Let’s be honest for a second: the wedding industry has been under this illusion for years that brides and grooms — couples — are scrolling through wedding directories like they’re flicking through the David Jones catalogue circa 1994.

But that’s just not how most people are planning their weddings, finding their vendors, or choosing their celebrant anymore. The idea that a couple sits down and browses ten celebrant profiles on a directory is a fairy tale, and not the cute kind — it’s the one where you realise the wolf was dressed as grandma the whole time and now you’re down $660 a year for the privilege of being in a “Top 9 Celebrants in Geelong” article.

Wedding directories today are not discovery tools for couples. They serve three main purposes — and spoiler alert, none of them are about helping couples:

  1. To suck every last drop of money and attention out of vendors who’ll give it to them.
  2. To provide backlinks and citations for SEO.
  3. To take up valuable search result real estate with SEO-optimised blog posts like “Top 10 Celebrants in Timbuktu”.

Let’s talk about what matters: citations and backlinks, because that’s where the real value might be.

An Email Sarah Got (And You’ve Probably Seen Versions Of Too)

Here’s a real email our Oracle, Sarah, received this week:

Hi Sarah, I hope you are doing well. Just following up on my previous email to check if you would like to secure your spot in the next update of our Top 9 Marriage Celebrants in Geelong article. As mentioned in my previous email, our content is one of the top-ranking resources on Google for popular search terms such as “best celebrants Geelong”, “best marriage celebrants Geelong” etc…

We’ve all seen this pitch. It’s the same breathy tone of urgency and exclusivity that makes you feel like this is your one shot. But don’t believe a salesperson’s hype. My favourite pastime is hanging out in JB Hi-Fi, gently correcting salespeople mid-spiel or catching the customer afterwards to deprogram the nonsense. If we’re ever in a shopping centre together, let’s go JB-spotting. It’s great fun telling people the salesperson is trying to give them a deal on a four year old MacBook.

But back to wedding directories.

What Wedding Directories Actually Offer Today (in 2025)

The only real SEO value of a wedding directory listing comes from backlinks and citations. That’s it. Everything else is lipstick on a pig, or a joyful happenstance.

Let’s break them down.

Backlinks: Are They Worth It?

A backlink is when another website links to your website. If it’s a decent site and the link is contextual (and not spammy or buried in a footer somewhere), it tells Google, “Hey, this person’s website is legit and connected to the topic at hand.”

But not all backlinks are created equal.

Let’s do the maths.

Here’s the Moz domain checker data for the “Top 9 Celebrants in Geelong” article that was being sold to Sarah:

  • Moz Domain Authority: 21
  • Moz Brand Authority: 16
  • Page Authority: 33
  • Domain Search Theme: Wedding Services in Australia

And here’s the Moz data for Sarah’s website:

  • Domain Authority: 20
  • Brand Authority: 13
  • Page Authority: 25
  • Domain Search Theme: Wedding and Funeral Ceremonies

These scores are out of 100. Here’s what they actually mean:

  • Domain Authority (DA): A score predicting how well your website is likely to rank in search engines, based on your backlink profile.
  • Brand Authority: How strong your brand is across the web (measuring mentions and citations, even unlinked).
  • Page Authority (PA): Like Domain Authority but for a single page.
  • Search Theme: Moz’s guess at what your website is about.

So in Sarah’s case, the backlink is pretty even with her existing DA — maybe a slight bump. It’s not a high-authority link, but it’s a relevant one.

But now here’s the kicker: the cost.

The listing is $660 per year.

Is it worth it? That depends on Sarah’s goals. If she’s not regularly getting new backlinks and is trying to improve her domain authority, this could be a decent SEO play. That same $660 might be better spent elsewhere, but it’s not highway robbery.

For comparison, some people are getting backlinks from DA 50+ websites for cheaper. But those don’t always come with brand relevance, and they rarely exist in the wedding vertical.

For reference, my own website — marriedbyjosh.com — now sits at DA 39, and honestly, directories should be paying me for a link, not the other way around.

Citations: What Are They and Why Do They Matter?

A citation is when another website references your business name, address, and/or contact info — even if it doesn’t link to you.

Google uses citations to verify your business exists and operates where you say you do. In the context of local SEO, citations help improve your visibility in map listings and local packs.

Citations can include:

  • Business name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Website
  • Opening hours

The trick is: many directories don’t use structured data (like Schema.org) properly. That means Google isn’t always picking up that information as a citation. A listing without structured data is like telling Google something important in a whisper — it might hear you, but it might not.

Want to test it?

Grab a wedding directory listing page you’re featured on and chuck it into the Google Rich Results Test. See what Google actually sees.

In Sarah’s case, the site she was listed on did provide some schema — not perfect, but better than nothing. Which means yes, it’s working as a citation and potentially helping her local rankings.

How to Judge if a Directory Is Worth the Money

Step 1: Remove Emotion

This is a commercial decision, not an emotional one. Don’t pay for a listing because it makes you feel “included” or “validated.” That’s a scammy sales tactic that lands you at the right Christmas parties or wedding industry balls, but it doesn’t fill your inbox with enquiries or your bank account with revenue.

Step 2: Look at the SEO Metrics

  • Check Domain Authority via Moz or Ahrefs.
  • Use the Rich Results Test to inspect structured data.
  • Plug the site’s name into Ahrefs or Semrush to see how they rank and what terms they’re ranking for.

Step 3: Consider Your Current SEO Strength

If your own DA is under 10, then a DA 20 link could be incredibly valuable. If your DA is already higher than theirs (like mine), then you’re giving them the juice.

Step 4: Consider Cost vs Return

Would you get $660 of value from that link per year?

If you’re booking even one wedding off the link, maybe yes.

But also consider: you could spend $660 on:

  • A solid piece of blog content written with SEO in mind
  • Getting featured on a media site or news outlet
  • Hiring someone to clean up and improve your Google Business profile
  • SEO auditing and coaching tailored to your goals (I can help with these last two)

TL;DR

Wedding directories today are mostly:

  • Salesy, SEO-savvy middlemen
  • Offering backlinks and citations
  • Fighting to dominate search results you want for yourself

But they’re not evil — they’re just not your best mate. Think like a business owner.

Ask:

  • Is this backlink valuable for my current SEO status?
  • Is this citation structured in a way that Google will understand?
  • Does the cost make sense when weighed against other marketing options?

If yes — do it.
If not — walk away and keep building your authority in smarter, longer-lasting ways.

You’re not a mug if you’ve paid to be in a directory. But let’s stop pretending they’re doing something they’re not.

You’re building a business with intention. Every dollar should work as hard as you do.

If you ever want to workshop which backlinks to chase, just shoot me a message. Or better yet, let’s go hang out at JB Hi-Fi.