Wedding Vendors – Who to Hire?

Every engaged individual is filled with excitement, and it’s completely natural! You’ve found someone who understands you, loves you, and wants to spend a lifetime with you. You’re both eager to start planning the wedding day, but let’s be honest, the process can quickly become a whirlwind of exhaustion and stress. That’s why we’re here with seven tips to help you make your wedding vendors a perfect choice for you!

When evaluating any business, it’s essential to realize that businesses constantly evolve and can have setbacks. It’s fair to say that anyone can get hit with the unexpected at the most inconvenient times. This is a note of common sense and caution because businesses will be sold, closed, change hands, have a financial crisis, and/or have life-changing experiences with babies being born and enduring family losses. In the service industry, vendors, venues, shops, and services are only as good as their last event. As the prospective client, you must do your due diligence and see if their status quo is the same.

• Ask for a Certificate of Insurance or (COI) from the wedding vendor. As mentioned in tip two, most business entities will file their legal name with the state, even if it is as simple as ‘Doug Wilson d/b/a Wilson Photography.’ Additionally, they would need basic liability insurance. The cost is minimal for most vendors, protecting them from slip-and-fall, equipment loss/breakage, and life’s mishaps! COIs are good protection for all should any property be damaged while at an event.
• Read wedding vendor and venue reviews to get a full picture! When it comes to reviews, take your time with them. Read and analyze because reviews can be manipulated, but there are signs of authenticity to look for. Check for specific details like dates, client names, and event pictures. A glowing review with detailed experiences and accompanying photographs is a good indicator of a satisfied customer! Additionally, when someone has no recourse but to go to the keyboard to vent, chances are they are speaking their truth. Remember that there are always two sides to every story; read and listen to the details carefully. These details matter most; pay attention.

• Referrals are equally, if not more, important. If you need help determining where to get a referral, check your local bridal groups and/or post a question about the wedding vendor. Usually, you’ll get instant feedback. You can also ask the vendor to offer you three emails of the couples with whom they worked within the last 90 days. Most vendors are happy to do that, and if they hesitate – do a little more digging! If you have booked a venue already, ask the banquet manager if they have a ‘preferred wedding vendor’ list- most venues do.
• Social media pictures can be a good and a lousy resource—most wedding vendors post organic and authentic images or videos on social sites. However, many will buy stock photos or join photo clubs like FreePik to obtain pictures for their feeds. You can test it by grabbing a photo from their feeds and dropping it into “Google Image Search” to see what it pulls up. If the photo originated with them, then Google’s algorithm will reflect it. If it’s on many other websites, especially a competitor, that’s probably a red flag. It may have been shared quite a bit if it’s a popular post, so keep that in mind and check the shares.