How to brief a vendor and write a quote request they'll actually answer

A brief and a quote request are different documents

The brief is the spec: the menu you have in mind, the dietary counts, the cake's flavours and servings, the decor palette. A vendor reads it once they have agreed to work with you. The quote request is the first line of a conversation, and its only job is to find out whether this vendor is free, in range and a fit.

Sending the brief first feels thorough, but it asks a stranger to do an hour of reading before they know whether your date is even open. Send the short message to three or four vendors, and send the brief to the one or two who come back available and in range.

What the first message needs

Keep it to a short paragraph and a few questions. In order:

1. Say what the event is and when: "a 40th birthday on Saturday, October 17, from 2pm". The date first, because it is the vendor's first filter.
2. Say where, as a general area: the town or neighbourhood. A vendor needs it to quote travel and delivery; they do not need the street address yet.
3. Give the headcount, if the quote depends on it. Caterers, bakers and rental suppliers cannot price without it; a photographer or DJ mostly prices by the hour.
4. Ask whether they are free that day. It is the one question every vendor answers first, so ask it directly.
5. Ask the three questions that decide whether you keep talking — what the price includes, what it depends on, and what the deadlines are. The ones for each kind of vendor are below.
6. Sign off with your name and how you prefer to be reached. Nothing more is needed yet.

What to hold back, and why

The street address can wait until you book. The general area is enough to quote, and there is no reason for an address to sit in the inbox of every vendor you contacted but did not hire.

The budget is a judgement call. Sharing it saves time when you have a hard ceiling and plenty of options — vendors who cannot work within it will say so. Holding it back is better when you want to see how each vendor prices the job on its own terms, because a stated budget tends to become the quote. Either way, decide on purpose rather than by accident.

Everything else — the theme, the menu ideas, the guest list — belongs in the brief, once someone is worth briefing.

The three questions to ask each kind of vendor

Ask every vendor in a category the same three questions. Quotes are only comparable when they answer the same thing, and "what does that include" is where most of the difference between two prices hides.

• Caterer: Is the price per person, or a package — and what does it include (staff, setup, plates, cleanup)? Can you cover dietary needs such as vegetarian, gluten-free or nut allergies, and are those items priced separately? How far ahead do you need a final headcount, and what happens to the bill if it changes?
• Baker: What size would you recommend for our headcount, and what does it cost? Do you deliver, and is there a charge for it? How far ahead do you need the order finalised, and what is the deposit?
• Photographer: What does your coverage include — how many hours, and how many edited photos? How long after the event do we get the photos, and in what form? Is travel to us included, and what would an extra hour cost?
• DJ: Do you bring your own sound system and lighting, and what space and power do you need? How many hours does your rate cover, and what does overtime cost? Can we give you a must-play and a do-not-play list?
• Decorator: What would you suggest for our theme at this size, and roughly what does that cost? Is setup and takedown included, and how long do you need at the venue? Which pieces are rented and which do we keep?
• Florist: What would centrepieces and any other arrangements cost at our guest count? Do you deliver and set up, and at what time on the day? Which flowers are in season around our date, so we are not paying a premium?
• Entertainer: What does a session include, how long does it run, and for what age range? How much space do you need, and does it work indoors if the weather turns? Are you insured, and what is your cancellation policy?
• Rentals: Can you quote the items for our headcount, delivery and pickup included? What are the delivery and pickup windows, and do you set up? What happens if something is damaged or missing at pickup?

Then send the brief

Once a vendor is available and in range, the brief is what turns a ballpark into a real quote. For a caterer that is the menu direction, the service style and the dietary counts; for a baker, the servings, flavours and a picture of what you have in mind; for a decorator, the palette, the space and what you already own.

If you use PartyPal, the catering, cake, decor and entertainment briefs are already written from your plan, and "Attach brief" puts it under the message you send — so the vendor gets the short ask and the detail in one go, and you decide which one they read first.

How many to ask, and when to follow up

Three or four vendors per category is enough. Fewer and you have no sense of the going rate; more and you are managing a spreadsheet instead of planning a party.

If a vendor has not replied in two or three working days, one short follow-up is reasonable — busy vendors often answer the second message. After that, move on: a vendor who is slow to quote is rarely quicker once booked.

When the quotes come back, compare the total for your headcount, with service charges, tax, gratuity and delivery included, alongside the deposit and the cancellation terms. A per-person price that looks lower can be the more expensive quote once those are added.

Common questions