Choosing a Wedding Vendor~The Investment~Tips & Ideas For Hiring Vendors

Photography Courtesy of ~Swensen Photography

Choosing a Vendor: Investment

Written by~Taylor Proctor with Taylor Made Weddings & Events

We’ve determined your wedding day priorities, now it’s time to invest in your wedding day!

Every vendor you use is an investment.  You trust these talented people to bring together the most important day of your life, do not be rash with your decisions, and do your research!

Some things to consider when hiring a vendor:

Does their style fit your personal style? If you are having a very vintage wedding, and a cake designer you are considering is very modern, they may not be a good fit. However always discuss what you like and see the options they can present to you. But remember your memories and photos last a lifetime… a vintage wedding will look weird with a cake styled with modern flare.  Keep in mind the vendors you are considering will do their very best work if it’s a style that fits their own because they already know the look well and love similar items within that style. They can work with you to come up with some great ideas.

Do you get along with them? Everyone is different and has different personalities, you get along with some people great, and poorly with others, it happens. But you want to be excited to go to consultations and feel comfortable suggesting ideas!  Your wedding experience will be so much better if you work together with a vendor you actually can talk to and get along well with!

Can they offer you testimonials from previous customers, or do other Vendors you are working with recommend them? Seeing what past brides who were in your position have said about the vendor you are considering speaks worlds. Take these reviews seriously. Also heed the word of other vendors you may have already booked. They have a working relationship with vendors in the community and they can recommend the vendor who best fits your needs and who has good ethics and customer service as well. A planner is the ultimate help here, with recommendations of the best in the industry for your needs.

Do they provide you with QUALITY? This is the MOST IMPORTANT question to ask.  Let me give you a scenario:  Your cousin just bought a new fancy camera; they aspire to be a photographer and told you they’ll do your wedding for $500 dollars. What a great deal!  But is it? You end up suggesting poses in your engagement session because they are nervous about taking good photos and aren’t guiding you into fun poses that fit you as a couple.  They didn’t sit with you and discuss what you wanted, they just showed up and shot what they thought they should shoot, and they may even forget to catch that detail that you slaved hours on for your special DIY project. . . You begin to feel uncomfortable about how your photos will turn out but they are family, so you can’t say never mind without potentially hurting feelings.  You begin to worry and feel stuck. When you get your photos back, you don’t open them with excitement, you open them with apprehension. They are blurry or bad Photoshop experiments because after all they did say they were just starting out… The problem is you can’t get that day or those special moments back.  A blurry cake cutting photo is all you have to show how you lovingly shoved cake into your hubby’s mouth…  But $500 was such a good deal, right? No. You paid extra in stress and tears.

Let me introduce you to another scenario:

You are researching photographers and find the one who fits your style wonderfully, you decide to meet with them and in a comfortable setting they ask you about the styles of photographs you want and you feel you can talk with them and trust them, you get along great!  When you book them, you feel happy and look forward to your photos. During your photo sessions, you are relaxed and laughing as they joke with you and suggest poses that fit what you’ve discussed you want, and they even have some creative photo ideas that you love!  You know you can trust them to capture every detail and they know that DIY project is important to you because you’ve got along so well you’ve completely gushed about how excited you are about it. They even capture moments with guests you didn’t even know were happening! When you get your photos, you open them in a rush of excitement and see clear and spectacular photos for your special day, just how you wanted them. They charged $1500, what a great deal!

In the second scenario, you paid for quality. Not just quality of work, but quality of your experience. Remember, if you are lured in with a “good deal,” asking these other questions can save yourself a world of stress and hurt before, during and even after your wedding day.  YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR… And look for quality with all your vendors, because similar disastrous things can happen with your aunt baking your cake or you brother-in-law’s best friend being your videographer and even your mom being your planner.  Working with professionals makes all the difference and insures your engagement, wedding day and even the happily ever after goes smoothly and you are a happy bride.

The final thing you need to ask is what’s my gut feeling? When you got that great deal from your cousin or whoever, but what did your gut say? Did you feel uncomfortable but pushed it aside because of the price? In the end you paid the cost in stress and bad photos of moments you can never get back.  Trust your gut feeling on all vendors you meet and decide to hire.

Every vendor is an investment in your wedding experience, choose wisely.

Next week we will continue this series by discussing Comparisons of Vendors.  Are you comparing apples to apples or fruit to fruit?

To read last weeks article Choosing a Wedding Vendor~Priorities by Taylor Made Weddings & Events go HERE.

Photography Courtesy of ~Swensen Photography