How to Choose Vendors for Your Wedding

Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking and many brides end up using multiple vendors to make their dream wedding a dream come true. Choosing vendors can be tricky and when so many people do so many things, interviewing vendors is key.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A budget
• A wedding planning notebook
• Time and patience.

1. Set a budget. This should be the first thing you do. By setting a budget and vowing to stay within its limits, most brides avoid overspending. If money permits, hire a wedding planner. This will save you time and effort in the long run, as planners usually have a set list of vendors they work with and are willing to interview and finagle with others. While wedding planners will save you the headache, they may not save you money.

2. If you are going to "go it alone" and interview your vendors yourself, be prepared. The first thing most brides do is choose a venue. If you can, go to as many venues as possible and ask them very specific questions, such as "Is there an extra fee for the ceremony if the reception is held at the venue too?" "Does the site offer set up and break down of the tables and decorations?" "Does the site offer food or a preferred caterer?" Prepare your list of questions ahead of time. Be prepared to pay extra if you want to bring in food or a cake from a different vendor.

3. Be firm and willing to negotiate. I want chair covers at my wedding in place of some pretty horrible red chairs. The venue provides said covers at about $900. Because I am on a limited budget, I found my own that will be set up and picked up by a company for $300 less! That is a huge savings. I was also able to sweet talk my way into allowing the venue to let me bring in a different chair cover provider.

4. Be organized. If you are having several vendors, like flowers, baker, chair covers, lighting and more, make sure everyone one has the proper contact information. They should know who one another is. The florist may need to set up a meeting with the baker if you are having flowers on your cake and so on. Make sure they communicate with each other and with you. On the big day, give someone else the responsibility like a bridesmaid or mother of the bride. Give that liaison pictures and descriptions of everything you have ordered and make sure the vendors know to contact that person and not you; you will not need to stress on your big day.

5. Interview several vendors. I fell in love with the first florist I met, her ideas were amazing and I wanted to use her. However, I interviewed two more florists and found one who could do the same job for less money. I went with my third florist interviewed. The same goes for music. Meet with several musicians and choose the one who will do what you want and won't bust out the rap because that is what he likes.

Tips & Warnings

• Be kind. The nicer you are to people, the more willing they are to do nice things for you. If you call and complain they will be less willing to help out.
• Use word of mouth. If your vendors are great, tell all of your friends. The same goes for if the are bad. Do not badmouth a vendor you chose not to use.
• Pay your vendors on time and before the wedding day. You do not want your caterer interrupting your slow dance to ask for his final payment. If you do pay at the last minute, write the checks out ahead of time and assign a member of the bridal party (usually the best man) to pay the vendors.
• All research need not be done in person. A lot of companies have their prices online. Researching and narrowing down your choices can save you a lot of time when you only have to interview three florists instead of ten.
• Try to go with vendors with no overhead costs. This means Djs and florists who work from home. When they do not have a building to pay for, they can usually charge less.
• Do not wait until the last minute. Interview and book your vendors ahead of time to ensure their availability on your big day.