How To: Make a Great First Impression in your Inquiry
When you’re searching for your team of wedding professionals (photographer, florist, baker, DJ, caterer, etc.) and you finally find that person or company who feels like they may be a good fit for what you need, it’s then time to send them a message.
This first message is called an “inquiry” because you’re inquiring about a product or service from a company or person. And you think… great, let me reach out and start up the convo.
Photo by Dearly Beloved Weddings
But what should you say?
You start off with the basics:
“Hi, my name is Allison and I’m getting married.”
Then you think… now what?
Uhm. Money. Right, money.
“How much do you charge to… [do whatever it is that they do]?”
Ha, nailed it.
Right?
NOPE.
Now, before I go any further, let me say that there is no right or wrong way to send a wedding inquiry.
But this is your first message. Your first impression. Your first chance to put on your prettiest smile, stick out your hand and give a strong, virtual handshake with a kind “hello there” to boot.
You want to start out on a good foot. Or at least the best foot possible.
As a bit of an “insider’s scoop”, let me just tell you that many creative pros cringe a bit when one of your first sentences to them is “what do you charge?”.
We all get that this is a completely normal question to ask, but for many, it can put up a wall and give the impression that you’re just shopping for numbers (which may OR may not be the case).
But, if you’re emailing to get more information, what questions are you supposed to ask? How are you supposed to know?
Well, since we’re about to head into a busy engagement season (hello holidays) I thought I’d create a fool-proof inquiry that you can copy-and-paste – MAD LIBS style!!! Woo.
Hello [ name of person you’re contacting, if possible ],
My name is [ your name ] and my [ fiancé’s/fiancée’s/spouse-to-be’s/partner’s ] name is [ your partner’s name ]. We are getting married on [ wedding date ] at [ ceremony location and/or reception location ] in [ city, state ].
We are currently looking to work with a great [ insert service/product ] for our wedding and were really excited to come across your [ website/ad/IG post ]. We love that you [ insert some qualities that you saw that made you decide to reach out* ].
If you are available on our wedding date, we’d love to set up a time to chat more with you. The best way to reach me is via [ email/phone ] at [ your email address or phone number ] during [ the hours or times of day you prefer to be contacted by this method ]. You can also reach me via [ email/phone ] at [ your email address or phone number ] during [ the hours or times of day you prefer to be contacted by this method ].
Looking forward to hearing back and hope you’re having a great day!
[ your signature ]
*When I say “some qualities that made you reach out“, this is a great way to show the pro you’re interested in that you are not just sending out the same inquiry to everyone and that you are genuinely interested in their work. Some examples would be:
“We love that your branding and overall message feels very modern, but still traditional.”
“We’re excited that you’re available to chat in the evenings, as we both work busy schedules during the day.”
“We smiled when we read that you are a dog lover. We have two pups ourselves!”
“We actually met at Penn State and felt an instant bond knowing you went there too!”
“We really dig that you personalize each package so we aren’t locked in to pre-packaged options.”
“We enjoyed reading your philosophy on weddings and my partner and I share really similar views.”
And if you’re looking for some more good information on inquiring with wedding pros, check out Lauren’s great post on Every Last Detail: 5 Tips for Inquiring with Wedding Vendors.
