Let’s face it. Finding the right wedding suppliers isn’t easy.
And all the rest that comes with it is even more confusing and overwhelming.
They told you plan a wedding was difficult, but YOU DIDN’T THINK IT WAS SO STRESSFUL.
And now you are there, on your laptop at 3am in the morning(or night!) looking desperately for a substitute vendor as the one you choose previously disappeared and you simply cannot get in touch with him. He let you down and you can’t forgive yourself because you should have known better.
Hey, time out!
Relax, breathe in and breathe out and repeat “IT’S NOT MY FAULT”
You just need to focus on one thing at the time.
That’s why I made a clear checklist for you to follow with outlined the most important things to watch out when you are looking for a Wedding Supplier. 🧐
Ready? Let’s dive in 🤿
What to look for in a vendor?
Looking for your wedding vendors is by far the most delicate part of the entire wedding planning process. You cannot just randomly choose your suppliers, but you need to carefully consider a number of factors before to proceed. After all, the magic of your Wedding Day will come true only through the expert hands of your selected Team. Therefore, select the right component is dramatically important.
First things first, have a good think about what you want the vendor to deliver on the day. If you have a solid list of things you want the supplier to do and provide, it’ll be easier to judge their proposal. It’s pretty risky not thinking about your requirements beforehand, and it means you need an exceptional level of trust in your vendor.
Top Tip – sometimes the supplier will know what you need better than you will – to get the best of both worlds, you can ask them for what they think they should deliver and combine those
Here are some other great ways to source vendors that are all tried and tested methods:
- Ask newlyweds friends for recommendations
- Brides Facebook Groups – these are a goldmine as everyone is willing to share and trade information (about that why not join mine London Weddings SOS 2020 – 2021 -2022 to get Top Tips from professionals everyday?Just saying it!)
- Wedding professional association as the UKWAP or NAWP can help to direct your choice.
- Wedding Directory as BLoved, Hitched, Love My Dress
- Wedding publications as Brides or You and Your Wedding
Prepare to Meet the Team
When you first approach a vendor, let them know what you’re after and check whether they’d be available for your Wedding date. I would check if they specialise in the service you require (their website might be a good indicator).
Email is a great way to clarify points and confirm conversations, but a phone call or face-to-face meeting gives you a real sense of the people you’ll potentially be using. Avoid just relying on websites and glossy brochures.
When talking with the vendor try to establish some trust. If you can’t feel comfortable on a personal level, don’t dismiss it – brilliant vendors are great, but if you can’t get on well together, then it’s likely your guests won’t either, which could hurt your Wedding Day vibes.
These are some tips on how to get ready to meet your Dream Team:
- Know your budget: knowing how much you can spend is very important as your suppliers can work out the right solution within your budget. To learn how to work out your Wedding Budget click here to download my Free Guide to Create your Wedding Budget
- Make a list of everything you’ve already taken care of so your vendor can create an estimation of the price as much as possible closer to reality
- Create a mood board on Pinterest that includes wedding decor ideas, colour palettes, food inspiration and more so your suppliers can have a better idea of the vibes you are looking for your wedding day.
- Have a clear idea of what you like and what you don’t like so your vendors are aware and can take it into consideration while planning out for your wedding day.
Working With Suppliers
Each individual supplier plays an equally important role in creating the perfect day so it is essential that everyone involved in the wedding sees its delivery as a partnership. Here are some ways to ensure the smooth running of your Wedding Day:
- Communication: if you don’t have a Wedding Planner coordinating your suppliers on your Wedding Day, it is absolutely crucial that you communicate with them promptly any changes that may occur as much earlier as possible so they can adequately plan ahead and be ready for it.
Tip – Call them some days before your wedding to recap your Wedding Plan and make sure everyone has understood exactly what they need to do and the timings for each phase are stated clearly.
- Professionalism: Yes, I know that this is mainly down to the suppliers themselves, but you need to play a role in here as well. Create a great professional relationship with your suppliers means mutual respect and trust. Build on this by trusting their judgement and expertise, they have of course done this dozens of times and will be able to offer advice on what will work and what won’t.
- Organisation: One of the most important things for wedding suppliers is to be organised, which means you need to be organised too. Make sure you provide your suppliers with written checklist, supply the correct details and times and a full wedding day running order.
The Small Print
Contracts, fun right? Eww I know what you are thinking. Not exactly your thing.
However, I am going to teach you how to love contracts. Yes, because they help protect you and your family on one of the most important events of your life, so it’s crucial to get them right.
I got some tips for you that can make everything much more easier:
Service/Product Description: This is the most important part of any wedding contract because this is where your supplier specifies what it is that you will get for your money. You’ll want to be 100% clear both about what is provided and about what is not included, so that everyone’s expectations are matched and there are no conflicts during or after your celebration.
Cancellation Policy: Of course you don’t want to call your wedding off, however, if we all learned something in this C – Year is that bad things happen so it is better be safe than sorry. The cancellation T&C’s is that part of any contract in which outlines the terms that apply in case your wedding is cancelled. Here the time is often crucial as in most cases a refund is issued in relation to how much time in advance the change of plan has been communicated. So before signing in check with your suppliers if you have questions in regards to this part ,they will be happy to clarify and make you as much comfortable as possible!
Summary of Fee: This is where is outlined the investment pattern and it is utterly important that this is clear to you so you can budget ahead. In fact, most wedding vendors will require an initial booking deposit and then either another payment during the planning process and/or a final payment just before your wedding. As long as you are aware of when each payment needs to be made you will be fine. And remember: if it is not on the Calendar doesn’t exist! So either way if you are a handwriting lover or a tech – savvy I recommend you to think about what is the best way to keep things in line for you!
A Wedding Agenda or a Planning App? Good question for another time blog post! 😊 I think we covered enough up there for one day!
I honestly hope get a bit of reliefs from this big chunk of information and that this could really help you in your suppliers sourcing.
If you loved it and you want more, why not following me on Facebook and Instagram to get everyday new wedding contents and ideas!
I’ll be there to answer your questions and help you to make your journey in planning your wedding as smooth as possible!
✨And remember make every day a charming experience with Enchanting Weddings & Events! ✨