Replying to a wedding inquiry: five emails you can copy

What a good first reply contains

Whatever you write, make sure these five things are in it, in roughly this order:

1. The date and venue, repeated back. It shows you read the inquiry and it catches typos in the date before they matter.
2. Whether you are free. Say yes or no in the first two lines. Everything after that is secondary.
3. Something specific about them. One sentence about the venue, the season or something they wrote. If you cannot find anything, leave the line out rather than fake it.
4. One next step. A call, a link to your pricing, or the questionnaire. Not three of them.
5. A clear time limit for your availability. Not a pressure tactic. A line like “I can hold the date until Friday” helps them plan.

Leave out the long “about me”, the entire package list and the legal terms. They are in the next email, not this one.

Email 1: first reply, date available

Subject: Your wedding on [date] at [venue]

Hi [name(s)],

Thank you for writing. Congratulations on your engagement.

I am free on [date], and I would love to hear more about your day at [venue]. [One specific sentence about the place or what they wrote.]

[Your price line, or: “My packages start at [amount] and are here: [link]”.] If it would help, we could talk for 20 minutes this week. Here are two times that work: [time], [time].

I can hold [date] for you until [day], while you decide.

[Your name]
[Studio] · [phone]

That is short, and it answers the question, makes one offer and leaves a deadline. If the couple wrote a long inquiry with detailed questions, answer those in the same email in a short list rather than sending a separate one.

Email 2: date not available

Subject: [Date]: I am booked, and here is what I can do

Hi [name(s)],

Thank you for thinking of me for [date]. I am already booked that day, and I am sorry I cannot be with you.

[Option 1: “I would be glad to introduce you to [photographer], whose work I trust, if you like.”]
[Option 2: “If you have flexibility, [alternative date] is open.”]

I wish you a lovely wedding.

[Your name]

Only refer a photographer you would hire yourself, and ask them first. A referral is also a promise about your own taste.

Email 3: follow-up after three or four days

Subject: Re: Your wedding on [date]

Hi [name(s)],

I wanted to check that my last note reached you. I still have [date] open, and I am happy to answer anything about the day or the packages.

If it is easier to start with a question, reply with that, and I will send a short answer.

[Your name]

Keep the reply thread. A new subject line makes a chasing email look like a new pitch.

Email 4: second follow-up, with something useful

Subject: A note on timing for [venue]

Hi [name(s)],

One thing couples often ask when they are comparing photographers: [one useful answer, such as how long a first look saves, or how much time family formals take]. [Two sentences with the answer.]

If you would like to talk through your day, I can still hold [date] until [day]. If you have chosen someone else, please tell me and I will release it, with every good wish.

[Your name]

This is the email where a guide helps. If you have one that fits, link it, for example how long family formals take or first look versus no first look. Link guides you wrote or recommend, not things to sell.

Email 5: booking confirmation and next steps

Subject: You are booked: [date] at [venue]

Hi [name(s)],

I am delighted to be your photographer. Your date is held as soon as the contract is signed and the retainer is received.

Next steps:

1. Sign the contract: [link]
2. Pay the retainer of [amount]: [link]
3. Look out for my welcome email in the next few days, with how the planning works and what I will ask you for and when.

Thank you for choosing me.

[Your name]

Do not send the questionnaire here. A full questionnaire in the first email after booking is a lot to ask at the happiest moment. The staged questionnaire guide explains how to split it, and the onboarding checklist places each message on a calendar.

Rules that apply to all five

• One question per email. If you ask three, the couple answers the easiest and forgets the others.
• Use names. Spell them as they signed. If you are unsure of a pronunciation, ask early.
• Keep a log. Date sent, date of last reply, next action. A spreadsheet with four columns is enough.
• Stop after the reply. Once they answer, whatever they say, the sequence ends. Reply to what they wrote.
• Read it aloud. If a sentence would sound strange at a coffee table, change it.
• Do not discount in writing. If the budget does not fit, reduce what is included. A discount on the same package teaches the next couple to ask for one.

When not to use a template

If the couple writes something personal, such as a loss in the family, a change of plan or a nervous message about being photographed, write by hand. A template is a way to save the sentences that are the same each time. It is not a substitute for the sentences that are not.

Subject lines that get opened

Subject lines are not clever hooks. They are labels the couple can find again in three months. Use the date and the venue, because that is what they will search for: “Your wedding on 14 June at [venue]”. Keep the same subject for the whole thread, so that the inbox groups it, and put the action in the first line of the email rather than in the subject.

Common mistakes in first replies

• Answering a different question. The couple asked about the date, and the reply is a portfolio tour. Answer the question first.
• Attachments on the first email. A large PDF can land in spam and slows down a phone. Link to it.
• Vague availability. “I might be free” costs you the booking. Check your calendar before you reply.
• Too many links. One link for the next step is enough. A page of links is a menu, not a reply.
• No sign-off with contact details. Put your phone number under your name, because some couples prefer to call.

Questions, answered