Business idea: wedding poetry
Discussion
My poet (don't ask) son is doing his PhD and looking for something to supplement his income. He has won some prizes and published some poetry in books.
He has had the idea of offering to write personal poerty for a bride and groom, anniversary couple etc as an alternative gift: "a unique and personalised ode to love" sort of thing. Perhaps even pitch up at the recption or ceremony to read it personally.
Would you buy it?
Could you extend this to funerals and other significant events?
He has had the idea of offering to write personal poerty for a bride and groom, anniversary couple etc as an alternative gift: "a unique and personalised ode to love" sort of thing. Perhaps even pitch up at the recption or ceremony to read it personally.
Would you buy it?
Could you extend this to funerals and other significant events?
My quick answer is the net is full of poems about love and crap for free.
However, *if it could specifically be made personal* then that is worth something.
A basic site with examples won't cost much, but the key would be the SEO needed to get the business in the first place. That might eat some of the profits unless you get a great deal.
Good luck to him though, as a professional poet there are not many outlets which will pay the mortgage.
However, *if it could specifically be made personal* then that is worth something.
A basic site with examples won't cost much, but the key would be the SEO needed to get the business in the first place. That might eat some of the profits unless you get a great deal.
Good luck to him though, as a professional poet there are not many outlets which will pay the mortgage.
JustinP1 said:
My quick answer is the net is full of poems about love and crap for free.
However, *if it could specifically be made personal* then that is worth something.
A basic site with examples won't cost much, but the key would be the SEO needed to get the business in the first place. That might eat some of the profits unless you get a great deal.
Good luck to him though, as a professional poet there are not many outlets which will pay the mortgage.
Hopefully his PhD will see him in academia, but he has been shortlisted to write the script for some new period drama. Oddly he has had some decent prizes for competitions which he seems to see as 'winnings' not wages. Not sure HMRC will see it like that! The factr he has won some prixes and has poerms published may add to trhe kudos of having him write a personalised piece.However, *if it could specifically be made personal* then that is worth something.
A basic site with examples won't cost much, but the key would be the SEO needed to get the business in the first place. That might eat some of the profits unless you get a great deal.
Good luck to him though, as a professional poet there are not many outlets which will pay the mortgage.
He thought that delivering the poetry at the church/reception would ad value and peronalising it to their meeting, relationship, proposal and offering the funny/romantic/erotic options etc would make a USP. A bit like getting an original painting rather than a good copy. He was also thinking about sugesting the popem is printed on invitations, order of service cards etc and selling through florists, wedding stationers, wedding dress shops etc (ie targetting the brdie and her hand maidens). Gay weddings cold be a winner too.
Personally I think people like meaningful and emotive readings ot texts and ones which are deeply personal because they are scripted by the deliverer.
The idea may work better as an insert into an order of service or a placecard on the dinner table or even as a centre piece for a frame with a border which people can sign around. Obviously, you'd then need appropriate art work etc.
The idea may work better as an insert into an order of service or a placecard on the dinner table or even as a centre piece for a frame with a border which people can sign around. Obviously, you'd then need appropriate art work etc.
I think it's a good idea but would be very price sensitive - "value for money" if you will.
If I saw a pitch about a published author/poet writing bespoke poetry for a wedding gift, I'd immediately think "ooo, that's going to be steep". That said, if the price was right, I think it'd be a great, unique gift.
I wonder, though, whether the result could command a price commensurate with the time and effort required to research and write the piece. That said, if he's an "acedemic" - he's used to earning didly-squat, right?
If I saw a pitch about a published author/poet writing bespoke poetry for a wedding gift, I'd immediately think "ooo, that's going to be steep". That said, if the price was right, I think it'd be a great, unique gift.
I wonder, though, whether the result could command a price commensurate with the time and effort required to research and write the piece. That said, if he's an "acedemic" - he's used to earning didly-squat, right?
evo4a said:
Why not get him to post a sample of his work, and wait for the critique 
From what I have seen he might have to bring it down to a level someone without an artistic streak can understand, and cut out all the swear words and erotica!I think limmericks may have to feature for the stag night. That could be fun; an ode of your previous girlfriends and stag disasters, including doing the brides best friend and the trip to Amseterdam when you had too much to drink and got thrown out of the brothel!
I am getting married in a couple of months time, so we are right in the thick of looking into things like this to compliment our day.
I think it really depends on displaying value for money. Personally for me, i wouldnt pay more than about £30 - £50 for something like this. But you might find people willing to pay more. I have no idea about the personal reading idea. But bear in mind, people pay £1000+ for a string quartet to play for a few hours. I'm not sure what you could charge for 2 - 3 minutes of a reading (assuming you would charge 'extra' for the reading over the writing)
I think its got some potential, although rather limited. And I would stick to the more affluent areas of the country / market.
I think it really depends on displaying value for money. Personally for me, i wouldnt pay more than about £30 - £50 for something like this. But you might find people willing to pay more. I have no idea about the personal reading idea. But bear in mind, people pay £1000+ for a string quartet to play for a few hours. I'm not sure what you could charge for 2 - 3 minutes of a reading (assuming you would charge 'extra' for the reading over the writing)
I think its got some potential, although rather limited. And I would stick to the more affluent areas of the country / market.
Edited by KingJeff 4th on Friday 17th April 10:48
It would be quite cost heavy.
If he is going to personalise it, that means at least one visit to the 'couple to be' to 'interview' them. Then creating the poem. Then another trip to the wedding venue itself to deliver the poem?
He's unlikely to be able to offer a nationwide service!
Better, would be for him to come up with a set of ten 'clever' questions, designed to probe the couple and their thoughts. Then make it web-based. Maybe have his and hers questions on separate pages so they can enter infomation which the other doesn't know about. Then the couple enters an email address of the best man/bride's Dad/whatever for delivery of the final piece 48 hours later.
If he is going to personalise it, that means at least one visit to the 'couple to be' to 'interview' them. Then creating the poem. Then another trip to the wedding venue itself to deliver the poem?
He's unlikely to be able to offer a nationwide service!
Better, would be for him to come up with a set of ten 'clever' questions, designed to probe the couple and their thoughts. Then make it web-based. Maybe have his and hers questions on separate pages so they can enter infomation which the other doesn't know about. Then the couple enters an email address of the best man/bride's Dad/whatever for delivery of the final piece 48 hours later.
I think there is a potential to add a lot of 'value' to the client here.
Maybe an online form with questions to get an idea of the couple followed up by a telephone call.
A personalised poem written and provided printed on fancy paper and framed and other copies made for the readers in the service.
Your target market wouldn't be the wedding for a few hundred quid, it would be ones with a budget of £5000, £10,000, £20,000 or more, there are plenty of those, and in comparison to how much crap like flower designs for bridesmaids wrists cost, you could easily make a case for a couple of hundred quid or more of value there.
Maybe an online form with questions to get an idea of the couple followed up by a telephone call.
A personalised poem written and provided printed on fancy paper and framed and other copies made for the readers in the service.
Your target market wouldn't be the wedding for a few hundred quid, it would be ones with a budget of £5000, £10,000, £20,000 or more, there are plenty of those, and in comparison to how much crap like flower designs for bridesmaids wrists cost, you could easily make a case for a couple of hundred quid or more of value there.
There are plenty of websites which offer this kind of thing and also template type things where the couple/purchaser just put it personalised bits and bobs.
It may be worth his taking a look at them and seeing if he can do it cheaper? Would it be done online? I think a telephone call with the couple and then e-mail the poem could work, but I guess it depends on how personalised. HE could also do Birthday/Anniversary things? (But again, I believe many of the websites offer similar).
It may be worth his taking a look at them and seeing if he can do it cheaper? Would it be done online? I think a telephone call with the couple and then e-mail the poem could work, but I guess it depends on how personalised. HE could also do Birthday/Anniversary things? (But again, I believe many of the websites offer similar).
Tell him to spend a day at a wedding fair and see how it goes. Outlay would be minimal, and he might get some work out of it.
Pricing-wise I could see my other half really liking this sort of thing and spending £50-100 on something personal (not that I'd particularly agree - for me it would be in the £30-50 category). I'd have thought an e-mail/phone chat would suffice rather than meeting in person if the distance is too far.
Not sure if we'd want the performance though as it's something a bridesmaid/best man/relative could do and for nothing.
HTH
Pricing-wise I could see my other half really liking this sort of thing and spending £50-100 on something personal (not that I'd particularly agree - for me it would be in the £30-50 category). I'd have thought an e-mail/phone chat would suffice rather than meeting in person if the distance is too far.
Not sure if we'd want the performance though as it's something a bridesmaid/best man/relative could do and for nothing.
HTH
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