We appreciate brides who want to be the anti-bridezilla! You ladies are wonderful! We’re gonna help you out today by sharing some things that you can do to treat your vendors well. This may seem like a soapbox-y blog post but I promise that it’s not – don’t worry! This is purely an informative post because this is probably the first wedding you’ve ever planned 🙂
1. Always follow up to their emails
You’ll probably send inquiries to a lot of different wedding vendors when you begin planning. You’ll send out a bunch of emails everywhere and then eventually, you’ll narrow down your choices and pick *your* wedding vendor. You should follow up with the other wedding vendors, even if you aren’t going with them or their services, and here’s why. Wedding photographers (for example), usually only take one wedding per weekend. Usually you inquire, receive their pricing information, reach out to other vendors, choose your top 1 or 2 choices, meet with them, and put down a deposit. Awesome! After that, contact the other photographers and let them know that you “thank them for their time and info but went in a different direction”. Short and sweet and your photographer is free from uncertainty!
From the photographer’s perspective, you inquired, they sent you their info, and then crickets. They have no idea what happened! If you went with a different photographer, are hesitant due to the price, if you never received their info, or are just prone to procrastinate 😉 Who knows! Send a friendly follow-up so they can file your inquiry away or answer any questions you have!
2. Let key vendors eat when the bridal party eats
Photographers, videographers, and planners have a lot of duties to handle during your wedding reception so this section is specifically for them (us!)! From the bridal party entrance to the first dance and the cake cutting, dinner is one of the few moments of downtime that they get. So let them start eating soon after you do! Flattering pictures or video of people eating – that’s not a thing. Once the bridal party is done eating is prime time to begin the special dances and your planners will be busy coordinating. You won’t want any of those vendors to miss the action. There are sad stories of brides not being able to enjoy their wedding dinner (don’t let this be you!) and there are also similar sad stories of vendors needing to choose between scarfing down their food or making once in a lifetime magic happen (don’t let this be your vendors!).
3. Set out an extra guest table for them
Similar to #2, your vendors should sit at a guest table. By all means, you do *not* have to put a centerpiece on the table or place them anywhere near the head table but having your vendors eat with the rest of the guests ensures that they don’t miss a beat. Some venues suggest for vendors to eat in the kitchen or somewhere away from everyone else and while that maintains a professional appearance, you run the risk of your most important vendors missing some precious moments. Your photographer won’t be able to photograph clinking glasses and special kisses during dinner, your planner may not be able to tell your dj that your dances are starting 20 minutes later than they were scheduled, your vendors can only do so much with the situations they are given. Helping them do their job helps you have a seamless and smooth wedding day and beautifully documented memories!
4. Give them a good review or feedback
A small business’s reputation is really important (of course) so if you enjoyed your experience with them, spread the word! Alternatively, if there were areas of improvement, let them know!
If you have a planner, they should have all of this in mind for your wedding so take a breath because these things you just read about will all be taken care of!
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