How to Keep Your Clients Happy Throughout the Wedding Planning Process

How to Keep Your Clients Happy Throughout the Wedding Planning Process

By: Poonam Saini of P.S Eventful

The majority of couples choose to book a wedding planner because they find the process to be time-consuming or simply don’t even know where to begin! They seek the help of a professional to eliminate as much stress as possible to lead to a seamlessly planned wedding day. Here are a few tips to keep your clients happy during the planning process.

Be responsive and find a communication method In today’s age of smartphones, the reality is many people expect a response within a few hours. I’ve actually had past clients tell me they have booked my services since I simply responded the quickest. Find a communication tool which works best for you and your clients. Ask them, “what’s your preferred method of communication?” I typically suggest a group chat via What’s App Messenger for quick discussions and then send emails with weekly updates.

Be realistic and manage expectations One of the first things I do when I book a client is I ask to browse their Pinterest board to understand their style, but more importantly to determine if it matches their desired budget. Couples are booking you for your wedding expertise. If a couple has a 30k budget, but their dream wedding is a 300 person six-course dinner with a live band, fresh florals in every corner, and top-shelf alcohol, it’s apparent they will exceed their budget. Be real with them and suggest they trim their guest count, tweek their vision or increase their budget. The last thing you want is to promise you can plan a wedding within a small budget which later triples in cost leading to unhappy clients.

Set monthly goals for your couple Chances are your couple is hiring you to plan their wedding because both partners lead busy lives, usually due to their careers. While they are relying on you to ease their wedding workload, you still need their opinions, approvals, and signed signatures on contracts. Set goals (typically up to three) for your couple each month and follow up a week before these goals should be accomplished. For example, in their final wedding month, the goals could be: deciding wedding music, calling guests who have not RSVP’d, and determining seating arrangements. Setting goals by month will hopefully let you clients feel less overwhelmed with the over planning process.

Provide planning templates Instead of simply asking your couples for their invitation list or seating arrangements, provide them with planning templates they can simply fill in with the information you require. This will save them time and additional work from doing it themselves. Moreover, you can ensure the information you need will be sent back in an organized format AND you look like a real professional!

Refer vendors based on style and budget; not your preference! As planners we may wish to work with repeat vendors or have a list of people we’d love the chance to work with, but it’s important to ensure the vendors you refer to your clients are because they match their style AND budget. If you have a set list of people you ONLY work with, some clients may not appreciate this. I’ve actually heard this from multiple people who shared they’ve had a negative experience with a wedding planner because they felt they had no choice but to book the vendors the planner wanted! It’s important to be flexible, and remember your client’s wedding vision.

With constant communication, listening to your client’s needs, and sharing your professional expertise, you can ensure the wedding planning process is stress-free and a positive experience for your couples!

P.S. Eventful is a WPIC Certified Wedding Planner and provides wedding and event planning services throughout the Greater Toronto Area, across Canada, and worldwide. Wedding and Event Planner, Poonam Saini, provides professional wedding and event planning, coordination, management and consultation.