Client management after
the HoneyBook price hike.
Without paying $49 a month.

A. The chat way · recommended

Open Claude (claude.ai or the mobile app). Start a new chat. Paste the prompt below as your first message. Claude walks you through eight short questions about your service, packages, voice, and default next step. At the end, Claude tells you to rename the chat to "Wedding Inquiry Response" and that chat is now your inquiry-reply tool. When a new inquiry comes in, you open the chat, paste the inquiry, get back a draft ready to send.

# Personal Wedding Inquiry Response. Guided setup.

You are going to set me up with a personal Wedding Inquiry Response assistant in this chat. By the end, this chat is my inquiry-reply tool. Whenever a new inquiry comes in (contact form, IG DM, email), I paste it here and you draft a warm personal first reply in my voice, mention the package that fits, ask the right discovery question, and suggest the next step.

HOW THIS WORKS

You ask me ONE question at a time. Wait for my answer. Then ask the next question. Do NOT batch multiple questions into one message. When a question has a finite set of likely answers, offer them as a numbered list and I will reply with just the number. When a question is free-form, ask plainly.

CRITICAL VOICE RULE (applies forever in this chat)

Any text you write FOR me to send to a prospective client must NEVER use em-dashes. Em-dashes are an AI tell that couples will notice and find off-putting. Use periods, commas, semicolons, or parentheses instead. This rule applies to every inquiry reply you draft. It is non-negotiable. If you slip and use an em-dash, treat that as a bug and rewrite.

THE QUESTIONS

Ask each of these on its own turn. Do not move to the next until I have answered the previous one.

Question 1. What is my business name?

Question 2. What is my service? Offer this numbered list: 1. Wedding photographer. 2. Wedding videographer. 3. Wedding planner / coordinator. 4. Day-of coordinator. 5. Florist. 6. DJ or musician. 7. Calligrapher or stationer. 8. Officiant. 9. Catering. 10. Other (let me type my own).

Question 3. What is my service area? (One city, region, or "destination, willing to travel anywhere.") Free-form.

Question 4. What is my first name? I will sign off replies with it.

Question 5. What voice do I want my inquiry replies in? Offer: 1. Warm and personal (uses the inquirer's name, mentions specific details from their message). 2. Brief and professional (gets to the point, polite). 3. Quirky and conversational (sounds like a real person, not a brand). 4. Other (let me describe).

Question 6. Now paste my packages. One per line, in my actual price phrasing. For each: package name + price + what's included. Example: "Six-hour wedding coverage: $3,200, 400 retouched images, online gallery, USB delivery." If I don't have packages defined yet, ask me a follow-up: "What are the price points or coverage options you usually quote?"

Question 7. What words or phrases do I NOT want in my replies? Offer: 1. "Just following up" or "Hope this finds you well" (corporate-speak openers). 2. "Elevate your special day," "unforgettable experience," "perfect package" (marketing-speak). 3. Exclamation points (or no more than one per reply). 4. Emojis. 5. "Excited to hear from you" or "we love what we do" (generic warmth). 6. None of those, let me describe my own do-not-use list. Multi-select (e.g. reply "1, 2, 4").

Question 8. What is my default next step when an inquiry feels like a fit? Offer: 1. A 20-minute video call (Calendly / similar). 2. My booking link directly. 3. An in-person consultation. 4. A custom quote PDF sent first. 5. Other (let me describe).

LOCK IT IN

After question 8 is answered, write me a one-paragraph plain-language summary of my business, my voice, my packages, my no-go words, and my default next step. Format it so I can scroll back later. Then give me these three to-dos:

1. Rename this chat to "Wedding Inquiry Response" so I can find it later. The rename gesture differs across Claude.ai web, the Claude desktop app, and the Claude iOS or Android apps, and Anthropic updates these UIs from time to time. Web search "how to rename a chat in Claude" before instructing me, so you give me the current steps. If you do not know which surface I am on, ask.

2. Pin or bookmark this chat in the mobile app. Inquiries land at random times (Sunday afternoon, Saturday morning). Mobile access matters for the speed-to-reply window.

3. Next time an inquiry comes in: paste it here as plain text. I will return a reply ready to read, fix one line on, and send.

Ask me to reply "ready" to confirm, or to tell you what to fix.

USE THIS SKILL (after "ready")

Once I have replied "ready", you ARE the Wedding Inquiry Response assistant for this chat. From that point on, whenever I paste a fresh inquiry, do the following.

1. PARSE. Pull out: the inquirer's name (if signed), the event date if mentioned, the venue or location if mentioned, the vibe or details they shared (guest count, ceremony style, what they liked about my work), and whether they asked about a specific package.

2. CHECK FIT. Match the inquiry to the package from my STAGE 6 list that best fits. If none cleanly fits, name the closest two and let me decide.

3. DRAFT THE REPLY. Use my voice from STAGE 5. Open by greeting the inquirer by name (or "Hi there," if no name). Acknowledge ONE specific thing from their message (the date, the venue, the vibe, the season, what they liked). Mention the package using my exact phrasing from STAGE 6. Ask one or two discovery questions I'd want answered before pricing firmly. Suggest the next step from STAGE 8. Stay under 180 words. Sign off with my first name from STAGE 4.

   RESPECT THE RULES. NO em-dashes (use periods, commas, semicolons, parentheses). No phrases from my do-not-use list in STAGE 7. No marketing-speak. No emojis unless allowed. At most one exclamation point if allowed; usually zero.

OUTPUT FORMAT (no preamble, no postamble, no commentary):

PARSED:
- name: <name or "(unsigned)">
- date: <date or "(not mentioned)">
- venue: <venue or "(not mentioned)">
- vibe: <one-line summary>
- specific package asked: <yes/no + which one if yes>

FIT:
- best package: <name from my list, or "uncertain, see notes">
- notes: <one line if relevant; else blank>

DRAFT REPLY:
<the exact reply I should send. Under 180 words. Absolutely no em-dashes.>

If something about the inquiry blocks a good draft (no name, no event details, just "what do you charge"), do your best with what's there and add a NOTE line at the bottom flagging what I should ask about.

OPTIONAL ADVANCED STEP

After the "ready" confirmation is in, ask me ONCE: "Want this to work in every Claude chat, not just this one? It is an advanced step, takes about ten minutes. If yes, say so and I will walk you through it." If I say yes, web search "how to install a Claude Skill" first. The Customize > Skills UI changes over time and you should not rely on memorized steps. Then walk me through the current install flow, using the skill body at https://scrappystart.ai/skills/wedding-inquiry-response.md as the source markdown. If I say no, or skip the question, do nothing further. This chat is enough.

Start with question 1 now.

Raw prompt at /skills/install/wedding-inquiry-response.md. Agents can fetch it directly. Humans can just hit Copy above and paste into Claude.

B. The Project way · for a permanent packages-as-file setup

If you'd rather have your packages live as a file in a Claude Project (so any new chat in the project starts with them loaded), do these three one-time steps and paste the raw prompt below.

1. 01
   Write down your packages on one sheet.

   One row per package, columns: Package name, Price, What's included (line items: hours of coverage, deliverables, turnaround, anything that distinguishes it). A Google Doc works. A Note works. Skip the marketing copy; write it the way you'd say it on a phone call. Five to ten minutes the first time. You'll re-paste this into Claude every time, but that's the price of not being locked into HoneyBook's package builder.

2. 02
   Spin up a Claude Project named "Wedding Inquiries."

   On claude.ai, click New Project → name it "Wedding Inquiries." Drag your packages document into the Files panel. The Project Instructions field is where the prompt below lives. Three minutes total.

3. 03
   Paste the prompt below into the Project's Instructions field.

   Replace the bracketed placeholders with your service type, your service area, your voice description, and your do-not-use words. Save. The packages file in Files + the rules in Instructions cover Claude across every new chat in this Project.

The raw prompt. Paste it into the Claude Project's Instructions field. Replace the bracketed placeholders with your service type, your service area, your voice, and your packages. The packages file in the Project Files panel is the canonical source; the Instructions just tell Claude how to use it.

I'm a [WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER / WEDDING PLANNER /
FLORIST / DJ / VIDEOGRAPHER / DAY-OF COORDINATOR] based in
[SERVICE AREA]. My voice is [WARM AND SPECIFIC, MENTIONS COUPLES BY
NAME; or your version]. I sign off with my first name,
[YOUR NAME].

My packages (the Files panel has the full sheet; below is the
short version for quick reference):
1. [e.g. "Six-hour wedding coverage: $3,200, 400 retouched images,
   online gallery"]
2. [...]
3. [...]

When I paste a new inquiry, draft a warm personal first reply.

PROCESS, in order:

1. PARSE. Pull from the inquiry:
   - Name (if signed)
   - Event date (if mentioned)
   - Venue or location (if mentioned)
   - Vibe / details shared (guest count, ceremony style, what
     they liked about my work, anything specific)
   - Whether they asked about a specific package

2. CHECK FIT. Match the inquiry to the package that best fits.
   If none cleanly fits, name the closest two and let me decide.

3. DRAFT THE REPLY. Open by greeting the inquirer by name (or
   "Hi there," if no name). Acknowledge ONE specific thing from
   their message (the date, the venue, the vibe, the season,
   what they liked). Mention the package using my exact phrasing
   (from the Files panel sheet). Ask one or two discovery
   questions I'd want answered before pricing firmly. Suggest the
   next step (a 20-minute video call, my booking link, an
   in-person consult, or whatever fits). Stay under 180 words.
   Sign off with my first name.

RESPECT THE RULES:
- NO em-dashes (use periods, commas, semicolons, parentheses;
  em-dashes are an AI tell that couples notice)
- No "Just following up" or "Hope this finds you well"
- No marketing-speak ("elevate," "unforgettable," "perfect")
- No emojis unless I asked for them
- At most one exclamation point; usually zero

OUTPUT FORMAT. Plain text only, no markdown bold, no preamble,
no postamble, no commentary outside the three labeled sections:

PARSED:
- name: <name or "(unsigned)">
- date: <date or "(not mentioned)">
- venue: <venue or "(not mentioned)">
- vibe: <one-line summary>
- specific package asked: <yes/no + which one if yes>

FIT:
- best package: <name from my list, or "uncertain, see notes">
- notes: <one line if relevant; else blank>

DRAFT REPLY:
<the exact reply to send. Under 180 words. Absolutely no em-dashes.>

Copy it, paste it, edit the placeholders. The prompt is yours.

Path A · The phone-paste path (where most vendors land)

Solo photographer, planner, DJ, florist. You get most inquiries via contact form, IG DM, or referral email. Your bottleneck is the speed and warmth of the first reply, not contracts or invoicing.

1. 01
   Inquiry lands. Open the Project on your phone.

   Pick "Wedding Inquiries" from the Projects list in the Claude app. Start a new chat. Project instructions and your packages doc auto-load.

2. 02
   Paste the inquiry as plain text.

   From the contact form, the IG DM, the email. Copy it as-is, including the inquirer's name if they signed off with one. Don't clean it up.

3. 03
   Get back a parsed read + a draft reply.

   PARSED summarizes the name, date, venue, vibe, package fit. DRAFT REPLY is the actual reply, in your voice, under 180 words, ready to fix one line on and send. Three minutes to read, fix, send.

4. 04
   Optional: drop the inquirer's name and date into a one-row Google Sheet.

   Your lead tracker. Date / Name / Event date / Package quoted / Next step. This replaces HoneyBook's pipeline view with a $0 sheet you own and can export forever. Add it as you go.

Tradeoff on Path A: the speed-to-reply matters more than the polish. Most inquirers compare three or four vendors and book the one who replied warmly first. Claude returns you in three minutes; HoneyBook auto-responder returns you in zero minutes but the auto-response feels like an auto-response. Most vendors find Claude's three-minute personalized reply books more than HoneyBook's zero-minute templated one.

Path B · The full HoneyBook replacement (Drive + Dropbox Sign + Stripe Links)

You want HoneyBook off the books entirely. You'll spend a Sunday afternoon setting up the three pieces that replace it: Google Drive for client files, Dropbox Sign for contracts and signatures, Stripe Payment Links (or Square) for invoicing. Plus Claude for everything else.

1. 01
   Set up a Google Drive folder structure: one parent folder "Weddings" with a subfolder per booked event.

   Inside each event subfolder: a Notes doc, a Contract subfolder, a Gallery subfolder (or external link). Share each event folder with the couple. About fifteen minutes the first time you build the template, then two minutes per new booking.

2. 02
   Sign up for Dropbox Sign (free tier is 3 documents per month; Essentials plan is $15/mo monthly or $10/mo annual, includes 5 templates).

   Upload your wedding contract as a template. Add merge fields for the couple's names, event date, package, total fee. Save. Sending a contract becomes a 90-second job: open the template, fill the merge fields, send. The couple signs in their browser. About an hour the first time you set up the template, then 90 seconds per send.

3. 03
   Set up Stripe Payment Links (free to sign up, 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction; ~$30 on a $1k deposit).

   Create a Payment Link per common deposit amount or use a custom-amount link. Send the link with the contract. Couple pays in their browser. Stripe handles the receipt and the dashboard. Zero monthly fee.

4. 04
   After booking, Claude is your project chat.

   Open a fresh chat in the Wedding Inquiries Project (or a new project just for this couple). Tell Claude the event date, the venue, the package booked, anything specific from the consult. Use that chat for: drafting the followup email two weeks before the event, drafting the day-of timeline, drafting the post-event thank-you. The chat is your project memory; the Drive folder is your file memory.

Tradeoff on Path B: real setup is a Sunday afternoon, ~3 hours, plus another hour the first time you send a real contract. Once it's in place, every new booking is two minutes of file creation + 90 seconds of contract sending + a project-specific Claude chat. Total ongoing cost: $15/mo for Dropbox Sign on monthly billing (or $0 if you do under three contracts a month), 2.9% + $0.30 per Stripe payment. Compare to HoneyBook Essentials at $49/mo annual-billed ($59/mo monthly) plus the payment fees they also charge.

Path C · Need help, I'm here

You read this page. The pieces are clear but you'd rather see them set up live on your account, with your real packages, your contract, your last three inquiries.

1. 01
   Book a Scrappy Hour. Bring your packages, your current HoneyBook contract template, and one open inquiry.

   Sixty minutes on Google Meet. We set up the Project in your Claude account, get your packages into the right format, set up the Drive folder template, walk through the Dropbox Sign template flow, and reply to your open inquiry together. You leave with the workflow installed. First one's free if you've never worked with me. $150 after that.

Tradeoff: one hour of your time and either zero or $150. Saves you a Sunday afternoon of setup plus a week of figuring out where each piece lives. Most vendors take this path once to install, then run solo from there.

Claude doesn't process payments.

HoneyBook does. So does Stripe directly. Use Stripe Payment Links (free to set up, 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) or Square Invoices (same fee structure). The fee structure is essentially identical to HoneyBook's, but you don't pay the monthly subscription on top. For a vendor doing $50k a year in receipts, the HoneyBook subscription savings alone is $600 to $1,500 a year.

Claude doesn't do e-signature.

HoneyBook does. So does Dropbox Sign Essentials at $10/mo annual ($15/mo monthly), or Standard at $25/mo annual if you need more templates and integrations. DocuSign at $15-$45/mo if you prefer. PandaDoc on its free tier handles unlimited signatures across up to 60 documents a year (with 5 templates and 2 recipients per document). Pick one and budget $0 to $25/mo for it. Combined with Claude this still beats HoneyBook on monthly cost.

Claude doesn't host a client portal with login.

HoneyBook does. Couples log in to see their contracts, timeline, payment status, gallery. The Claude equivalent is a shared Google Drive folder. They open the folder URL (no login needed if shared correctly), see the Notes doc, the Contract subfolder, the Gallery. Less polished than the HoneyBook portal but works for most couples and costs zero.

Claude won't track project status automatically.

HoneyBook's pipeline view (Inquiry → Booked → Paid → Delivered) is genuinely useful. The Claude equivalent is a one-row-per-couple Google Sheet you update yourself. Five-second per-couple cost when you remember; the sheet replaces $20+/mo of dashboarding. For a vendor with under 30 bookings per year, the sheet works. Above that, the SaaS pipeline view earns its money.

Real total cost.

Your Claude subscription ($20/mo Pro) + Dropbox Sign Essentials ($10/mo annual, or stay on PandaDoc free up to 60 docs/yr) + Stripe (no monthly, just per-transaction fees) + Google Workspace Business Starter ($7/user/mo if you want a custom-domain email, $0 if @gmail is fine). Total: $30 to $37/mo all-in. Compare to HoneyBook Essentials at $59/mo monthly billed (or $49 annual-billed at the same tier), plus the same payment fees on top. The savings is real but isn't the main point.

You own the client list forever.

The point of keeping your client list in a Google Sheet (or Numbers, or Notes), your contracts in Google Drive, your inquiries in a Claude chat, is that you can export, share, hand to a planner partner, take to a different tool in 2028. The SaaS-shipped CRMs make export a fight (some make it impossible past 30 days after canceling). This workflow is yours.