Planning a wedding is a very exciting and stressful event. Selecting a wedding vendor is very overwhelming for many couples who need to choose carefully to ensure that the wedding vendors they choose to select make their wedding day run smoothly and successfully. This article will help guide couples in choosing their vendors for one of the most important event of their lives.
Finding the Best Wedding Vendors: One solution to finding a wedding vendor is to ask around! Do you have a friend or family member that recently got married? They can give you great advice and recommendation on vendors that they used for their wedding. Ask then questions regarding the florists, caterers, and rental companies, that they have used. If you know someone who owns a catering or restaurant business- utilize that knowledge! Find out the various fees such vendors will approximately charge or even use them yourself! Floral shops, caterers and churches can also recommend past vendors that were used in their events. Lastly, if you have a wedding planner, your work is practically done. Wedding planners can suggest the right vendors for the type of wedding event and style that suits your needs and your budget. Not having a wedding planner? Try surfing the internet! But be careful, he internet could be your friend or your worst enemy.. try to search for vendors with a good reputation and have portfolios featuring their work on their site. When in doubt, seek testimonials from customers that have used their services.
Interviewing your Vendors: Once you have made your selections, it’s time to start interviewing your vendors. You should interview no more than three vendors in each category (florists, caterer, decorators, etc.). If you find 8 caterers in your area, look at each vendors website and narrow it down to 3. Interviewing more than three vendors can become confusing and overwhelming. When meeting with your selected vendors, be prepared to ask questions! Questions suggested are:
- How long have you been in business and how many weddings have you worked?
- How many weddings have you done per year?
- Wedding date availability- are they available for your wedding date? If not, what are alternate dates and solutions?
- Can you (the vendor) provide three references from couples they have worked with in the past?
- How much services (according to wedding size) and what is the deposited required? When is the remaining balance due?
- What is your (the vendor) cancellation policy?
Remember, trust your instincts during the interview. Make sure that the vendor is interested in your wedding details and that they have a full understanding of what you would like. If a vendor seems standoffish or just plain rude- walk away. All vendors should treat prospective clients in a kind, professional manner.
Prioritizing your Wedding Vendors: Now that you have chosen a wedding date and selected your vendors, which one should you choose to work with first? When prioritizing your wedding vendors, you need to decided which vendor needs to be booked immediately. First-priority vendors are usually the wedding venue, the Officiant, wedding planner, caterers and reception entertainment (bands or deejays). These are the vendors that are high in demand and tend to get booked quickly so you will need to reserve their services immediately.
The next group of vendors that need to be booked are the photographers/ videographers, (wedding) bakeries, florist, hairstylist, make-up artist and transportation provider. These vendors can service more than one wedding per weekend (or weekday). The last group of vendors are the rental companies, invitation engravers and lighting companies because they can provide services to many couples each weekend or prior to the event.