Hello all! We are back this week to discuss vendors. What to look for, how to approach them etc.
Your vendors will be the wonderful, patient and creative team of people that will take pride in bringing your big day to life. Those people are your photographer, florist, bakery for the wedding cake and other sweets, bridal shop, DJ, band, venue/caterer, makeup/hair stylist, the day of wedding planner, etc.
-Can’t Pay someone to care-
The perfect vendor will also be your voice of reason when your irrational bride brain wants to take over. Oh gosh! back story, Rosie, our photographer, had to really talk me down in rescheduling our E-shoot (engagement picture session) multiple times. We had it scheduled for June 2017 and if anyone remembers it just WOULD. NOT. STOP. RAINING!!!
Rain is a bride’s worst enemy!
The frustration I tell you: Looking forward to something only to have it rescheduled time and time again. I think we had to reschedule the shoot like 3 or 4 times. I was glued to my weather app and downloaded all the weather apps under the sun. At the times when I was getting really impatient in risking getting rained on and ruining our pictures, she reassured and convinced me that it would be a much better idea to, reschedule again, but to get the beautiful pictures that my fiance and I deserved!
The thing is you can’t pay someone to care. When you find vendors who care, trust me you’ve hit the wedding jackpot!
–Attention to Details Matter-
Your vendors will be the ones in your corner to know exactly what you are referring to before you even fully explain what you want. A great vendor will pick on details very quickly!
I will be honest and admit that, especially as a bride, planning your wedding can be somewhat of a “lonely world” (I use the word lonely very lightly) because here you are with a vision in your head that no one has seen before and trying to express those unique combinations and intricate details to other can be a challenge. So having your “sidekicks” always willing to go with your crazy ideas or to turn those crazy ideas into something beautiful is a great bonus.
My florist and decorator, Yamir, would always be excited and attentive when talking to me about florals idea and even if we had to cut something out she was always quick to come back with another better idea that fit what I love.
She would make sure to include my fiancé in the process and even got him all excited about his boutonnière lol.
Going back on that again, you really can’t pay someone to care. So when doing your research, look for vendors who truly have a passion for what they do and their work shows that passion and care.
–Be Clear!–
To avoid any disappointments and waste of time, you need to be clear of your expectations. Whether is to express your budget early on to the colors that you absolutely don’t want. From that first email or phone call let the potential vendor know what you are looking for. Depending on WHAT and HOW they respond you’ll be able to kind of tell whether or not you’ve found a good one
I remember calling a floral company and during the phone conversation, I told her what my budget was and right away she told me that they would not be able to work with that kind of budget. Conversations like these can be discouraging but in the long run, it was all good and it saved me a trip! Side note: please don’t let these things discourage you and force you to settle.
Keep looking, you will find the vendors that are right for you!
–Before you sign the contracts–
Yes, contracts will be involved! I was surprised when we got the first one from my photographer as sent me a lengthy contract to review and sign. Don’t get frustrated or quickly sign after only having glanced at the contract; this for your benefit as well, having all the terms and conditions in writing makes it that much easier for you to know what to expect and know all the responsibilities and duties of each party involved. When a vendor presents you with a contract that also shows accountability. A contract will state everything clearly that is expected from the vendor and you, the client, remember that you guys will have to sign it meaning that you are agreeing to ALL of the terms. So, before signing any contract, make sure that you read it carefully and even have someone else, like members of your bridal party or family, give it a second/third/fourth read. That way you can adjust the terms if necessary or know for sure what to expect on the big day.
–Your Questions!–
One of you asked about how to negotiate with vendors. I’ll start by saying that the right vendor will always be willing to work with you. Discuss different options that are available and don’t be afraid to move things around. The best example I can find would be when I was adjusting my flower budget with Yamir. Initially, I had tulips to be included in the decor, since that was going to throw us over budget we decided to replace those with hydrangeas. We also added garden roses to the mix which looked similar to peonies. Another was that our cake designs involved flowers, Caroline from Ana Paz Cakes gave me the option of having the flowers be handmade but I wanted fresh flowers instead. I talked to Yamir about it and She gladly accepted to provide them and turns out she knew Ana Paz cakes very well and worked with them before so she offered to drop them off for me! That saved me so much time the day before the wedding because there was so much be done.
What I’m saying is to not back out of speaking up and asking questions so you can use all of your resources.
My husband did this as well which I thought was awesome. When we would meet with vendors, he inquired about other vendors or he would ask who they could recommend for our different needs. Usually, they would have a list of recommendations handy to provide you with or tell us about which companies they worked with before that was great. This can save you the initial leg work to find reliable vendors.
I’m so happy to have found a wonderful group of people that we had the pleasure to form a relationship with while they helped us create our big day. We will be forever grateful to our vendors.
Leave me more of your questions below, I will be sure to answer them.
See you guys next week!
