How to Write a Wedding Event Planner Business Proposal

I seem to work with new event planners almost every week and the most common specialty I deal with are wedding event planners. Maybe this is because wedding planning incorporates aspects of many types of event planning, more so than other specialties.

How do you write a winning wedding planner business proposal? A standard estimate is not a winning strategy. You have to show your potential clients that you are the one to trust to manage their special wedding day. I've been helping wedding event planners do this for many years.

and land more clients

Lots of wedding planners use my products, because if there's one type of business that really needs to nail how to write proposals, it's the business of wedding planning. The main event needs to be both perfect and personalized, but even when the contract includes the rehearsal dinner and reception; the job is over after the big date. There's no such thing as a long-term contract. Wedding planners have to constantly find new clients to stay in business.

This need to develop a steady stream of new customers applies to not only full-service wedding planners, but also to caterers specializing in weddings, bridal salons selling and renting wedding clothing, wedding photographers and videographers, and even printers who create customized wedding invitations and associated pieces.

Sometimes new event planners approach the task of writing a proposal with a fill-in-the-blank attitude, but they quickly learn that a winning proposal must be personalized for the potential clients who read it. A wedding is definitely not a one-size-fits-all sort of event. Each wedding is tailored for the people participating, and that means that each business proposal written for a wedding event has to be customized, too.

I also remind my clients that when they are writing their business proposal they are not just selling a list of services with a price tag attached, they are selling a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Help your clients feel what it will be like when their wedding day comes. Sell them on the experience you will create for them.

But although each proposal must be tailored for the party who will receive it, you don't have to create every part of a proposal from scratch. Event planners naturally use a lot of the same pages in multiple proposals. For example, caterers may have standard menus to select from, photographers and videographers usually offer a variety of standard packages and prices from which the clients can choose, and wedding planners may have a set list of musicians or decorators they recommend. So my clients find that after they've written their first proposal, all the following ones are easier and faster to finish.

Writing a proposal is not as difficult as it might sound, even if you've never done it before. Whether you're a full-service wedding planner, a caterer, or a photographer, you know what you have to offer your clients, so you're already halfway to the finish line. Plus, all proposals follow a basic structure: introductory section, then a client-centered section, followed by a proposed goods or services section, and ending with your company-centered section.

Starting with the introductory section, begin with a brief cover letter - simply explain who you are and why you're sending this proposal, provide your contact information, and state what you hope to get next from your reader - a phone call, a face-to-face meeting, or a signed contract. Then add a title page that names your proposal: you'll probably want something like "Proposal for the Velasquez-Martin Wedding" or "Proposal for Catering the White-Nguyen Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding Reception." For most wedding proposals, these two pages will be all you need in the introduction section. If you're planning a major extravaganza, though, you might need to include a Client Summary (usually a bulleted list of important points) and/or a Table of Contents to complete the introduction. A page named What You Can Expect is also appreciated by a lot of clients.

Or shop direct and download Proposal Packs from ProposalKit.com. These are just some of the hundreds of design themes available. There are many more well suited for wedding planner proposals on our website.

How will your client decide to hire you?

Next you'll write the client-centered section. Like I said earlier, there are few events more personal than a wedding. This section is where you prove that you listened to your potential customers' needs and desires. Reiterate all the important information they told you - what they are dreaming of, what they absolutely have to have, what their restrictions and budget allowances are. You've probably already had a face-to-face meeting prior to writing your proposal. If you haven't, you need to schedule one or at the very least, get all the important information in a phone conversation. The client-centered section is obviously the most customized section of any proposal.

After you've described what your clients want and need, you're ready to write the third section, where you explain how you will fulfill their needs and desires, and what your products and services will cost. Explain what you propose to do for the clients. Pages in this section will vary depending on your organization's role in the wedding, but might include topics like Services Provided, Catering, Schedule, Entertainment, Transportation, Destinations, Special Needs, Security, Venues, and Rentals, just to name a few possibilities.

Don't forget to include your Policies and Insurance information, because we all know that weddings aren't always perfect. On the day of the big event or the weeks leading up to it, problems can crop up: security risks, cancellations, equipment failures. Spell out everything the clients need to know in advance of signing the contract. My products contain all the templates you need, along with instructions and sample event proposals that will inspire you to create your own dynamite proposal.

Would you hire you?

Now for a big question: Why should the happy couple pick you for the job? That's the question you have to answer in the fourth and final section of the proposal. Brag about your background, your company history, and your experience, but keep in mind that it's more credible to let others sing your praises. So if you have enthusiastic testimonials from satisfied clients or other types of references, be sure to include those.

Finally, wrap up your proposal by asking your potential clients take the next step - call you, sign the contract, visit your store, whatever you want them to do. Now that all the words are in place, proofread your proposal carefully. Just as they do in weddings, the details matter in your proposals. If your proposal reads as if you never mastered spelling or grammar, your potential clients might think you can't be trusted to handle their special day. Make sure all the pages look great, too. Weddings are all about style, so you might want to add special graphics and color to make your proposal visually appealing. This is where using a professionally designed Proposal Pack from Proposal Kit really helps my clients shine, because we have several wedding themes and party-themed packs.

When your proposal is perfect, it's time to deliver it to the clients. You could send it as a PDF file attached to email, but that might seem a bit remote for such a special event. To better impress your potential clients, consider delivering it in printed form, either via messenger or in person. That's a more personal touch.

Most wedding planners don't have the time or experience to start writing a detailed business proposal from scratch. Leveraging tools I've created by working with other wedding planners that provide pre-written material and samples can save days of work and help prevent costly mistakes commonly made by beginners.

Are you in the wedding event planning profession? Did my page provide helpful information?