Booking confirmation and appointment reminder email templates

What should a booking confirmation email include?

The confirmation is often the first written message a customer gets from you. It reassures (“you are booked in”), informs (“here is how to find us, what to bring”) and protects your diary (“if you cannot make it, here is how to tell us”). The reminder has a single job: making sure they do not forget.

Copy these templates into your email or booking system. To decide your cancellation terms before you write them into the email, read our booking cancellation policy guide.

What must never be missing?

• Sent within a minute of the booking
• Easy to read on a phone
• Cancel or change link easy to spot
• No promotions or shop links
• Sent from an address customers can reply to

Templates for restaurants and pubs

1. Table booking confirmation

Subject: Booking confirmed – [day date] at [time]

Hi [First name],

Your table at [Restaurant] is booked:

📅 [day date] at [time]
👥 [number] guests
📍 [address] – [directions link]

We hold tables for [15] minutes after the booking time. Cannot make it? Please let us know [24 hours] ahead: [cancel link / reply to this email / phone].

Any allergies or a special occasion? Just reply and tell us.

See you soon,
[First name] and the team at [Name]

2. Group or party booking confirmation

Subject: Your group booking on [date] is confirmed

Hi [First name],

Thanks for choosing [Name] for [your party]. Summary: [date], [time], [number] guests, [set menu / package].

Please confirm final numbers by [date]. [Deposit terms, if you take one.]

Any questions: [phone].
[First name], [Name]

3. Reminder the day before

Subject: See you tomorrow, [First name]! – [time]

Hi [First name], a quick reminder: we are expecting you tomorrow, [day], at [time] for [number]. If your plans have changed, let us know here: [link / phone], so someone else can enjoy the table. See you tomorrow! [Name]

Templates for hair salons, barbers and beauty salons

4. Appointment confirmation

Subject: Appointment confirmed – [day date] at [time]

Hi [First name],

You are booked in:

✂️ [Service] with [stylist]
📅 [day date] at [time] (about [duration])
📍 [address]

Please arrive [5] minutes early. To move or cancel, at least [24 hours] ahead: [link / phone].

See you soon,
[Salon]

5. Reminder with preparation tips

Subject: Reminder: your [treatment] tomorrow at [time]

Hi [First name], we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at [time] for your [treatment]. To get the most from it: [e.g. come without make-up / avoid sun exposure the day before / come with unwashed hair]. Cannot make it? [link / phone]. See you tomorrow, [First name], [Salon]

6. First appointment for a new client

Subject: Welcome to [Name] – your appointment on [date]

Hi [First name], thanks for choosing [Name]! You are booked in on [date] at [time]. As it is your first visit, allow an extra [10] minutes for a quick consultation[, including a patch test if needed]. [Access: door code, floor, parking.] Looking forward to meeting you, [First name]

Templates for hotels, B&Bs and garages

7. Stay confirmation

Subject: Your stay at [Name], [date] to [date], is confirmed

Hi [First name],

Thank you for booking! Summary: [room], [date] to [date], [number] guests, [breakfast included / room only].

Check-in from [4pm], check-out by [11am]. Arriving after [8pm]? Let us know and we will arrange it.

[Cancellation and deposit terms.]

We look forward to welcoming you,
[First names], [B&B] · [phone]

8. Pre-arrival email

Subject: Your arrival at [Name] on [date]: useful information

Hi [First name], we cannot wait to welcome you! A few useful details: [directions, parking, key safe or door code, forecast, local tips]. What time do you expect to arrive? Just reply to this email. See you soon, [First names]

9. Garage booking confirmation

Subject: Workshop booking confirmed – [date]

Hi [First name], we will see you on [date] at [time] for [service / MOT / repair] on your [model]. Please bring [service book / locking wheel nut key]. Expect the car to be with us for about [duration]; if we find anything else, we will call you before doing any extra work. [Garage] · [phone]

Changes, cancellations and waitlists

10. Booking changed

Subject: Your booking has been moved – [new date]

Hi [First name], all sorted: you are now booked for [date] at [time], for [number]. Your previous slot has been cancelled. See you then, [Name]

11. Customer cancellation

Subject: Your booking on [date] is cancelled

Hi [First name], thanks for letting us know; that is now cancelled. [If deposit: your £X deposit will be refunded within X days / is non-refundable as per our terms.] We hope to see you another time. [Name]

12. Cancellation by the business

Subject: We need to cancel your booking on [date] – sincere apologies

Hi [First name], because of [an unexpected closure / reason], we are unable to welcome you on [date]. We are really sorry. [Full refund of any deposit.] We can offer you [another slot] instead: just reply to this email. [First name], [Name]

13. Waitlist slot available

Subject: A slot has opened up on [date] at [time]

Hi [First name], good news: a slot has opened up on [date] at [time]. It is yours if you confirm by [deadline]: [link / reply “yes”]. [Name]

14. After a missed appointment

Subject: We missed you today

Hi [First name], we were expecting you today at [time] and hope all is well. If you would like to rebook, here is the link: [link]. [Polite reminder of your cancellation policy if needed.] [Name]

When should confirmations and reminders go out?

The day after the visit, a thank-you email with a link to your Google profile is the ideal moment to ask for a review: see our review request email templates.

Do you need consent to send these emails?

A confirmation or reminder is part of delivering the booking the customer asked for: it is a service message about their appointment, not marketing. Tell customers at the time of booking how you will use their email address, and keep the message about the booking.

The line is crossed when you add a promotion, an offer or an invitation to buy something else. At that point the email can be treated as direct marketing, and in the UK the ICO’s rules on electronic mail marketing apply: specific consent, or the soft opt-in for existing customers with an opt-out in every message. The simplest approach is to keep booking emails strictly practical and send offers in a separate newsletter. See our GDPR guide for small businesses and email newsletters for small businesses.

How do you automate them without losing your evenings?

Writing each confirmation by hand works at first, then becomes impossible at ten bookings a day. An online booking tool sends confirmations and reminders automatically, using your wording. With Voxtya’s Bookings service:

• customers book 24/7 from your website, Google profile or social media, with no commission;
• every booking triggers a confirmation with a link to cancel or reschedule;
• an email reminder goes out the day before;
• you set your own cancellation cut-off and message;
• every booking sits in one diary, for tables and appointments alike.

To compare options, read online booking without commission; for restaurants, restaurant booking software with no commission.

Mistakes to avoid

• A confirmation that arrives hours later: the customer worries, rings, or books elsewhere.
• No way to cancel: people who cannot come simply do not show up, and the table stays empty.
• Hidden terms: a deposit or charge discovered afterwards leads to disputes and bad reviews.
• A “no-reply” address: customers often want to add something (allergy, pushchair, birthday).
• Reminders at the wrong time: a week before a dinner is too early; two hours before is too late to rearrange.
• Too many links to social media, menus and shops: the essentials get lost.

Taking bookings in France? Deposits there are either “arrhes” or an “acompte”, with different consequences on cancellation; our glossary entry on arrhes vs acompte explains the difference.

The steps at a glance

Steps to send effective confirmations and reminders after every booking.

1. Set your rules. Cancellation notice, late arrival policy, any deposit.
2. Write the confirmation. Summary, address, terms, cancel or change link, contact.
3. Write the reminder. Three lines: date, time, how to tell you if plans change.
4. Cover special cases. Changes, cancellations, waitlist, missed appointments.
5. Automate sending. Instant confirmation and a reminder the day before, from your booking tool.
6. Review twice a year. Update addresses, hours and terms.

This guide for your trade

• Restaurant
• Hair and beauty
• Hotel and B&B
• Garage
• Booking software by trade

Go further

• Booking cancellation policy
• Online booking without commission
• Cutting restaurant no-shows
• Online booking for hair salons
• Online reservations and no-shows
• Deposit: arrhes vs acompte