There are TONS of reputable vendors in every category and we know that can make things very difficult when deciding who is perfect to represent you and your fiancé on one of the most important days of your life. We have put together some tips that will hopefully lead you in the right direction.
If you choose to hire a planner, they can play a huge part in assisting with vendor selection. Most legitimate planners have worked with tons and tons of vendors and know who will deliver on promises and who doesn’t have the best reputation. Planners can also help with narrowing down the giant list to a select few who represent your budget and style.
1. Research: The best way to start is to make a list of your top choices. Check out their website, social media and blog. Check out wedding websites such as Wedding Wire, The Knot and local wedding websites for reviews. Often times, their website will either intrigue you more, or narrow down the search for you.
2. Trust: Brides need to feel like they can trust the vendors they chose to follow through with their promises on wedding day. A lot of vendors offer similar packages and prices so it is important to be sure they are reputable. Check with other vendors to see if they know anything about them. Look for reviews on wedding websites. Ask past brides if they have heard good or bad things about them. Many vendors can claim to give you the world and then come up short of your expectations. This leads to number 3…
3. Recommendations and referrals: There is no one better than past brides to recommend and refer vendors they used on their wedding day. They have worked with them first hand and can tell you if they gave them crappy pictures, got drunk at their reception or didn’t deliver the cake before the guests arrived. They can also tell you if the flowers were the exact vision they had in mind, the filet was the best meal they’d ever had or everything ran perfectly smooth due to excellent coordinating. As I mentioned before, many vendors have worked with each other numerous times and know who does a good job and who doesn’t. They will be able to point you in the direction of who comes through on promises, delivers awesome products and who brides enjoy working with on their wedding day. Don’t be afraid to ask their opinions.
4. Style: Choose the right people for YOU! For example, if a photographer that is in your price range focuses more on the staged style photography and you like more of the candid type, keep looking! Or if you really want live music, but have only budgeted enough for a dj, look into a smaller band. Generally, a 2-3 piece band is going to be much cheaper than a 10 piece band. You know what aspects of your wedding are most important better than anyone. Don’t settle, but be realistic.
5. Connection: One of the most important aspects of choosing your vendors is the connection you feel with them. They may do the best work in the entire country, but if you don’t get along or feel like you will enjoy working with them for the next year, it may be a good idea to continue looking. Some vendors you’ll see on your wedding day, and some you won’t, but all in all, you’ll be spending a good amount of time with them and/or communicating with them, so making sure that your personalities mesh well is an excellent idea. It’ll make the millions of emails, phone calls, (giving them your money) and meetings a lot more enjoyable. Trust your gut!
6. Cost: Though it may be important that you chose vendors who are in your budget, never, ever skimp on your choice because of price. Generally, prices reflect quality of product. I can’t tell you how many horror stories we have heard about brides choosing a vendor that was in a low price range and gave them a horrible final product, cancelled on them last minute, or just plain didn’t give them what they promised. We understand that it’s hard to say no to a $500 student photographer over a $4,000 professional but just think, you’ll have these photos forever. You want to make sure you like them!
All in all, choosing vendors will be one of the most important choices you make for your wedding day and it should be an enjoyable process so HAVE FUN with it!
We hope this helps! Happy Planning!!
