How to know you’re hiring the right vendors for your big day

10 minute read

The age-old dilemma for consumers is that you don’t know how good a product is until you buy it, right? Well, maybe that’s true. I know in my life I’ve found many of my preferred products through this trial and error approach, which works well for low-commitment items like toothpaste and breakfast cereals, because eventually that tube or box will run out and if it didn’t become your favorite, then no worries! On the next trip to you Target you can try something else!

But what if you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime type of event and you only have one chance to get it right? Do you really want to – and can you afford to – wait until the day of the event to find out whether you’ve made the right decision? If you’re anxiously shaking your head right now, then lucky for you we’ve gone ahead and put together this handy list of 8 pearls of wisdom to consider when swiping through those seemingly endless profiles of potential event vendors.

1. Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner: It’s your event, are your vendors listening to how you want it to be? While advice and guidance from your party squad does matter – I mean they are wedding pro’s, right? – let’s make sure that your dream team is trying to match their services with your dream, not the other way around! Your wedding is supposed to be a reflection of your tastes and vision, not just a stage for us vendors to show off all our tricks and talents, so focus on partnering up with the ones that focus on you, not on borrowing the spotlight for themselves. Now let’s see you shine!
2. DO Believe the Hype: Is your Gala Gang genuinely excited about your event, and/or events in general? Most of us wedding vendors get into the biz because we love music/flowers/food, etc. Or just the electricity and excitement of being part of some cool couple’s big day! When it’s real, you’ll know it, and that energy will transfer to your event and guests. You’ll see it on our faces and hear it in our voices as we help build your perfect day! If there’s no hint of that light in the initial meeting and communication, then beat it, hit the road Jack, runaway bride! Go find someone that provides the same service, but who you’d enjoy being around because they’re enthusiasm is infectious! Like we say at our office, Good Vibes Only!
3. Communication Breakdown: Remember that Rembrandts song at the beginning of the hit show Friends? If you just went “clapclapclapclapclap” in your head, then we’re already on the same page! Nothing deflates the development of your dream day quicker than a service provider that accepts your booking and then pulls a Steve Miller Band on you (…Take The Money and Run, get it?) You’ll definitely have questions during this process, so you want to know the vendor you hired will be there for yoooooou all the way from the point of booking till your friends are Ubering home after the banger reception! Keep in mind that while most of us wedding vendors are still biologically humans with semi-normal lives, families and sleep schedules (in other words, don’t panic if we’re not answering texts at 2:00am while you’re up poring through Pinterest for ideas – winky face) you’ll feel secure with someone that you know will get back to you in a reasonable amount of time, with real guidance and answers that are pertinent for your big day!
4. Back, Back, Back It Up: Just to be clear, I don’t believe in Murphy’s Law. In my opinion, expecting things to go wrong is a pretty pessimistic way to go through life. But in the business of weddings and events, if you aren’t planning for the worst and hoping for the best, then you’ll eventually experience both of those extremes, and most likely not when the stakes are low. So, a really good qualifying question to toss in the mix when interviewing your lineup of Celebration Squad Hopefuls is “What’s your contingency plan if…?” then fill in the blank with your choice of catastrophic circumstances. The point is NOT to try to foresee every possible issue that could arise on your day of days (they’re endless, trust me we’re writing a book!), rather it’s to see if the vendor you’re considering hiring actually has a backup strategy, and how they’ve weathered wedding whirlwinds in the past. This is where that ole “ounce of prevention” platitude is going to serve you well! If there turns out to be ra-i-aaaaain on your wedding day, you’ll be glad you hired a team that not only thought to bring an umbrella, but also made sure it matched the flowers!
5. Routine, Routine, Routine: They say practice makes perfect, right? Well, yes, there is definitely some value to experience when it comes to providing a service for a wedding. But for certain services, a lengthy history in the industry isn’t necessarily what makes one vendor better – or more tuned to your needs and style – than any other. That being said, anyone that doesn’t perform a specific task with some level of regularity might be worthy of a little deeper digging. Ask questions like: Do they provide this service routinely? Is it part of their daily/weekly/monthly business structure? It is merely an occasional hobby? – To be clear, I’m not throwing shade on the weekend warrior/side-hustle wedding vendor. I’ve been that guy, and many of them are AMAZING! (Remember: being a Pro doesn’t necessarily mean full time.) What I’m trying to highlight is, do they have a system in place that instills confidence, and helps you to consider issues and options that you hadn’t before? Structure makes the process smoother, and you’ll be glad to build your event with someone that already has a solid foundation.
6. Let’s Review: What a client says about their experience working with a company is sometimes a different perspective than how a company presents, markets or sees itself. Have you read recent reviews about this vendor? Check wedding platforms like The Knot/WeddingWire/Yelp/Google, etc. Make sure you know what to expect when hiring a specific vendor based on the real-life experiences of other couples just like you, and that it fits the outcome you want. Do you see a lot of words and phrases like: “fun,” “professional,” “perfect,” “exactly what we wanted,” and “our guests keep telling us how much they enjoyed…”? If so, then go ahead and request that quote, ‘cause it sounds like you might be on the right track!
7. Birds of a Feather: As previously mentioned, we event vendors are normal people (depending on your definition of normal, that is) and just like you, we want to do business with others that we know, like and trust! What does that mean when it comes to planning your wedding? Think of it like a network of trusted service providers – if the same company is popping up on the preferred vendor list at multiple venues you’ve toured, or are tagged in multiple social media posts that are catching your eye, that means they’ve proven themselves to be reliable and professional at those venues and with those other vendors. Bottom line, that’s probably someone you’ll want to call! Additionally, if your planner knows, likes and trusts a certain vendor (assuming of course that you like your planner) then there’s a good chance you will like the referred vendor too! Put together individuals and companies that already have a good mutual history, and that will  pay dividends in the outcome. Like the title of this article suggests, think of these vendors as a team built from different companies, but working together towards the same goal – your perfect wedding. I love it when a plan comes together!
8. May I See Your Credentials?: What makes somebody an expert or professional? Is it the 10,000 hours of practice suggested by Malcolm Gladwell? Is it holding a degree in the subject? Is it simply an unbridled enthusiasm for developing and perfecting their craft? Wedding vendors come from a myriad of backgrounds, experience levels and training (some formal, some not-so-formal) so it’s hard to say exactly what makes one an “expert” in their field. And while many of the professions involved in making amazing events happen don’t require specific, certified licensing (venues, catering, and officiants excluded) they should all still be able to provide a COI (Certificate of Insurance,) and also hold a business license in the city where the event will be held. Keep in mind that some venues are also strict about only allowing vendors featured on their pre-approved list, so take that into consideration if you’re locking in other vendors before securing the venue. Additionally, maybe find out what kind of training and continued education they have for themselves and their staff.

Final thoughts: If you find yourself stuck deciding between two vendors that are similar in regards to pricing and services, don’t obsess, just flip a coin and move on. Sometimes there’s not a right and wrong answer, just a choice that needs to be made. At the end of the day, remember that you’re organizing a celebration, so don’t make yourself miserable during the selection and planning process. This part should be fun too, so inject it with good energy from the get-go! It my experience, the couples that go into the process with an attitude of “we’re going to enjoy ourselves no matter what” tend to have the greatest overall satisfaction with the outcome of their wedding day. So, get out there and start building your Wedding A-Team, but remember to enjoy the journey! I know it’s going to be amazing, and I’m excited for you!