Now, this is going to be kind of a “well, actually” post…because a lot of what you might assume about luxury copywriting doesn’t hold up at a closer look.
In a past life (not literally), I did copywriting + editing for fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and La Perla, plus several iconic luxury resorts in Italy. Along the way, I got to peel back the curtain on how established luxury brands handle copy and messaging. And how you use language to sell a $4,200 tote bag or a $5,000/night riad has a lot to do with how you sell your services as a prestige wedding vendor.
So let’s explore 6 myths (+1 rule, because I just couldn’t quit) about luxury copywriting specifically for wedding creatives.
Myth #1: Luxury copywriting doesn’t have to take SEO into account
This isn’t an educated guess, by the way. Splendid Insights collects insights from hundreds of couples planning luxury weddings worldwide. Their research found that roughly 70% of couples in the luxury wedding market hired at least one vendor they found through search.
Clients with high net worth are just like the rest of us: they search for things on Google. And even if they don’t, they have staff in their family offices who do, and who might be tasked with finding wedding vendors.
(If you need more proof: wealth advisors who work with these clients also invest in their SEO.)
As Liene points out in that same blog post, planners also use search engines to source vendors.
Before writing this blog post, I ran searches for keywords like “luxury wedding planner,” and they have hundreds of searches a month. Your competitors may be trying to rank for them. And if they are, you should be too.
Myth #2: Luxury brands never use the word “luxury”
People like to say that a true luxury brand never uses the word “luxury” in their copy, but that’s not actually the case.
Visit the websites of some of the world’s most celebrated hotels, from Nemacolin to Amangiri to Royal Mansour. You will find the word luxury in their copy, especially in the sections that count the most for SEO. It may not be plastered all over their site, but they know that sometimes people use it as a convenient shorthand.
A quick search shows that fashion brands like Loewe and Valextra do the same.
And so do some wedding creatives. Elizabeth Solaru, a London-based baker whose cakes have been served at countless high-end weddings, uses the word luxury more than once on her homepage.
(Side note: If you get the chance to listen to Elizabeth talk about luxury buyer types, do. She has incredible insight.)
This doesn’t mean you have to use the word. But it does mean that you—or your SEO team—need to learn if clients search for “luxury + [your vendor category]” and take that into account in your copy.
And be aware that just calling yourself “luxury” doesn’t make it so. There’s so much that goes into being a true luxury vendor: your network, your visual branding, your website copy, your client experience. You get the picture.
Myth #3: There’s a specific “luxury” voice
We don’t have a problem accepting that luxury brands can look and feel different—Balenciaga isn’t Loro Piana isn’t Zuhair Murad.
But when it comes to copy, many of us have internalized the idea that luxury brands all communicate the same way.
(That stereotype is usually minimalist, and kind of detached. Take what we sell, or leave it. Your call.)
But I’ve edited product and brand copy for numerous luxury fashion and hospitality brands, and that isn’t actually the case.
In reality, luxury brands pay close attention to their ideal client and then craft a voice that appeals specifically to what they want.
Some brands are minimalist, like Celine. Others have long, flowery copy – the La Perla brand is a great example. So is the iconic Marrakech hotel La Mamounia – maybe it’s something about “La” brands.
Perfume house Penhaligon’s has a mischievous, deeply British style that wouldn’t work for anyone but them. (Go read a few of their product descriptions—some are straight out of a bodice-ripper. Perfect.)
There are some global brands, like Louis Vuitton, whose house style is simple and straightforward. They’re aware that many of their best clients don’t speak English as a first language. And when they translate their content into Chinese or Spanish, it’s faster and easier with concise, factual copy.
Point is, there’s no one way to be a luxury brand.
Myth #4: Luxury is all about opulence
Do the research into your ideal client, and you may find that they’re seeking something else:
- Exclusivity: Scarcity is an established marketing principle for a reason: it works. To the point where Hermes can get people to spend tens of thousands, in hopes of maybe being offered the option to buy a coveted Birkin bag.
- Craftsmanship: Someone on TikTok cuts apart luxury handbags and explains which ones are the best made. (Spoiler alert: it’s not always the flashiest or most expensive brands.) Some people care less about the label and more about the caliber of the work.
- Heritage: There’s a reason you’ll see this word so often on established brands’ sites. Some buyers love to associate themselves with a brand that has a rich history—and by extension, those who have embraced that brand in the past.
- Discretion: Some people already know they can buy an opulent experience. Instead, they’re wondering whether they can trust you to guard their privacy at every step of the way.
- Personalization: Customers love personalization at every price point, but the more they spend, the more they expect a product tailored to what they need and desire. And if you can throw in some surprise and delight? Even better.
- Authenticity: Just like wine drinkers want to know about terroir, some luxury buyers want your product to have a sense of place. Luxury hotels create experiences rooted in local culture. Perfumers don’t just name ingredients, they mention where they’re sourced.
As a wedding creative, you may find that your clients are making decisions based on one—or more—of these values.
Yes, luxury can be opulent—but that’s not always what clients are looking for. If your reader has other priorities, they won’t want to read a wall of copy about how lavish your offering is.
Myth #5: Luxury vendors don’t need to do market research
Even though we’ve spent the past few years talking about “stealth wealth” and “quiet luxury,” that doesn’t mean that luxury buyers never talk about their purchases. The internet is full of forums where buyers with big budgets openly discuss their handbags, their vacations, and yes, their weddings.
Splendid Insights offers reports with quantitative data on the luxury wedding market. Their research is carried out in multiple languages and covers different regions, which is especially useful for destination vendors who want to attract clients of many nationalities.
You may also need to do interviews of your own to get insight into what decision-makers think. If you don’t have access to luxury buyers right now, build relationships with vendors who serve your ideal market, and ask them how their clients tick.
As a copywriter, part of my research process—no matter how high-end the service—is learning what your ideal client is thinking about your service – and their wedding in general. How they budget, how they examine vendors, how they choose their planner, who’s helping them make the final decision – all of it.
Myth #6: Luxury vendors don’t need copy on their websites
(Of course a website copywriter would say that, right?)
When you look at the websites of established luxury vendors, you often don’t see much in the way of copy. Especially when it comes to photographers, who often display a cascading gallery of images, and not much else.
This probably isn’t harming their business, for two main reasons:
- Their network already sends them plenty of referrals (and the referrals are good ones)
- SEO is not their main source of website traffic—maybe they get traffic from Instagram, or earned media, or other sources
But if you’re looking to establish yourself in the luxury market, you’re not playing by the same set of rules. You’re playing by 2025 rules, and that means you need copy on your site for a number of reasons. (In other words: someone else’s website strategy may not work for you.)
Your website copy sells your personality, your process, and also your portfolio. It gives potential clients context for your work, and yes, it can (and should!) ensure that your website shows up for relevant searches.
Based on your ideal client and your brand voice, it might make sense to take a less-is-more approach to website as you target the luxury market. But that’s not the same as having no copy at all.
Fact: Luxury copywriting involves evocative, sensory detail
Yes, this post is called “6 Myths About Luxury Copywriting” but there’s something else I want you to consider, and it’s the importance of sensory copy when you’re selling a luxury product or service.
This is a non-negotiable, especially when you’re doing the initial selling online. Photos do some of the work, but your clients can’t touch, smell, or taste your offer.
Even luxury brands with a simple house style rely on a few carefully chosen adjectives to convey what their product is like. The hardware on a Louis Vuitton handbag isn’t “brass.” (How pedestrian!) Instead, it’s “gleaming gold-toned hardware.”
Look at the copy on the page for D.S. & Durga’s fragrance Debaser:
When they say their fragrances are immersive, they mean it. In just two sentences, they’ve given you two additional senses and created an entire scene for the reader to imagine.
(P.S. Read the actual scent notes, too—they’re just as evocative.)
Learned something? I love to hear it.
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