Let’s talk a little about commitment…the commitments you’ll be making with your wedding vendors. One of the chief sources of stress in wedding planning happens within the hiring of and relationship with vendors. Weddings are a significant investment regardless of your budget. Most couples make price the only deciding factor in their vendor choices rather than first considering the vendor’s quality of service. All too often, this is a decision that is later regretted after the deposit is paid or it’s too late to cancel a contract and hire another vendor. My husband and I decided to cut a couple of corners financially in our wedding planning and we later regretted it. From one bride to another, do yourself a favor and make sure that you’re actually confident with the vendors that you’re choosing before considering their prices!

I’ve created the following steps for your vendor hiring process. They will help you choose vendors efficiently, and that you’re truly happy with.

1. Research: Peruse their websites and social media feeds for visuals of their past work. Find and read reviews, paying close attention to insight on their customer service, communication, and reliability.

2. Reach out: Make a list of your top five vendors in each category based on visual representation of their work and consistency in reviews. Call them to request a meeting in person or over video call. If you are not able to reach them with a call, follow up with an email. The purpose of your video or in person meeting is to get acquainted with them, get a sense of how well your personality meshes with them, and ask them questions about how they work. If you like what you’re hearing and feeling, ask about their availability and pricing.

3. Narrow down your contenders: Sit down with your fiancé and discuss how you are feeling with each vendor and determine who you’d like to sign a contract with.

4. Book: The best vendors book quickly. So once you have your choice made, reach out to them for the contract and lock them in as soon as possible. When this process is delayed, it often leads to having to start at square one all over again!

5. Follow up: This is a courtesy step for the vendors that you choose to not hire. Let them know that you’ve chosen a different vendor and thank them for their time. This will save you the frustration of extra emails and messages to deal with as they go through their follow up process.

6. Communicate: As wedding plans become finalized, let your vendors know of any changes that take place in the plans so that they are well prepared and best able to serve you.

As you follow these steps and book your vendors, remember that if something is important enough for you to include in your wedding, it is important to do it well!

Photo credit: Rob Hickey Photography