The problem
Wedding enquiries mean a long message thread to agree a time, usually while you're elbow-deep in buckets. If a florist gets 8 enquiries a month and each takes 15 minutes of messages to fix a slot, that's 120 minutes, 2 hours a month, and a no-show wastes an hour.
What the AI does
Calendly is scheduling software: you share a booking link and people pick a free slot in your calendar. Its pricing page says the free plan has one event type and one calendar connection and no automated meeting reminders or payments; Standard adds automated reminders and a connection to Stripe or PayPal. Make a 'wedding consultation' event with the length you need, and set the hours you are free, keeping peak days such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day closed. Send the link in your enquiry reply and check the reminder wording in settings.
A worked example
A florist in Cheltenham with a shop and one part-time assistant gets about 8 wedding enquiries a month and offers consultations on two evenings a week, booked through a Calendly link.
Before
About 15 minutes of messages per enquiry: 8 x 15 = 120 minutes, 2 hours a month
After
About 4 minutes per enquiry to send the link and check the booking: 8 x 4 = 32 minutes, 0.5 hours a month
What it's worth
About 1.5 hours a month saved (88 minutes), worth around £37 if your time is worth £25 an hour. Standard is $10 (about £8) a seat a month billed yearly, or $12 (about £9) billed monthly, for one seat.
How to set it up
- Create a Calendly account and connect your calendar, including your busy delivery days.
- Create a 'wedding consultation' event with a sensible length and your open hours.
- Close off peak days such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day week, and add a buffer around deliveries.
- Add the link to your enquiry reply and your website contact page.
- Turn on the reminder emails and read them as a couple would; check a test booking arrives.
What goes wrong
- The free plan has one event type and no reminders, so no-shows aren't reduced; you need Standard for reminders.
- Pricing is per seat; an assistant who also takes bookings is another seat.
- Couples' names and contact details are personal data; keep to your privacy notice and delete old enquiries you won't pursue.
- A booking link doesn't know your delivery schedule; check your calendar connection is accurate or you'll double-book.