How Chris Transformed a Struggling Wedding Blog Into a $1.2K/Month Asset and Sold at 3.5x Revenue

Leaving Corporate Life for Digital Opportunities

Back in 2016, Chris Panteli had reached a breaking point with his corporate job. After slogging through routine office work, he realized building his own venture from scratch would take time—too much time, in fact, to get the financial freedom he was seeking. He began dabbling in website building and SEO, but the early efforts didn’t deliver income. Stuck, but not out, Chris shifted focus to an alternative: Instead of starting a business from scratch, he’d buy one that already earned.

Discovering Opportunities on Flippa

Chris stumbled upon Flippa—the digital marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. The variety and scale stunned him. He dove head-first, hunting down deals that looked promising for a sustainable income. Over the next few years, he’d rack up thirteen transactions totaling nearly $573,000, cementing a reputation as a “Flippa Super Seller.” Among the most unique? The acquisition and eventual flip ofFrench Wedding Style, a blog centered on French destination weddings.

Why Buy a Wedding Blog?

French Wedding Style wasn’t perfectly aligned with Chris’s own interests—weddings weren’t exactly his thing. But the numbers were attractive: a blog with strong authority, an 11-year history, and a sale price only 1.6 times annual revenue. Even as COVID-19 hammered the events industry, Chris saw value: low costs (just hosting), ongoing advertising income, and a target audience that would eventually return. Committed to immersing himself, he even planned his own wedding in France to get closer to the market he was serving.

Handling Setbacks: The Pandemic’s Impact

Months after Chris bought French Wedding Style, the pandemic turned the wedding and travel world upside down. The blog’s revenue took a noticeable dip as France shut borders and wedding plans everywhere ground to a halt. Many site owners would have panicked and dumped the asset. Chris held firm. “We just dug our heels in, held onto it, and things started picking up after about twelve months,” he reflected. By staying patient (and keeping costs near zero), the business remained profitable even with far less activity. Looking back, there were moments of regret during those locked-down months, but selling low wasn’t part of his plan.

Scaling Versus Portfolio Spread

Early in his online journey, Chris put four years into growing a single site. But when results plateaued, he tried a new tactic: run several sites as a portfolio, including Lucid Dreaming, Australia Counseling, and French Wedding Style. Juggling them all proved difficult. The risk? Not investing enough time into each could stall growth or hurt performance. Chris said, “I liked multiple income streams, but I couldn’t give any one business the attention it deserved.” After the pandemic’s stress, he was mentally ready for a change.

Deciding to Sell

With energy dwindling and travel returning, Chris listed French Wedding Style for sale. By this point, the blog earned a steady $1,220/month from direct advertising, with negligible expenses. This resulted in a 99% profit margin—the overhead was basically just hosting. He decided to sell at a premium: the sale price was set at 3.5 times annual revenue. After just a month on the market, and six long Zoom calls with buyers, someone hit the ‘buy now’ price overnight.

A Lightning-Fast, Painless Sale

Once the sale kicked off, Chris streamlined the process. Transfer of the website, domain, Mailchimp account, and social media details happened in under a week. For Chris, the beauty of digital asset flipping compared to real estate was simple: “It was really cool to be able to liquidate an asset so quickly. Especially when you compare it to selling a house!” He offered the new owners a 60-day support period and hosted two instructional Zoom sessions, helping them feel confident operating the site.

The Perfect Fit: Matching Buyer to Business

What’s more, the new buyers were planning their own wedding in France. One was French and they had industry contacts, making them an ideal fit for taking the blog to the next level. This alignment of passion and expertise reassured Chris the site would thrive—the kind of responsible hand-off many sellers can only hope for.

Chris’s Rules for Flipping Success

• Look for established businesses: At least five years old, with consistent traffic and revenue.
• Avoid businesses in industries you have zero interest in, even if the numbers are strong.
• Do due diligence, but don’t overthink—act fast on deals that fit your criteria.

Chris skipped deals in fashion and automotive, simply because of lack of passion. He couldn’t see himself sticking with them if motivation ran dry or things got hard. “If your heart’s not fully in it, the investment might not be worth it.”

Timing, Mindset, and Strategy

Patience during market setbacks, a low-cost business model, and an eye for niches kept Chris’s investment afloat. He didn’t overhaul the site; holding steady mattered more. When interest and demand returned, he flipped the asset quickly and efficiently, freeing himself up for his next venture: a laser-engraving gifts business. There, too, he’s using careful data collection before deciding whether to sell or scale further.

Conclusion: Lessons from a Steady Hand

Chris’s flip of French Wedding Style is proof you don’t always have to be passionate about the topic, but you do need a smart entry point and clear exit plan. He stuck with a site most would’ve given up on, kept costs nearly zero, and sold for well above his buy price when the time was right. For those eyeing digital asset flipping, this playbook offers practical advice and tactical steps to replicate.