Guiding Wedding Clients Through Your Pricing as a Vendor

Pricing can create some tough conversations for wedding professionals. It's one thing to talk about your pricing structure with fellow wedding vendors, but it's a whole other ball game when you have to discuss that information with clients. As a professional, you need to guide them through the investment process for your services.

Create an Investment Guide to Share Your Pricing

Your investment guide is a document that helps your clients understand what to expect for their investment in your services. It can help them feel more confident about making the decision to spend their hard-earned dollars with you. While this may seem like an obvious thing, many wedding professionals put it off because they find talking about pricing uncomfortable or worry that it makes them look greedy or expensive. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because they don't know how to create one.

How to Create an Investment Guide as a Wedding Vendor

To start out creating an investment guide, decide on your format. This could be on a webpage, via a PDF, or in email. This depends on how you book your clients, but regardless of what works for you, be sure to keep it simple and easy-to-read. Highlight the facts about your services—the things that make you unique or that highlight why people should choose you over other vendors in the area. Be specific about costs so there are no surprises later.

What to Include in Your Wedding Investment Guide

Don't forget to include your basic information in your investment guide. Your name, a photo of yourself and a description of what you do for clients should all be somewhere on there.

Overview of Your Wedding Services

Give a brief overview of the services you offer with an easy way for potential clients to contact you to schedule a consultation or ask questions. Avoid sales speak, but be sure to highlight the key words that make you unique from other vendors working in the area. If you have multiple ways of booking your services (e.g., via email, phone, website), provide links to each form so it's easy for them to find their preferred method.

Share Your Rates in the Guide

Include rates where they can easily see them—either at the top or in a table—and be sure to highlight how you arrive at your pricing structure. Are there any discounts they can expect, and are there is anything special about the services you offer? You also need to include specific details on what comes with each price point so clients know exactly what they are getting for their money.

Make the Payment Terms Clear

Include payment terms with clear information on when payments are due, perhaps highlighting that deposits for wedding day coverage are non-refundable. Be sure to mention if you have a waiting list or not. If you do and they find that you're full for the season, it's helpful to them if you suggest a different time of year that may be better for their wedding.

What is Your Refund Policy?

Be upfront about your refund policy in case clients change their mind after booking an appointment or seeing your investment guide. Be clear about what they are entitled to if they find another vendor who costs less, while also highlighting that you do not offer refunds under any other circumstances.

Wording Your Pricing Structure Clearly

Make sure your wording is clear and easily understood by all clients—no matter their level of wedding knowledge or experience. Be specific about what comes with each price point, but avoid using jargon (e.g., "behind the scenes," "first draft") if it isn't something potential clients would know simply from looking at pictures of previous weddings on your blog or reading testimonials on your website.

Share Testimonials from Former Clients

Include testimonials from former clients who loved working with you and would hire you again. This helps potential clients to be confident that they've picked the right wedding professional and builds your credibility as a businessperson. Plus, it might just encourage them to book!

Don't Forget Your Contact Details

After all this information, make sure you include links to where they can contact you easily—whether it's through email, phone or on your website. Make sure the links are clickable—potential clients will need to be able to get in touch with you easily for any follow-up questions.

How to Follow Up with Clients After You Send Pricing Outline

Once you have sent out your investment guide, stay in regular email contact with clients. Let them know how the date they're considering is looking in terms of availability. If you're booked way in advance for all potential dates, let clients know in case they decide to wait and book in a later season after they've had more time to plan.

Keep Communications Transparent

Though you want to stay in regular contact with clients, avoid pushing them into making decisions or following up too frequently. You want them to feel like they're the ones driving the dialogue and that you're offering guidance if needed. This will make them more confident about hiring you and less likely to be annoyed by your follow-up emails.

Offer Education on Wedding Planning

If covering weddings is something you regularly do, consider offering clients education as part of your wedding planning services (e.g., a blog post or e-book that focuses on how to take engagement photos). This cuts down on the amount of research they need to do before speaking with you, which can help you close sales easier and faster. It also shows potential clients how smart you are, so they know they've made a great choice in choosing you!

Provide Samples of Your Work for Clients Who Want Them

Offer samples via an email or request form so clients who would like to see your work don't have to ask in person. For clients who want to view samples in person, offer different options (e.g., a blog post or portfolio site you've created yourself; a "happy couple" page on your website with pictures of them and testimonials; Facebook albums).

Let Clients Know When Their Wedding Date is Approved

When you receive approval from the client for their chosen wedding date, send an email right away letting them know that it's approved and that they're officially booked with you! Try to avoid waiting until the last minute if possible—it can be easy for things to come up and causes unnecessary stress for everyone involved.

Guide Your Clients Through Investing in Your Wedding Business

Wedding professionals who follow this basic strategy for creating an investment guide will find it much easier to attract wedding clients even during peak seasons when other local vendors are booked solid. Clients won't have to wonder how your services stack up against others either because your plan outline clearly shows what you can offer.