The Follow-Up That Makes the Difference

You did everything right. Someone found you, they liked what they saw, they got in touch. You replied promptly, warmly, professionally. You answered their questions. And then – nothing! A week goes by. Two weeks. You wonder if you should reach out again, or whether that would seem pushy. So you wait. And the booking never comes.

If you’re finding that converting celebrant enquiries into bookings feels harder than it should, I want to reassure you – it’s almost never about you, your fees, or your website. More often than not, it’s simply about what happens (or doesn’t happen) in the gap between first contact and confirmed booking.

This is the part of running a celebrant business that most of us figure out the hard way, through trial and error and a few bookings that quietly slipped through our fingers. So let me share what I’ve learned.

The gap is where bookings go quiet

When someone enquires, they’re usually in a particular frame of mind – excited, curious, perhaps a little overwhelmed by everything they’re organising. They reach out to you, and ,probably, one or two other celebrants. Life then gets in the way. Work happens. Kids happen. The weeks pass and suddenly they feel a bit embarrassed that they haven’t responded, and it’s somehow become awkward to pick things back up.

None of that has anything to do with whether they liked you. It’s just life. And your job – gently, kindly – is to make it easy for them to come back to you.

What a good follow-up actually looks like

First, let me say what it isn’t. It isn’t chasing. It isn’t pressure. It isn’t a message that says “just checking in to see if you’ve made a decision.” That kind of follow-up puts the weight on them and can feel uncomfortable for everyone.

A good follow-up, the kind that genuinely helps with converting celebrant enquiries into bookings, does three things:

• It reminds them you’re there. Not in a way that says “don’t forget me,” but in a way that says “I’m still thinking about you and your day.”
• It adds something. A little warmth, a useful thought, maybe a question you forgot to ask. Something that shows you’re genuinely engaged with their ceremony, not just managing an enquiry.
• It makes it easy to say yes — or no. The kindest thing you can do for a prospective client is give them a gentle off-ramp. Something like: “If you’ve found someone whose style feels right for you, I completely understand — I just wanted to check in.” This sounds counterintuitive, but it builds trust. And sometimes it’s exactly what nudges someone to respond and say “no, we’d love to book you.”

A simple follow-up rhythm

Once you’ve sent your initial response, here’s a straightforward approach that you can adapt to make it your own:

Around 5–7 days after your first reply, if you haven’t heard back, send a short, warm message. Keep it light. Reference something specific from their original enquiry – their venue, their ceremony date, something personal they mentioned. Show them you remembered.

If there’s still no response after another week, one final note is absolutely fine. This is where you can be honest and gentle: “I know how much there is to think about when you’re planning something this important. I just wanted to say that if you have any questions at all, I’m very happy to chat, no pressure whatsoever.”

After that, let it go with grace. If they come back to you weeks later, welcome them warmly. It happens more than you might think.

A word about phone calls

Some enquiries genuinely benefit from a conversation rather than an email exchange. If someone’s planning a scattering of ashes or memorial, they may be exhausted and grieving and find writing difficult. Offering a call – not insisting on one, just offering – can make a real difference. “Would it help to have a quick chat?” is a simple, human thing to ask.

For weddings and vow renewals too, many couples find it much easier to get a sense of whether you’re the right person for them through a conversation than through reading emails back and forth. An informal call needn’t be long, and it doesn’t need to feel like a sales call. It’s just a conversation between two people, seeing if this feels right.

The mindset shift that makes all the difference

Here’s what I’d gently encourage you to consider: following up isn’t pushy. Done well, it’s an act of care. It says “I valued your enquiry, I remember you, and I’m here.”

The celebrants I work with who struggle most with converting enquiries into bookings are often people who came into this work from caring and supportive roles. Who are brilliant at putting others first but find it hard to advocate for themselves. If that’s you, I understand. But I’d ask you to think of it this way: following up isn’t about selling yourself. It’s about making sure someone who might really need you doesn’t lose touch simply because life got in the way.

That’s a very celebrant thing to do, actually. Showing up, with warmth, at exactly the right moment.

If you’re finding that your celebrant enquiries aren’t converting into bookings as often as you’d like, it’s worth looking at this part of your process before you change your website, review your pricing, or question whether you’re marketing in the right places. Sometimes the answer is much simpler than we think.

If you’d like to talk through how you’re handling enquiries, or any other aspect of your celebrant business, I’d love to have that conversation. You can book a coaching taster call with me directly, and we’ll take it one step at a time.

Warmly, Dinah