COVID Messaging for Wedding Planners: A Customizable Letter to Send to Clients
We’ve spent the past week thinking through how we can help wedding business owners as they navigate these choppy waters—and, while we offered up everything from COVID marketing advice and swipe files for your website to social media content ideas, today, we wanted to focus on something a little more comprehensive: a single announcement letter that covers your response to Coronavirus, tip-to-tail. Think of it as a press release you can push to any current and potential clients who might be affected and in need of updates.
We’ve broken down everything your update announcement should include into six main sections below—templated, mad-libs-style, of course (because copywriting should be the least of your concerns right now).
Before you dive in: a few tips for making the most of this template—
Personalize any of the details in brackets below with specifics that relate to your business.
Pepper the content with your favorite brand words where they may fit to ensure the overall voice feels unique to you.
Read through your finalized version with your readers’ main concerns in mind. Have you completely addressed them? If not, add in additional sentences where they fit to touch on specific pain points the template might not address. (You can pull from our free copywriting swipe files as you do this.)
I. Intro
This is where you want to reassure your clients. Rather than jumping right into what’s changed, start with a simple line that lets readers know what they can expect from this letter.
Hi [Client Name, or, if it fits with your brand voice, a term like “Lovely” “Gorgeous” etc.],
The world is a bit crazy right now—but we wanted to bring some calm to all of the chaos by quickly touching base with you. We’re excited to share some important updates and lessons learned, as well as give you a peek into what we’ve been working on!
II. What isn’t changing
Calm your readers’ nerves by starting with what hasn’t changed in the midst of COVID-19. Talk about high-level things that haven’t changed (i.e. your commitment to clients—this is where you can work in your brand values, approach, and mission) and then get into process specifics that haven’t changed.
You still have [a party to plan, something to celebrate, a cause for celebration right around the corner, etc.]—and we’re still committed to making that happen. As wedding planners, we’re here to shift, sacrifice, shoulder stresses, and stifle fires so you don’t have to—and that’s exactly what we’re prepared to do to ensure your experience is as seamless and celebratory as possible!
We founded [company name] with a vision to [points from your mission and/or approach: help our couples relax and remain present on their wedding day, help couples celebrate their love story with an entirely unforgettable event, etc.]—and none of that has changed. Plus, because so much our process [takes place in an online portal, can easily be done digitally, etc.], our [communication with vendors, digital design process, and coordination checklists] are all still going strong without any interruption or setbacks.
III. What has changed
Use this section to communicate what you’re currently working on in order to (a) prep clients for what might be their reality and (b) position you as the creative problem solver you are (go, you). You can also include any important updates to your work schedule as well as information on how meetings will take place.
We’re currently working with our summer and fall couples to reschedule their weddings as seamlessly as possible, which requires a tremendous amount of effort and communication (so if we’ve been a bit slow to respond know that we are working diligently to get to all client requests!).
[With two principal planners who are working moms/As a working mom who’s suddenly become a homeschooler, etc.], it’s fair to say [our/my] work schedule has shifted just a bit. Here’s what to expect:
[We’ve/I’ve] blocked out [Tuesdays and Thursdays] to solely work with summer and fall-wedding clients who have immediate rescheduling needs.
[Our/my] new office hours for all other couples are: [specifics on office hours, how they can schedule a call, how they can get ahold of you, etc.]
Finally, it goes without saying you are the heart of our events—keeping you healthy comes above all else. For the time being, we’ve shifted all meetings to take place via [phone, video conference, etc.]. [Insert any further details they need to know regarding meetings—i.e. Call this phone number, be sure to download the Zoom app, etc.]
IV. Lessons learned
Use this section to talk about the things you’ve learned from the pandemic.
While [we’ve/I’ve rescheduled weddings due to family emergencies or unforseen events in the past OR we’re/I’m no stranger to unforeseen emergencies, etc.], [we’ve/I’ve] never had to handle this many reschedules all at once. It goes without saying that, now, more than ever, [I am/we are] acutely aware of the importance of [clear communication and having a plan b/quick communication and killer backup plans, etc.].
V. Tips on what couples can do to start formulating a backup plan
Segue from your “lessons learned” paragraph to a section where you offer up specific tips for couples.
Navigating this tricky time has only reinforced [our/my role] as a creative problem solver and go-to industry expert for [our/my] couples. It’s [our/my] job to ensure [our/my] couples are prepared for anything and everything—and, as [we’re/I’m] thinking through everything [we’ve/I’ve] learned in these past few weeks, [we/I] wanted to offer up some [important advice/top tips/industry insight] for couples who need to (or might need to) start formulating a backup plan:
[insert your specific tips in a bulleted list]
VI. Closing
Close with something that makes them feel calm and supported. Emphasize the fact you’re excited to help them navigate this challenging time.
As your [wedding planning team/wedding planner], it’s [our/my] job—and [our/my] privilege!—to be here for you now more than ever. While we may have to do some shifting and rescheduling, know that [we’re/I’m] here to support and guide you as we make sure your vision for your dream day comes to life (regardless of what the world throws at us along the way).
I’m so happy [we/I] got to touch base with you and just want to remind you that [everything is going to be ok/your party will go on, etc.]—[we/I] promise.
[personal sign off: Xoxo/We’ve got this/We’ll get through this, etc.]