Planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort. And once you select a venue, buy the rings, find your dress, and choose the wedding party, the next task is finding your vendors. From florists to bands, every last detail matters on your big day!
Handy Tips for Selecting the Right Vendors
Regardless of whether you’re trying to plan a wedding in three months or two years, it’s imperative that you develop a plan and start finding your vendors as soon as possible. The following tips will ensure you find the right ones.
Don’t Listen to Everyone’s Opinions
Everyone from your next door neighbor to your best friend will have an opinion about what you should do, who you should hire, and how much you should pay. Don’t be rude about listening to advice, but refrain from taking every piece of it seriously.
Each wedding is different and the things you want may not be the same as what the individual giving the advice was looking for in their wedding. Making decisions solely based on someone else’s opinions is dangerous.
Choose a Versatile Band
The band is one of your most important hires. It can completely make or break your reception and you definitely want to find the right fit. One of the top things to look for in a band is versatility.
When browsing a wedding band’s website, look at things like set lists, genres, and the type of events they’ve played in the past. Take The Grooves – a popular Houston wedding band – as an example. When you browse their site, you notice that they’ve played corporate events, pageants, private parties, and weddings. This flexibility is a good sign that they’ll be able to quickly and effectively adapt to your event.
Remember to Stick Within Your Budget
You need a concrete budget for your wedding vendors and you need to stick to it. There should be no wavering on your budget or you’ll quickly find yourself justifying added expenses. If your budget is $5,000, don’t spend a penny more. If it’s $10,000, make it known that you will not go past this limit. Have someone else hold you accountable if necessary.
Don’t be Afraid to Negotiate
Something many people don’t realize is that wedding vendors are often willing to negotiate pricing if the circumstances are right. Just make sure you’re not taking an aggressive approach.
“Play on vendors’ sympathies and emotions,†wedding planner Jenny Orsini says. “Say ‘I really love your work, I would really appreciate this rate, anything you can do for us would make our day that much more special.’†A gentle approach like this is much more effective.
Get Everything in Writing
There’s a rule in business that says anything important should always be in writing. No matter how cordial and cooperative a vendor is, don’t rely on verbal agreements. Ask to get all details – including pricing and details of their work – in writing. A vendor is much more likely to honor their word if they know there’s documentation. In other words, getting details in writing gives you something to fall back on should issues arise in the future.
Putting it All Together
Remember that planning your wedding is supposed to be fun. If you get stressed out or anxious about how things are going, take a step back and breathe. There’s no need to get flustered. Your wedding day is going to be filled with joy and you probably won’t even notice the tiny details you’re currently worrying about.
Focus on finding the right vendors and everything else will take care of itself.
