The search for your wedding vendors can be one of the more daunting tasks in planning your wedding. Your vendors will play a significant role in how smooth and trouble free your wedding planning process and your wedding day will be. So I wanted to share some of the qualities that I, as a wedding planner, look for in the vendors that I recommend to my clients.

Integrity

Integrity is an obvious first priority in qualifying your vendors. Look for vendors who will provide you with a contract detailing the specifics of the services that you expect them to provide. Ensure that all charges are listed on the contract as well. If a vendor is hesitant to provide a contract, look elsewhere. Your peace of mind and your investment are too valuable to risk on a vendor who isn’t straightforward.

Communication

When you are planning a wedding, there are so many details and points on the to-do list. The promptness of your vendors’ communication can either make or break the speed and smoothness of your planning process. Fortunately, you usually can get a feel for this early on in your contact with a vendor. Avoid vendors who don’t respond within 24-48 hours of your initial contact, with an exception being made if you’ve contacted them over the weekend, their busiest days of the week. Look for vendors who respond with an opportunity to schedule a conversation and a willingness to answer your questions. Communication is so important to me that it was actually the first quality that I noticed about my husband, Joe, a wedding photographer, when I first met him while planning a mutual client’s day. His responsiveness to the very first timeline I sent him for the wedding caught my attention and made a great first impression!

Accomodation

Vendors are your best resource in answering questions related to wedding logistics, the flow of the day, crowd control, etc. However, your wedding day should be an expression of your style, preferences, and your own story. If a vendor is pushing personal opinions, you should not hire them. Some examples of this could include a DJ or planner who insists on a specific template of toasts and dances at your reception, or an officiant who won’t budge on the readings included in your ceremony. A supportive vendor will give you options to make your vision happen, and explanations if your requests aren’t feasible.

Teamwork

A wedding involves many moving parts that need to work together. A seamless wedding day depends on the vendors working together and communicating so that everyone is on the same page. When teamwork happens, you will get the most value from each of your vendors’ services. When you’re interviewing vendors, ask them if there are other vendors that they prefer to work with and why. If, during your conversation, they talk excessively about themselves and complain about other vendors or clients, run! They’re giving you a preview of what you’ll hear from them from now till your wedding day.

Conclusion

Your wedding vendors are your key players in making your wedding day come to life from the beginning of your relationship with them through your wedding day. As you interview and choose each one, give yourself time to check out reviews and pay attention to how comfortable you feel as you speak with them. Check into their cancellation policy so that if you find red flags after signing the contract, you’ll know what your payment obligations are. Once you find vendors that you feel comfortable with, snatch them up quickly!