Wedding Planning

Hiring Wedding Vendors
by Holly Lefevre

After carefully selecting the ceremony and reception locations for your wedding day, comes the next major step in your planning—hiring the wedding day vendors. The vendors you hire, however large or small their roles may be, will have an impact in the overall outcome of your wedding day. Because of this, it is imperative to take your time and follow some very simple steps to ensure you are hiring quality and reputable wedding professionals for your very special day.

As you will soon discover, there is really no shortage of wedding vendors in any given category. The trick is finding the professional that is right for you, not only with product and price, but with personality as well. The search for wedding day vendors can begin in a number of places. Knowing where to look and what to look for will assist you in your search. The following are suggestions as to where you may begin the search for your vendors.

Bridal Shows: The greatest value in bridal shows is the opportunity to meet with a large number of vendors and view many products at one time, in one location. There are many categories of vendors represented at the shows, making it an invaluable tool for doing research and for gathering information. When you find vendors you particularly like, make a note of it and call soon after the show to book a personal one on one appointment.

Ceremony and Reception Location: The locations you select for your wedding day are quite familiar with particular vendors, and usually have a preferred vendor list. The vendors on this list have worked at that site many times before and are familiar with the logistics and rules of the location.

Friends and Family: You will usually get honest no nonsense answers and opinions regarding products and services when you ask married friends and family members (even co-workers) about their own weddings. Ask them about their vendors, the services they used, what they liked and didn’t like, would they hire them again, etc.?

The Internet: The Internet is an easy access, easy to use, anytime resource. You can find a wealth of vendors on the web. Checking out a vendor's web site can give you a good idea of pricing, packages, and type of work they do before making a personal appointment.

Local Bridal Magazines: Using local wedding magazines and directories can at first seem overwhelming, as there are a large number of advertisements in these publications. You can, however, find excellent vendors in the magazines, but it will take some calling around to acquaint yourself with these vendors.

Wedding Resource Centers: These showrooms represent reputable vendors who have been prescreened by the center’s selection process. You will be able to see/hear samples of the vendors work at the center. If you like what you see/hear, you can then make an appointment and meet with the vendor in person.

Wedding Consultants: Wedding consultants are familiar with many vendors. They have a well-rounded general knowledge of the wedding industry and wedding vendors. If you are working with a consultant, she will be able to provide you with preferred vendors. However, if you are not working with a consultant, you can still benefit from this knowledge, as most consultants will share their preferred vendor list with you for a fee.

After coming up with a list of vendors you would like to consider for your wedding, call each of them to get a feel for what they offer. The first phone call is a great way to gauge a vendor’s professionalism and personality. Following is a list of very basic questions to get you started during that first phone call:

*Are you available on my wedding day?

*Are you the person I will be working with? If not, may I meet with the person who will be there on my wedding day? (An example of this    situation is a photography studio that has many photographers who shoot weddings for them.)

*What is the average price range for your services (it will be easier for some vendors to quote this than others)? If the prices of the vendor’s services are out of your budget, then you know not to schedule a meeting with that person.

*Do you have references I may call?

If all goes well on the telephone, then it is time to schedule a face-to-face meeting. This meeting is essential for all potential vendors. At the meeting you should be assessing the vendors work, professionalism, presentation, and overall demeanor. Unless a particular vendor comes highly recommended or you are familiar with their work (in some way), make plans to meet at least three vendors in each category.

As you are proceeding through the interview process, keep in mind you will want to hire vendors that are going to work with you to achieve wedding day success, not vendors that will try to influence you to make changes and compromises to fit their needs. Additionally, you should be able to get along with the vendor reasonably well and feel comfortable asking questions. When you leave these vendor interviews ask yourself a few important questions before making your final decisions:

• Is this someone you think you can work with for the next several months (or even a year)?

• Does the vendor offer an attractive package/pricing plan for my budget and needs?

• How does the vendor compare to others in the same category? (price, package, etc.)

• Is he/she willing to and able to accommodate special requests?

• Has he/she been responsive to my questions and inquiries?

• Does he/she act professional?

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