprehensively.

Step 3: Audit Your Existing Content

If you’ve been blogging for any length of time, you probably already have some pieces of your topic clusters. Map out what you have and identify the gaps. Maybe you have beautiful portfolio posts but no practical planning guides. Or, perhaps you have a few comprehensive guides, but no real wedding examples.

Action Step

Create a simple content audit spreadsheet and list your topic clusters across the top row (ie – “Washington Elopements,” “Micro Weddings,” “Engagement Sessions”) and content types down the left column (comprehensive guides, location roundups, portfolio posts, planning resources, etc.). Check off what content you already have in each category and identify the gaps. The empty spots will show you exactly what to create next.

Here’s what your topic cluster audit might look like:

In this topic cluster example, you have strong content for Washington Elopements, but need to fill in some gaps for your Micro Weddings cluster as well as planning resources across all topics.

Step 4: Create Your Content Calendar (& Linking Strategy)

Now, take that list and plan out your blog content calendar (click here to download the exact template I use) using your research and content audit. Break it down into the blog posts you need and tackle them one by one. I recommend focusing on building out one or two topic clusters at a time. This can help give you a clearer idea of what your other clusters will look like and also help you stay consistent with your linking strategy.

Just remember – linking between your blog posts is crucial. Each post in your cluster should link to your pillar page and to 2-3 related posts in the same cluster. This creates the web that search engines love and keeps readers engaged.

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Scaling Your Topic Cluster Strategy

You can repeat topic clusters as many times as needed. Using our Washington example, after creating your main “How to Elope in Washington State” cluster, you could create additional clusters for:

• Specific locations (Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, Snoqualmie Falls)
• Other states you serve (Oregon, Colorado, California)
• Different service types (engagement sessions, multi-day elopements, intimate weddings)

The key is to build your topic cluster strategy systematically rather than jumping around randomly.

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Common Topic Cluster Mistakes to Avoid

Creating clusters that are too narrow: “Sunset elopements at Artist Point in July” as your primary pillar page won’t give you enough content opportunities. Instead, broaden it to something like “North Cascade elopements”.

Forgetting to link posts together: The linking strategy is what makes topic clusters work. Don’t just write related posts – connect them strategically.

Not updating your pillar content: As you create supporting posts, go back and link to them from your pillar page. This helps keep it current and comprehensive.

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Topic clusters are the key to organizing your blogging content. They ensure that you’re not just writing posts, but that you’re also creating content that works together strategically. Start by choosing one main topic that aligns with your ideal clients’ needs. Create a pillar page, then systematically build supporting content around it.

Remember: couples planning weddings are looking for experts they can trust. Topic clusters position you as that expert by demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of exactly what they need.

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Topic Cluster FAQs

Why are Topic Clusters Important?

Topic clusters are important because they transform your scattered blog posts into a strategic content system. Instead of hoping random posts will drive traffic, topic clusters create content that guides couples naturally through your website. They allow you to improve your search engine rankings, share your expertise and showcase your knowledge on specific topics while also preventing your posts from competing against each other for the same keywords.

How to Make a Topic Cluster?

To create a topic cluster, start by choosing a broad topic your ideal clients need help with (like “How to Elope in Washington”). Then create a comprehensive pillar page that covers that topic in detail. Next, identify 5-10 supporting subtopics and create individual blog posts for each one – such as location guides, portfolio posts, and practical resources. Finally, link all these posts together strategically, with each supporting post linking back to your pillar page and to other relevant supporting posts in the cluster.

What is the Difference Between a Topic Cluster and a Pillar Page?

A pillar page is one comprehensive piece of content that covers a broad topic in detail, like “The Complete Guide to Planning Your Washington State Elopement.” A topic cluster is the entire content system that includes your pillar page plus all the supporting content that relates to it – the location guides, portfolio posts, practical resources, and strategic links connecting them all together. Think of the pillar page as the trunk of a tree, and the topic cluster as the branches.

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Ready to organize your blog and create a content strategy that actually drives bookings? Click here to schedule a strategy call where we can discuss and create a topic cluster that help you meet your specific goals.

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