Selecting the Best Wedding Vendor Team for Your Big Day
When it comes to your wedding day, there are no take-backs with vendor teams. When you hire a vendor, you should not have to hope that they show up on time or even at all. You should not have to wonder if they will get in the way and become the center of embarrassment. You should not wonder if they are going to do their job properly, with professionalism and respect. You should be able to trust your wedding vendor team to do their job and to do it right the first time, because there are no re-do's of your first kiss. You can't feed your guests tomorrow if the catering is three hours late. You get the picture.
So, take some time to select vendors that you know you can trust, vendors that have a good track record of caring a little extra about their clients on the day-of. It would be better to have a photographer who is there to capture all the moments of your day than to hire one that is taking Instagram videos all day to promote their business and neglects to capture the most important parts of your day because they are distracted and they don't care about you. Learn about your vendors before officially hiring them. Read about them on their website, stock their Instagram and Facebook pages, and chat with them over the phone or even better, a video call. Do your due diligence so you know what to expect on your big day.
When you chat with your potential wedding vendor either over a phone call, a video call, or in person, ask your vendor a few extra questions. Ask what would happen if they got sick. Ask what their policy is for cancellations and rescheduling. Ask if they have back-up gear or supplies if something goes wrong. Ask what got them into the industry and why they enjoy what they do. Ask what their future plans are for their business. Get to know who they are on a more personal and relational level. Ask them what they like to do in their free time. The more you get to know your vendors and how much they care about their work, the better or worse you may feel about choosing them to be one of your vendors. Remember that you are hiring them to do a one-time job.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that just because a vendor is wildly successful that will mean they will be the best fit for you. Maybe you hire a videographer who is super outgoing and chatty, but you are more low-key and don't like the extra attention they bring to you. Maybe you hire a florist that is amazing at modern, minimalistic designs, but you love wildflowers with textures and soft colors. Maybe you hire a DJ that loves to sing opera, but maybe that's just not your thing. Just because they are "the best" does not mean they will be the best for you and your needs and desires. Hire your vendor team to match your personalities and how you envision your day to look and feel like.
Every vendor is their own entity. If you plan to hire both a videographer and photographer, know that they will be working together throughout the entire day. If you are unsure whether they will enjoy working with one another, don't hire both! If your videographer has no experience and your photographer is an absolute pro you are going to run into issues. In general, find vendors with similar skill levels and abilities and/or can get along and work together despite differing experience levels. Think it through before hiring these vendors as they not only will be working with each other all day, they will be with you all day as well.
Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate you and the love of your life. If you've been dreaming about this day for your whole life, do the due diligence of getting to know your potential vendors and you'll thank yourself later.
