You might attract interest with an ad placed in an appropriate publication or on an internet site, but after the initial phone call or meeting with a potential client, odds are that you're going to have to write a proposal to land the contract. This is true whether you are a full-service wedding planner, a caterer specializing in weddings, a bridal salon, a wedding photographer, or even a printer that creates customized wedding invitations and associated pieces.
Writing a proposal is not as difficult as it might sound,
even if you've never done it before. That's because you know your business, so
you already have most of the ingredients you're going to include. Plus, all
proposals follow a basic structure, and here it is: introductory section, then
a client-centered section, followed by a proposed goods or services section, and
ending with your company-centered section.
You can begin first proposal page with a blank screen in
your word processing program, but you don't have to. You can save time if you
start with a program like Proposal Kit, which offers professionally designed
templates with instructions and examples to help you get the right information
on each page. It also includes sample proposals so you can see what a finished
proposal in your business category could look like.
For now, let's get back to that structure, starting with the
introductory section. This should always 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, a signed contract, and so forth.
A title page should follow the cover letter. This page should
simply name your proposal: you'll probably want something like "Proposed
Plan by Katrina's Weddings for the Smith-Jones Wedding" or "Catering
Plan for the Benson Wedding." These two pages might be all you need in the
introduction section for most wedding proposals, but if you're laying out your
ideas for a major extravaganza in a long proposal, 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.
Next comes the client-centered section. This section is
truly what separates successful proposals from those that end up in the
shredder, because this is where you prove that you understand your potential
client's needs and desires. There's nothing more personal than a wedding!
Reiterate all the important information about your potential
clients—that they want, what they need, what their restrictions and budget
allowances are. You may need to ask your potential clients or their families some
questions up front to write this section, but that work will pay off in a
customized proposal that is much more likely to be accepted.
After you've described what your clients want
and need, we're on to the third section, where you explain exactly how you
propose to meet those needs and desires, and what your products and services
will cost. No bragging yet - just do your best to show that you can give them
what they want. These pages in this section will vary depending on what you're
offering, but might include topics like Services Provided, Catering, Schedule,
Entertainment, Transportation, Destinations, Special Needs, Security, Venues,
Rentals, and so forth.
In the fourth and final section, explain why you are the
best pick for the job. Here's where you can brag about your background, your
company history, your experience. Keep in mind that it's always more credible
to show kudos from others, so be sure to include any referrals or testimonials
and references you have. Finally, wrap up your pitch with a call to action,
requesting that the potential clients take the next step—call you, sign the
contract, visit your store, whatever you want them to do.
A proposal is not always just about landing the
business. Weddings can be fraught with potential problems - security risks,
cancelations, equipment failures, and other problems introduced by your
contractors. Make sure to include your Policies and Insurance information in
the proposal. A proposal can be considered part of the contract, so you need
protections built into the proposal, especially in complex wedding planning
where you may have to expend considerable resources during the course of the
project.
After you have all the information down on your proposal
pages, you're nearly finished, but you still have a couple of tasks left to
complete. Weddings are all about appearances, so your proposal needs to show
you care about appearances, too. Take some time to make your pages look great.
Choose special fonts, use colored page borders or bullet points, or add your
company logo.
You could also choose to start off with a professionally
designed proposal pack from Proposal Kit—there are several wedding themes and
party-themed packs. These include all the same templates and information and
samples mentioned earlier, just presented with a special "look."
Make sure to proofread every page of your proposal before it
goes out the door. 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. It's always best to choose a proofreader who is not working
on your proposal, because it's easy to overlook mistakes in familiar material.
When your proposal is perfect, deliver it. You could send it
as a PDF file attached to email, but that might be a bit impersonal. Consider
delivering it in print form, either via messenger or in person. Remember that
you want to impress your potential clients.
Examples of wedding planning and event proposals created using Proposal Pack:
- Wedding Planner Services Sample Proposal
- Event Party Planner Services Proposal
- Food Services Catering Sample Proposal
- Music DJ Sample Proposal
- Hotel Facilities Services Sample Proposal
Proposal Pack for Any Business covers wedding and event planner proposals and includes the samples listed above. There are also some specialty design themes available:
Depending on the scope of the services you're offering, a
wedding proposal could be short or long, simple or complex. But whether your
proposal is five pages or fifty, you now know the basic structure it should
follow. And you know that even though you will use a lot of the same
information in every proposal you write, each proposal should be tailored to
the clients receiving it.
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