The Wedding Industry Professional's Guide To 5-Star Wedding Reviews

Did you know that in the world of online, 90% of consumers read reviews before they reach out to a business and 88% of consumers trust a review just as much as a personal recommendation? While most people ask for reviews, only 10% of consumers actually leave a review.

With couples leaning on online research and new vendors popping up every day, getting reviews is crucial to growing your brand and landing new clients! Before I started The Desi Bride, I worked in tech and e-commerce at Amazon and Samsung. We would invest $$$s and countless energy into garnering reviews. Traditionally, word of mouth was enough to help someone on the fence make a decision, but today, given how many products and services there are, reviews provide credibility and insights to help people make a decision. 

Asking for a review can feel intimidating and awkward. No one likes critical feedback, but the reality is, this feedback is actually crucial for you in building a sustainable brand, especially in today's online world. I want to share some tips on how you can get more positive reviews from your clients. After reading these tips, I hope you reach out to your previous clients and ask them to leave you a review on your The Desi Bride profile!

 

When should I reach out to ask for a review from a wedding client?

Reach out to your client after the product or service has been provided. You want to reach out to the couple when they are most overjoyed and likely to leave you a positive, helpful review. This may be at a different time depending on what product or service you provided. 

For wedding planners, I recommend making sure you've tied up the loose ends (e.g., any last-minute bills, the bride’s lost shoes from the sangeet etc). Once you’ve delivered end-to-end service, remind the bride, groom, and their family how memorable of a wedding it was and how you enjoyed working with them. Then, ask for a review.

For photographers and videographers, you will want to wait until after you give your clients the final deliverable and they're ecstatic about revisiting their wedding memories. Our reception photographer embossed her logo onto the usb stick with our images. Every time we look at our pictures, we think of her because of the embossed logo. To get a review, she could attach a note or a card to the usb and ask us to leave a review.

For venues, hair and makeup artists, wedding planners, caterers, DJs, and other vendors, I would recommend reaching out 2 weeks after the wedding to make sure you give them a breather but have them leave you a review before they move on with life. You may even want to time it, so you reach out 2 weeks after their honeymoon once they’ve settled into life without wedding planning!

 

How do I get my client to leave a thoughtful review?

Ask for a review through a personal note. A handwritten card can go a long way! I’ve included tips below, and as an added bonus, Sneha from our team has included draft emails or notes at the bottom of this article for you to use. 

• Tell them about how wonderful of an experience it was working with them and remind them of a special moment "I loved how we were able to get these gorgeous pictures with the Chelsea banner" or "I loved how we even got your dad to dance."
• Request a review instead of asking for it. You can say something like, "When you have a moment, please leave us a review on The Desi Bride so we can continue working with more couples like you!" If you ask for a review, it comes across as a soft nice-to-have. When you request a review, you elicit the importance of it.
• Make it easy by including your The Desi Bride profile link in your email and as part of your email signature
• Simple emails vs emails with graphics work best as 60-70% of your clients will look at this email on their phone

 

How can I get my client to leave a positive review?

Genuinely ask for honest feedback over a quick phone call or email. As the South Asian community is well connected, positive and negative feedback can go a long way. If you ask the couple for feedback on how you can improve moving forward, they are more likely to leave you a positive online review and verbally or privately leave you with useful crumbs that you can use to improve your business.

Secondly, when you reach out to the couple for a review, remind them of a positive memory. Wedding planning and weddings can feel like a complete blur even a week after the wedding. It’s helpful to remind the clients of how you helped bring their dreams to life and anchor on a positive experience.

Finally, be honest. If something that you were responsible for went wrong, like your team was late or the food was served cold, apologize. We’re humans, and mistakes happen. Your clients will appreciate your honesty and factor that in when they leave you a review.

 

How do I make it easy for my client to review me?

Make it easy for clients to review you, so they’re not trying to figure out where or how to review you. Let’s be honest, if you don’t make it easy, they probably won’t leave a review.

• Include the link to your The Desi Bride profile in your email signature
• Include a Review Us badge in your email signature or on your web site
• Reach out to clients via social media every quarter or bi-annually and share your profile link with an ask for a review

 

How many times should I reach out for a review?

Often vendors only reach out once for a review. We recommend reaching out three times before you call it quits. You can reach out 2 weeks after the wedding (or after all deliverables are complete), 1 week after the first touch base, and then a final reach out at their 6 month or 1 year anniversary. Consider sending a card or handwritten note to congratulate them, remind them of a favorite memory, and ask for a review one last time. At the bottom of this article, Sneha from our team has drafted what these three notes can look like, to give you a template to start with.

If you want to try a fourth time, you can also run a retargeting campaign on social media. You can feed your email list to Google or Facebook and retarget clients you've worked with in the past and ask for a review. While retargeting costs money, it's one of the least expensive marketing tactics.

 

I have multiple platforms that I want my client to leave me a review on. Can they just copy and paste reviews?

No, duplicate reviews actually hurt your business as they negatively impact your search ranking. We recommend asking your clients to slightly tweak each review as they post on different platforms (like Google reviews, WeddingWire reviews, and The Desi Bride reviews). 

 

How do I encourage my clients to leave a review if they don’t respond to emails?

Reward those who leave a review. Consider hosting an annual or bi-annual sweepstakes. Offer a sweepstakes entry, a gift card, or even a donation to your favorite nonprofit for every review. While The Desi Bride does not reveal the names of those who left a review for trust and transparency reasons, we are happy to partner with you on a review incentive.

 

My business is mostly via referral clients that come from word of mouth. Why should I care about reviews?

While you may depend on word-of-mouth referrals, you will be surprised how many of these referrals still look you up and read what other clients have written about you. It’s important to show that you stand on your own two feet in terms of credibility without the word of mouth referral. With reviews, you can increase your chances of the word of mouth referral turning into an actual client.

Secondly, while you may be very well established, there are constantly new brands and entrepreneurs entering the market. It’s important to build a digital footprint to speak to your expertise and service.

 

I hope that these tips help you successfully garner more reviews and make the review outreach process feel easy. As an added bonus, don’t forget to scroll down to see the email drafts Sneha has put together to help you start with review outreach! 

Want to share your thoughts or bounce ideas with us? Email our team at hello@thedesibride.com. 

 

Warmly,

Arjita | Founder of The Desi Bride

 

EMAIL ONE: 2 weeks after the wedding

Hi [Couple Names],

Our team at [Company name] had a lovely experience working with you on your dream day! [Insert personal memory from wedding]. We'd love to hear your feedback so that we can continue to improve our business. How did you enjoy the experience and what can we do differently?

 

Warm Regards,

[Company name]

[The Desi Bride Profile Link]

 

 

EMAIL TWO: 1 week after the last email

Hi [Couple Names],

Thank you so much for the feedback. It’s very helpful for us to understand what we did well and how we can improve. [Personal note addressing the specific feedback]. 

When you have a moment, please leave us a review on The Desi Bride so we can continue working with more couples like you! We kindly ask that you make slight changes to the text if you are leaving us a review on multiple platforms as Google doesn’t like duplicate content. Below is a sample review you can use. Your reviews mean so much to us and are greatly appreciated! 

[Vendor] took care of our needs so gracefully and made our wedding day memorable. [Insert personal note including feedback]. The team at [Vendor] took the time to make sure everything ran smoothly and that guests were satisfied. We had a great experience and made lifelong memories thanks to [Vendor].

 

Cheers,

[Company name]

[The Desi Bride Profile Link] 

 

EMAIL THREE: Final note for their one year anniversary

Hi [Couple Names],

Wishing you a wonderful one-year anniversary! May you continue to love, cherish and honor one another for years to come. We still remember your gorgeous wedding [Insert personal memory]. We are so glad you chose to work with us last year and wish you all the best!

 

All my best,

[Company name]

[The Desi Bride Profile Link] 

 

EMAIL EXAMPLES

Email 1

Hi Deepika,

Our team at Sneha’s Makeup Artistry had a lovely experience working with you through your sangeet, wedding, and reception! Seeing the smile on your mother’s face when she saw your finished look made our day such a special moment (and why we love our jobs)! We'd love to hear your feedback so that we can continue to improve and grow our business. How did you enjoy the experience and what can we do differently?

 

Warm Regards,

Sneha’s Makeup Artistry

Review Us Here <- Link it to your The Desi Bride profile page

 

Email 2

Hi Deepika,

Thank you for the kind feedback! When you have a moment, please leave us a review on The Desi Bride so we can continue working with more brides like you! We kindly ask that you make slight changes to the text if you are leaving us a review on multiple platforms as Google doesn’t like duplicate content. Below is a sample review you can use. Your reviews mean so much to us and are greatly appreciated! 

Sneha’s Makeup Artistry took care of our needs so gracefully and made our wedding day memorable. Sneha arrived 15 minutes before our start time and made sure I was at ease. I felt amazing and received so many compliments for each of my looks! The team at Sneha’s Makeup Artistry took the time to make sure my mom, bridesmaids, and I were fully taken care of. We had a great experience and made lifelong memories thanks to them. Thank you, Sneha!

 

Cheers,

Sneha’s Makeup Artistry

Review Us Here <- Link it to your The Desi Bride profile page

 

Email 3

Hi Deepika and Ranveer,

We at Sneha’s Makeup Artistry wish you a heartfelt congratulations on your one-year anniversary! We loved seeing the warmth and joy your guests had during the wedding and reception, and especially the laughs you shared during your photoshoots. May you continue to love, cherish and honor one another for years to come. We wish you all the best in the future and are so glad you chose us for your wedding needs. 

 

All my best,

Sneha’s Makeup Artistry

Review Us Here <- Link it to your The Desi Bride profile page

 

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