One of the most daunting tasks of wedding planning is researching and ultimately choosing vendors. There are so many options, and this portion of wedding planning can get overwhelming quickly. Here are five questions to consider when choosing a vendor.
1. Are they in your budget range? If you followed the steps laid out in my other blog Wedding Planning Tips — Where to Start, you should already have established your budget. It is important to only consider vendors who offer services within your budget range. If you do not want wedding planning to get out of hand this is a crucial area not to bend in. If you followed the steps laid out in my other blog Wedding Planning Tips — Where to Start , you should already have established your budget. It is important to only consider vendors who offer services within your budget range. If you do not want wedding planning to get out of hand this is a crucial area not to bend in.
2. Do they carry the proper licensing and insurance? It is crucial that any vendor you hire is operating legally and with the proper insurance to protect their business and by extension your event. Any vendor working professionally should be able to show you copies of these items upon request. Also, most venues will require that any vendors working at their facility show proof of their licensing and insurance.
3. How long have they been in business? Knowing how long a vendor has been running their business can give you a clue as to their experience level. However just because a vendor may be new on the market does not mean that they do not have experience in their field. If a vendor you are interested in is newer, feel free to ask what experience they have gained before launching their business or how they got started.
4. Do they fit with your overall style/vision? Some vendors such as photography, videography, calligraphy, and live painters have various styles. Are you looking for dark and moody photos, or an impressionist painter? Make sure the vendors you are interested in will be able to deliver the end product that you want.
5. Do they have stellar reviews? Check to see if a vendor you are interested has reviews posted or can provide some upon request. Reading reviews is a great way to get a feel for how previous clients viewed their experience with the vendor. Also make sure you can find some recent reviews. If the most current review is 2 years old (or older), that may be a red flag that this vendor does not do much business or has had unhappy clients.
There are so many vendors at so many different price points. Give yourself time to conduct research and find the right vendors that meet your needs.
Happy wedding planning!