How to respond to a wedding inquiry email
Hey there wedding pro!
So you have a bride, or a groom, or a mother-of-the-bride, or a mother-of-the-groom that has inquired about your services…congrats!
If you are here wondering exactly how you should respond to the wedding inquiry email (or text, or phone call, or Facebook/Instagram message), I’ll give you a short checklist of what should be included.
But first, let’s discuss the elements of a great response STRATEGY on your part.
Automated first response to buy some time to check the date and respond meaningfully
First email that includes personalization and a line or two about your secret sauce
A lead follow up strategy that includes calls, texts, and emails
Automate a Wedding Inquiry Email Response
You should respond as quickly as possible. Even if it is just an auto-responder that lets them know you will be in touch within 24 hours.
Think about the ways that your leads are reaching out to you and see if you can automate a response to each of those channels.
Website Inquiry
Direct Email
Phone Call
Text Message
Facebook/Instagram Message
The Knot/Wedding Wire
We all expect to get confirmations these days. If you sign up for a mailing list, you get confirmation of that. If you make a payment or a purchase, you immediately get an email receipt. We have become accustomed to the immediate acknowledgment of our inquiries and purchases. Your wedding clients have, too. Give them great service.
Don’t Stress About the First Email
I see so many wedding marketers scaring you into “Never say this” or “Don’t say that.”
You’ve probably seen a post on your Instagram feed that goes something like: If you say ‘‘congrats on your engagement’’ they are never going to read the rest of your email.
Underneath that post you will also see 50 comments from established wedding professionals that will tell you they ALWAYS start with ‘‘congrats on your engagement’’ and they’ve done 52,000 weddings in the last 17 years.
I would argue that you can congratulate them on their engagement, but you shouldn’t use that precious real estate on top of the email to do so. Show them some personalized attention up there.
Most of the wedding professionals that I have worked with over the last 4 years have had a perfectly fine initial responses to their wedding inquiries.
What Should Be Included in the First Wedding Inquiry Email Response
The first email is important and should have a few components:
Personalize as much as possible using their names, and their wedding date.
If you have experience at their venue or with their planner, mention it!
Share a statement that shows your value and how you are going to give them exactly what they want on their wedding day and how you stand out from your competitors.
Give them an easy way (clicking on a link, preferably) to get on your calendar for a complimentary call or Zoom chat.
Congratulate them on their engagement.
The Truth About Your Wedding Inquiry Email Response
The magic happens when we create a follow-up system that ensures that we do more than just send that one fantastic response to our wedding inquiries! We need to follow up multiple times.
It’s easy to sit back and feel “ghosted” by our inquiries.
Maybe you even get to the point where you have a call with them and give them more information about your pricing and packages. Maybe you really connect and you even share a proposal or contract with them to sign.
But then…nothing. Communication lapses. You don’t know what happened.
Get Uncomfortable with Your Follow-Up
In my experience working with wedding professionals across the country, most feel comfortable following up about 3 times with a lead that has gone cold. More aggressive wedding pros might do 5 follow-ups.
I encourage you to think about a system that would work for you where you follow up with a lead for 3 months, 6 months, or even 9 months. This can include phone calls, text messages, and emails. Emails should make the bulk of this follow-up strategy as they are less intrusive and easiest to automate.
An email series like this is easier to implement than you think.
But, you can’t just send 15 emails that say “Do you want to hire me?”
So, there is some content strategy that is involved and if you’d like to chat about what this would look like for you I offer complimentary calls. Just use this link.
Consistency is Key
How you respond to a wedding inquiry email is important. Tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly should help you out with creating that initial response and making sure it sounds good. Even if you hate writing because you have flashbacks from your High School English teacher and their red pen marking up your essays.
Using my checklist above, being sure to add some personalization where you can, and emphasizing your value as a wedding pro will be the icing on the cake.
What is more important is that you respond to your wedding inquiry EARLY and OFTEN!
It seems unbelievable, but I’ve worked with wedding professionals of all kinds who have had couples reach out after 9 emails, 15 emails, and even 27 emails. Couples that BOOKED weddings.
Tools Mentioned in This Blog Post:
Any questions about this blog post?
You can always reach me by sending an email to: laci@laciwrites.com
You can also schedule a quick, complimentary call with me using my Calendly link.
