Planning a wedding can be a stressful and often
frustrating experience. There are so many things to
learn in such a short amount of time. Not only do you
have to choose attire for the bride and groom, but
also for the bridesmaids, flower girls, ring-bearers,
best man, maid of honor and groomsmen. You have to
find a site whether you're having an outdoors wedding
or an indoor one. It doesn't matter whether you choose
a hotel, church or park wedding...it's still a task
you have to take on. Then there are the flowers. Should
you have real flowers or silk? Do you want centerpieces
or an arch? The videographer and photographer bring
up more questions. Should you preserve your memories
on video or via pictures? With so many options available
to couples, it's often hard to sort out where you should
start...and how you should proceed.
Vendors of every type and form are the most common
option available to an engaged couple. Of course, there's
a good reason for this...it's very difficult to plan
a wedding without any help whatsoever...and vendors
*are* there to help you with those tasks you need help
with. Whether you choose to employ vendors for every
task or for only a few...it's easier for you if you're
prepared beforehand. The ideas presented in this article
should give you tips on; finding a vendor, finding
the best vendor for you, precautions you should take,
money-saving tips, how to communicate your needs to
a vendor and finally some general ideas and tips.
How to Find a Vendor
There are three main ways to find a vendor...by word
of mouth, through your phone book or from advertising
or print. Word of mouth can come from many different
sources and in many forms. Whether you choose to
ask a friend, family member or a different vendor,
this is the preferred method. It allows the couple
to find out what the general opinion of the vendor
is, as well as what that person's experiences with
the vendor was like. The couple can discuss the general
attitude of the vendor as well as the amount of professionalism
that the vendor exudes. While this is considered
the best way to find a vendor...this method tends to
give the couple a false sense of security. One person's
opinions may or may not mesh with those of the
couple. It also tends to cause the couple to follow
their instincts less closely. In some cases this is
fine, but in other cases...the couple finds that there
is a personality conflict or other problem that they
hadn't prepared for. In any given area of the United
States...you can look to the yellow pages of your phone
book to find a vendor. The phone book can be a form
of advertising for vendors, but has one benefit over
other types of advertising. It allows the couple to
find most (if not all) of the vendors of that type
in their area of the country. With a little bit of
work on the couple’s
part, this is a very easy and useful method of
finding a vendor. Of course...as with any purchase
of services the couple will need to take a few steps
to insure that this is the right vendor for them. I'll
go over a few of the steps in the next section of this
article.
Advertising is an effective tool for finding a vendor
as well. Whether you find your vendor through a television
ad, newspaper ad, over the internet or even from a
bridal magazine...most advertising includes either
rate information or it shows what type of services
that vendor offers. If you have to rely on advertising
to find your vendor you should remember that the biggest
ad doesn't necessarily mean the best services. You
still need to insure that this is the right vendor
for you. There are numerous reasons that a vendor might
have a large (or flashy) advertisement. Some of them
include; professionals who have been in the business
for a while...and are
successful enough to be able to afford the ad, it
may be because the vendor offers a "package deal" at
a very affordable price...but lacks in the service
department, etc. The reasons can be both good or
bad. Always shop around no matter which form you
use to find a vendor.
Finding the Right Vendor for You
Most vendors are highly qualified professionals with
good reputations...and they deserve your patronage
for their quality and professionalism. Unfortunately...as
with any business or service...vendors fall into three
basic areas--good, bad and okay. Most couples want
to find a good vendor...and with a little bit of work
they can.
I prefer to interview a vendor over the phone before
I meet with them. This has one advantage. You can get
a general feeling of whether your personality and that
of the vendor matches or is totally opposite....and
can decide whether to interview in person or not. Of
course this is not always possible and is only one
of your options. Whether you interview over the phone
or meet the vendor first, there are a few questions
that will insure that you choose the right vendor for
you. They are as follows:
1. Does vendor have references (including phone numbers/addresses
of brides/grooms) I can contact?
2. Do I feel comfortable with this vendor?
3. Was the vendor recommended to me by someone I trust?
4. Is vendor willing to work with me to help me realize the wedding want?
5. Are vendor's prices fair?
6. Does vendor listen to my ideas?
7. What type of personality does vendor have? (Example-bossy, friendly, nice
disposition)
8. Is vendor willing to put his/her claims in writing?
9. What is my gut feeling about vendor?
10. Is vendor treating my wedding as if it were a special event (rather than
one among many)?
11. Is vendor helpful?
12. Does vendor treat me with respect?
13. Do I trust vendor to take the special needs of bride/groom into consideration?
14.Does vendor seem familiar with their area of business/expertise?
15.Does vendor give you the type of service that you are looking for?
All of these questions are important as they give
you a "feel" for your vendor and the services
that they offer. Most vendors work hard to insure
that you are receiving a quality product and quality
service at a fair price. These questions will help
you weed out those few that don't. You can use these
questions if interviewing over the phone...then use
them again during the face-to-face meeting in order
to reinforce your initial observations.
Many vendors work from inside their home and many
others work in a business type setting. Is there an
advantage with either? The answer is...sometimes. In
general, those that work from a business type setting
are more professional...while those that work from
home will take more time to be personable. Of course,
it also depends on the vendor...you will find some
vendors that work from their homes to be professional,
while some who work from a business type setting are
very personable. It all depends on what you're personally
looking for...and which you feel the most comfortable
with.
Comfort is perhaps the biggest factor in finding the
best vendor for you. If you don't feel comfortable
with a vendor it will be difficult to trust that vendor.
There has to be trust on both sides with the couple
and vendor relationship. If neither party feels comfortable
the relationship will be a strained one...and things
won't go as smoothly as they should.
Precautions
This section will focus mostly on contracts between
you and your vendor. The first piece of advice is to
always get a contract. A contract will protect both
you and your vendor in the possibility of something
going wrong. As for what should go into a contract...it
depends on the vendor's services. There are a few items
that are specific to the type of vendor, but there
are a few general items you should insist on including...no
matter the type of service. Below you'll find a small
list:
1. Note date of contract, name of vendor and name
of customer
2. Note description (as full of one as possible) of the services the vendor
is offering.
3. Note manufacturer, style #, size or any other pertinent information.
4. Note all additional costs (these can be hourly costs, alterations or add-ons
in the contract).
5. Note price of product or service
6. Note exactly what customer receives for price (an itemized list is easiest
form of this).
7. Note what steps will be taken if service is not given as promised
8. Note any deposits (non-refundable or not)
9. Note date and time of wedding (when services will be rendered)
10. Have both the vendor and customer sign the contract if both are happy with
the terms therein
There are two additional tips concerning contracts
that I can offer to you. The first is to never sign
a contract without reading it and understanding the
terms in it. If you don't understand it, then you won't
know if it's been broken. The second is that even with
a contract non-refundable deposits are still non-refundable.
Which is why you should take the steps outlined above
to insure that you've found the right vendor for you.
The trust factor comes into play extensively during
this stage.
One more note on non-refundable deposits. They are
there for a reason. The vendor needs to protect himself/herself
from fraud just as you do. A non-refundable deposit
is one of the best ways to do this. It is *your* responsibility
to determine whether or not this is the right vendor
for you before you get to the stage of signing contracts.
If you decide that you no longer want or need the services
of the vendor for any reason other than those stated
in the contract...the vendor is protected, and is able
to protect himself/herself against lost revenue because
of a change in plans by the couple.
Money-Saving Tips
Most vendors are very open to negotiation when the
subject of fees come up. Of course there are some items
that have a set price due to cost of materials, time,
etc. While it can be intimidating to ask for a fee
reduction..there are cases in which it is warranted.
Perhaps you don't need a part of the services that
the vendor offers...or perhaps you simply can't afford
the vendors price. It's easier on everyone involved
if you have a good solid reason to ask for a fee reduction.
For example if a florist has a package that includes
20 centerpieces...but you only need 10...ask if she/he
would be willing to cut the price to reflect what items
are needed rather than included. Any changes of course
should be added to the contract.
If you can't afford the services of the vendor, but
would really love to use and have a great rapport with
a vendor...it's more difficult to get a reduction,
as the reason isn't as solid. However you can do a
bit of legwork to compare prices. If you find a vendor
with a comparable product and service but a lower price...all
you can do is ask. Be honest with your vendor. Tell
him/her that it would be difficult to afford the price
he/she has set. Tell him/her that you've compared costs
and found a lower price for the same quality, product
and service, but would rather use him/her. You won't
always get a discount in this manner, but if you're
honest and honorable about it...some vendors do appreciate
being thought so highly of and will reflect that by
matching the other price or offering a small discount.
If the vendor has given discounts regularly in the
past...and you know of someone who has gotten such
a discount...you can ask him/her outright. Some vendors
will regularly offer discounts during certain periods
of the year, on certain non-traditional days for a
wedding (such as Sundays), etc. The only way to find
out if a vendor will offer any kind of a discount is
to ask him/her. They may and they may not, but it's
always wise to ask about the possibility. I'd personally
pay more for great service...and if you feel that the
vendor's price is fair...and you feel comfortable with
the price...then discounts may not come into the picture
for you. This is perfectly acceptable as long as both
parties are happy.
Finally, there is one last way to find a discount
from a vendor. If you have a service that you can offer
the vendor, the vendor may be willing to exchange part
of his services for yours. This is called bartering
and has been around longer than money. People who are
short on money, but have a talent that they can exchange
for services have long used it. The best example of
this that I've personally seen is a friend who offered
years worth of yard work in exchange for the services
of a consultant. She's shoveled snow, raked leaves,
mowed grass and even planted a garden, but both parties
feel as if they got the better end of the deal. That
is the secret of bartering...the services you offer
must be comparable to the services the vendor offers
or else one of you will feel short-changed...which
isn't very conducive to a good working relationship.
If you decide to try this however, be willing to meet
with some opposition. Not all vendors appreciate this
approach...and not all vendors are willing to accept
this type of arrangement.
How to Communicate your Needs to a Vendor
You're finally at the point where you've chosen you're
vendor, signed the contract and are feeling comfortable
with your vendor. Now all you need to know is how to
communicate your needs effectively. This can be accomplished
in many different ways. Speech is an important part
of any communications, but there are other options.
For example; if you are dealing with a bridal shop,
but aren't sure how to communicate the style of dress
you're looking for, you have the option of being prepared
before you visit. Check out bridal magazines, dress
design descriptions from your local newspaper, check
out fashion books from your local library, etc. If
you're reading this it means that you probably have
Internet access...the World Wide Web is one of the
best sources for information that you could ask for.
Try one of the search engines such as Open Text, Yahoo!,
Lycos, AltaVista or WebCrawler. Any of these search
engines will help you to become a more informed customer,
which will make it easier for you to communicate your
needs.
Treat your vendor with respect. Not only does this
add to the vendor customer relationship, but it also
means that a vendor will be more willing to listen
to and help you with problems and areas of their services
that you don't understand. Just like you, vendors don't
appreciate people who act childish, throw fits or don't
respect others without reason. In order to have a good
relationship with your vendor, you need to respect
the fact that they are professionals, that you chose
this vendor for a good reason...and that most vendors
are willing to help as much as they can. Yes, you have
paid the vendor for his/her services, but that doesn't
mean that good manners and common sense have to get
thrown out of the window. Treat your vendor with respect,
and you will be respected back.
