Knowing exactly what a client fills in helps you read a request quickly and spot what's missing.
What they provide
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Occasion | Their event type, from the same fourteen you picked on your profile |
| Event Name | Their own label, like "Sarah & Tom's Wedding" |
| Date & Time | Start, end, and timezone |
| Location | The venue address, picked from an address lookup |
| Event Extras | Which of your extras they'd like |
| Comments | Free text — anything else |
What they don't provide
Worth knowing so you ask rather than assume:
- Guest count isn't collected
- Budget isn't collected — it only exists as a search filter on their side
- Venue contact details aren't collected
- Indoor or outdoor isn't collected
- Whether they need you on the mic isn't collected
If any of those change your price, ask in the conversation after accepting.
About the extras they picked
The form tells them extras may cost more or may be unavailable, and that you'll do your best to honour the request. So a ticked extra is a request, not an expectation of a fixed price. You price each one on the proposal, or leave it off and explain why.
About the hours
They enter a start and end time. What they may not have understood is whether those are your performance hours or the whole event. It's worth confirming — a client whose reception runs 6pm to midnight with a band until 8pm sometimes enters 6pm.
The Estimated Cost they saw
Before sending, they were shown a rough figure: their hours multiplied by your average hourly rate, excluding extras, taxes, and fees. It's labelled as an estimate that could differ.
Still, it anchors them. If your proposal is going to land well above it — a long drive, several extras, a peak date — say why in the Note step rather than letting the number speak for itself.
Availability
If you were already blocked on their date, they saw a warning and sent it anyway. Worth a look at your calendar before accepting.
Reading a good request
A client who wrote three sentences in Comments is usually a client who'll be easy to work with. A one-line request isn't a bad sign, but it does mean you'll need to ask more before quoting.