Frequently asked questions.
How does The Wedding Shortlist benefit engaged couples?
It’s very important to remember that on other directories’s listings higher rankings have to be bought. It doesn’t mean they’re the best options - it just means they have paid more to be there. The Wedding Shortlist saves you time, stress, and uncertainty. Every professional is independently verified against strict criteria, so you don’t have to sift through hundreds of unproven listings. With only 16 per category in each county — and listings reshuffled every page load for fairness — you get genuine choice, transparency and confidence when browsing.
We assess every applicant against a detailed set of criteria, including reviews, awards, preferred venue status, wedding industry experience, professional standards and online presence. Twice a year, each county/category shortlist is renewed to ensure our wedding professionals are maintaining exceptional levels of service. The top 8 applicants are rewarded with a free six-month listing.
Our shortlists are refreshed every six months. This ensures all our listed wedding professionals are maintaining exceptional levels of service and so that couples will always see the best up-to-date options. It also gives additional wedding professionals the opportunity to join and keeps the process competitive.
No — The Wedding Shortlist is completely free for engaged couples to use. You can browse verified wedding professionals, and wedding venues without cost.
In each category in each county, the Top 8 scoring professionals in our twice-yearly assessments receive a free six-month listing. Those who rank in the Top 16 but outside the Top 8 can secure a six-month listing for just £99. This keeps access affordable, fair and competitive.
Because The Wedding Shortlist is designed to be selective, not overloaded. Capping each category at 16 listings ensures genuine choice for couples without overwhelming them. It also makes every listing more valuable and keeps competition healthy and fair among professionals — with all listings reshuffled on every page load to guarantee equal visibility at no cost.
We will, but currently we're focussing on the most in-demand categories. In each county a category will only be activated where at least eight qualifying professionals apply, ensuring genuine choice for couples.
Every verified listing on The Wedding Shortlist includes a link to the professional’s website. So couples can reach out to them directly, without ever paying any fees. This keeps communication simple, transparent and personal — exactly how it should be when planning your wedding.
Yes! We welcome nominations from both couples and venues. If you’ve had a great experience with a wedding professional, email us to recommend them. They will then be invited to apply and go through our verification process. Only those who meet our standards will be shortlisted — keeping our unique directory fair and trustworthy.