Where Are the Wedding Vendors Hiding?

There is a saying that "It takes a village to raise a child,"  well, it also takes a village to plan a successful wedding!  OK, maybe not a whole village, but it does take many to have a successful wedding. 

Looking for vendors is sometimes a long, tedious task; you may be unclear as to where to  look for your vendors.  Many times a bride’s search for vendors goes something like this:

Several emails are sent and several phone calls are made to various vendors to find if that particular vendor is available on her wedding day and if there is a fit when it comes to her budget.  She waits for return phone calls and emails, some respond and some do not.  She schedules several meetings, she either likes them or there is not a good fit between she and the vendor and thus her search begins again until she finds a vendor that is a good fit.

So what can you do to not go through the above mentioned cycle?

1. Check with past brides.  There are several ways that you can do this.

• Ask friends that have gotten married.  If your friend’s loved their vendors, they are going to tell you.  If your friends did not like their vendors, they are going to tell you.  Referrals are a great place to start.

• Bridal forums.  I have said this several times before, but bridal forums are a great way to find a wealth of information from vendors to DIY projects

2. Internet.  There are several sites such as weddingwire.com, get married.com, theknot.com that will help you to find vendors in your area.  These sites allow vendors to advertise, which is great for the bride because it not only helps you find several in one location, but there are also reviews and pictures of past work as well.

3. Your job.  I’m sure you say to yourself, how is my job going to help me find wedding vendors?  Who plans your company Christmas parties, picnics, and any other social event your company has?  You may have already tried their food and services.  What better way to start than with someone whose services you are familiar with?

4. Other vendors.  Have you booked your Florist?  Ask him or her for referrals for your other vendors.  They work with several vendors and can give you some suggestions.

When it comes to finding vendors to work with, they are out there, waiting to work with you and plan your fabulous day.   One important note, choosing a vendor solely based on price, does not always mean you will receive the best service (if they are the most expensive) or the worst service (if they are the least expensive).

Enjoy Planning!