About the Bookings Pilot – The Knot Pro

Key Details about the Bookings Pilot

What is the Bookings Pilot?

Couples will now have the option to initiate a booking request by submitting a $100 deposit through your The Knot Storefront. This deposit will act as a "soft hold" on the couple’s requested date until you confirm the booking. If you choose to participate, we’ll add a new 'Start Booking' button on your Storefront for couples to start the booking request process. Couples who aren't ready to book will still be encouraged to submit leads through your Storefront as they do today. You will continue to manage your agreements, outstanding balances, and payment processes directly with couples, just as you currently do.

How can I sign-up for the pilot?

Reply to the Bookings pilot email or send a note to bookingpilot@theknot.com that you’d like to participate in the Bookings pilot, and we’ll follow up with next steps!

How does a couple submit a booking request?

1️⃣ A couple engages with your Storefront on The Knot, selects a package, and submits a $100 deposit to request to book you.
2️⃣ You’ll receive a booking request via WeddingPro Inbox with the couple’s details.
3️⃣ Within 7 days, update The Knot to confirm if you are approving or declining the couple’s booking request.

As a best practice, we recommend responding within 24-48 hours to acknowledge the request and explain any next steps.
If you approve the request, the $100 deposit will be transferred to you, and the couple will pay the remaining balance directly through your usual process.
If you decline the request, the $100 deposit will be fully refunded to the couple, and they will be notified.
Once you’ve approved or declined the request, please email bookingpilot@theknot.com so we can process the deposit or refund accordingly.

What’s required of me?

Connect your Stripe Connect account within the WeddingPro dashboard. See below on how to set up your account.
Keep your calendar availability and pricing packages updated in WeddingPro so couples can make informed decisions. See below on how to set up the Pricing and Availability tools within your WeddingPro dashboard.
Respond to booking requests timely (24-48 hours to acknowledge the couple’s booking request and within 7 days to confirm booking with The Knot) to ensure a seamless experience for both you and the couple.
Share feedback directly with us to help improve the booking experience. Email bookingpilot@theknot.com

How to set-up my Stripe Connect Account?

Step 1: Go to the Payments Section

Log in to your WeddingPro Vendor Dashboard.
Navigate to the Home section.
Click the “Connect Stripe” button found at the top of the Home section.

Step 2: Create or Log In to Your Stripe Account

A Stripe-hosted page will open.

If you already have a Stripe (Express?) account, log in using your email and password.

If you don’t have an account, Stripe will guide you through the setup process.

Step 3: Enter Business & Bank Details

Enter your business information (or select individual if you are a sole proprietor).
Provide your bank details where payouts will be deposited by The Knot.
Stripe may ask for identity verification (such as your SSN and ID).

Step 4: Complete the Connection

Review all your details and click “Submit”.
Stripe will return you to your WeddingPro Dashboard.
You’ll see a confirmation message that your account is connected.

How do I set-up my WeddingPro Pricing Tool on my Storefronts?

What are the benefits of this tool?

Couples are looking for specific info when researching vendors. Nearly 80% of couples say pricing is the most important factor when deciding which vendors they should contact. That’s why we created the WeddingPro Pricing tool!

By displaying pricing, you’ll attract and (ultimately!) book more of the ideal clients for your business. You’ll also save time on pricing conversations when you’re connected with couples that match your key criteria, like having a budget within or near the rates you charge.

Plus, you can easily manage pricing on both of your Storefronts on WeddingWire and The Knot from a single tool in WeddingPro, reducing effort and boosting efficiency.

How does the new Pricing tool work?

It’s super easy to use! Log in to your WeddingPro account, navigate to the new Pricing section via the Pricing tab on your dashboard and follow the simple steps below:

Complete Pricing Overview: Include your starting cost and how much couples usually spend for your services.
Include package specifics: Add package details to give couples more info on your packages to educate them on your pricing. You must add at least the package name, starting cost and one package feature in order for the package to be displayed on your Storefronts.

When will this information be visible on my Storefront(s)?

All of the information you add in WeddingPro will appear on your Storefronts across WeddingWire and The Knot within a few hours. This saves time and helps you attract and (ultimately!) book more of the ideal couples for your business.

How do I set-up my WeddingPro Availability tool on my Storefronts?

What are the benefits of this tool?

The majority of couples consider availability the most important factor when deciding which vendors to contact.

The Availability tool saves you time by quickly connecting you with good-fit couples based on your availability, helping you secure bookings faster. Setup is easy—just connect your existing calendar to display your availability on your Storefronts. You can customize your schedule to reflect whether you’re available for multiple weddings per day or only on specific days, and you can update your availability anytime to accommodate changes.

How does the new availability tool work?

Check out a video tutorial on setting up your availability here!

It’s easy to use and set up the new availability tool so you can connect with good-fit couples, faster. Log in to your WeddingPro account, navigate to the new Availability section via the Availability tab on your dashboard and follow the simple steps below:

Start by accessing Availability: Click on the Availability tab in your WeddingPro Dashboard. This is where you’ll set up your calendar to display your availability on your Storefront(s).

Connect your calendar: Select the calendar you want to connect, like Google or Office 365, and follow the prompts. Only general availability (available, partially available, or unavailable) will show on your Storefront(s), not event details.

Add keywords: To ensure the right events are synced, add keywords like "Wedding" or "Event." Only events with the keywords you designate in the title will be imported.

Set your availability: Choose the days you're available by toggling days on or off. You can adjust this later as needed.

Set daily capacity: If you can handle more than one event per day, set your daily capacity. Days where you haven’t hit your event capacity will show as partially available on your Storefront(s).

Will all of the events from the personal calendar I connect be displayed on my Storefront(s)?

No, we’ll only import the events you designate based on the keywords you input.

For the events that are imported, will my Storefront show the event details like location and couples name?

No, you’ll simply show as ‘Available,’ ‘Unavailable’ or ‘Partially Available’ on that date on your Storefront(s).

How does the daily booking limit work?

To give you more control over when days appear as fully booked or not, setting your daily capacity allows you to select how many events you can service per day.

If you can serve more than one wedding per day, you can set the capacity to the maximum number of events you can serve. If you can take on two weddings per day—you can toggle this number up to two. On days where you have events booked but have not yet reached your maximum capacity, this will show as partial availability to couples.

When will this information be visible on my Storefront(s)?

Common FAQs about the Bookings Pilot

General Bookings Pilot Questions

❓ Can I leave the pilot if I change my mind?

We strongly encourage you to continue participating in the pilot, as your involvement is key to helping us refine and improve the experience. However, if absolutely necessary, we can remove you from the program and disable the booking functionality on your Storefront. Please reach out to us, bookingpilot@theknot.com, if you’re experiencing any challenges—we’re happy to support you!

❓ How can I share feedback on the pilot?

We definitely want to hear from you directly! While we’ll actively reach out to you for feedback on how to improve the experience, please don't hesitate to email bookingpilot@theknot.com at any time with your feedback.

❓ Will I be charged anything to participate in the pilot?

No. There are no additional costs or fees for participating in the pilot.

❓ Do I have to accept all bookings?

No. You’ll still have full control over which booking requests you accept or decline.

❓ What if a couple submits a deposit but I’m unavailable?

If you decline a request, the couple’s $100 deposit is automatically refunded.

❓ Does this change how I communicate with couples?

Nope! You’ll still use your WeddingPro Inbox to finalize details.

❓ What if my calendar availability and pricing packages are not updated?

The pilot is designed for photographers with updated calendar availability and pricing packages showcased on their Storefronts. If you’re open to updating those elements, we can help get you enrolled in the pilot!

❓ How come I’m not seeing the Booking functionality on WeddingWire?

The Bookings pilot is exclusively for The Knot storefronts only. We’re looking to test and learn from this small launch and hope to use your feedback to later scale this initiative.

Payment & Payouts

❓ How does this impact my existing deposit and payment process?

This pilot doesn’t change your existing deposit and payment process. The $100 deposit on The Knot is separate and serves as a commitment signal from the couple. You’ll still collect your standard deposit (minus the $100) and the remaining balance directly from the couple, just as you do now.

❓ How and when do I receive the $100 deposit?

Once you confirm the booking, Stripe will transfer the $100 deposit to you (no processing fees during the pilot; subject for change in the future.)

❓ What are the payment processing fees?

There are no payment processing fees during the pilot—couples' deposits are handled at no cost to you. (subject for change in the future)

❓ Can I set my own deposit amount instead of $100?

No, not at this time. For this pilot, all couples will submit a flat $100 deposit. You will still collect your full deposit and final payment off-platform as usual.

Booking Management

❓ Can I specify which dates I’m available for couples to request to book me?

Yes! Couples will see your updated calendar availability and pricing packages directly on your Storefront. Please be sure to keep those up-to-date throughout the pilot.

❓ What happens if a couple requests a date I’m not available for?

You can decline the request, and The Knot will refund the deposit to the couple.

Contact Customer Support

Email bookingpilot@theknot.com for any question or concerns about the Bookings Pilot.