Many of our clients refer to funding their wedding, as a process of “haemorrhaging money”. No denying that a wedding is a costly exercise, and many couples we work with would rather pay a little extra for the right vendor, rather than pick a supplier alone based on a number. That being said, how do you find the right vendor for your event? Just because they are more expensive, does that make them better at what they do? Well, yes and no. The only way to get the inside scoop on the credibility of a service comes down to the value of a good recommendation.
Advice for the Bride and Groom…always a great touch at a reception. Image courtesy Lisa Lent Photography.
We know that the trick to planning a great event is booking a team of vendors who are experienced and trusted and more to the point are professionals (we can help). And unfortunately this is not always the case. There are plenty of weekend warriors out there who sadly supply substandard services. Even though price should be a consideration, we would we never suggest to shop alone on price (comparing one with the other). If you have booked your wedding with Girl Friday Weddings, then you’ll have access to our advice, knowledge and expertise. If not, perhaps it may be worthwhile considering a one hour consultation package to get you on the right track.
So much detail goes into every wedding. Why ruin a beautiful thing? Image courtesy Mint Photography.
Still questioning whether or not the assistance of professional wedding planners is such a valuable service? Lets share a few of our own experiences (we’d rather forget) of our couples who sourced and booked their own vendors.
All that hard work and planning shouldn’t be wasted on a bad vendor. Image courtesy Lisa Lent Photography.
The rockstar photographer.
Our client paid said professional photographer for 10 hours of coverage. Photographer shows up like a rock star on the day of the wedding with her “assistant”. I use the word “assistant” loosely, because she wasn’t really carrying a camera, she was carrying a champagne glass (yes, hers) which she’d ordered from the bar. Meanwhile the lead photographer was busy asking anyone who would listen (including floor staff, venue managers and us), where she would be seated for her crew meal, and explaining to us all that the bride had promised her a 3 course meal because she had agreed to cover the wedding day for 10 hours. Yes, it’s pretty tough doing a job that you’re paid to be doing. Hmm… 3 courses huh. Lucky she has an assistant to capture all those precious moments that she’s going to miss while she’s eating all three courses. There are no words to express this very poor lack of professionalism. Added to “never to be booked” list.
The decorative supplier.
The decor supplier large enough not to care. Our client booked several hundred Tiffany chairs for a lavish wedding at a very prominent venue. On the evening of the wedding, it rained. Even though we managed to move the wedding inside, we still had guests coming in and out with damp clothes from the weather. Slowly one guest after another approached us with stained clothing. It turned out that the Tiffany chairs from this supplier had been freshly painted prior to delivery, and the paint was rubbing off not on to just one or two guests, but dozens. We were asking guests to cover their chairs with napkins, and finding other seating alternatives where we could. Even more unbelievable that we had discovered from the venue, that this is not the first time it had happened with this particular supplier and their Tiffany chairs. The most infuriating was receiving no compensation from the vendor – just a promise to cover any dry cleaning from guests who complained. Fail. Never to be booked again.
The two piece duo.
The musicians who mixed business with pleasure. Finding a decent live music option is actually a lot harder than it appears. At this particular event the two piece duo which the couple had booked were late arriving to the reception, and once they were completely set up, were making themselves at home to the bar. Red wine after red wine consumed prior to this particular duo even taking the stage. And in fact, they held their wine glasses with them while they were performing. Toward the end of the evening it became apparent that they had too much. It’s hard having any kind of control over vendors like this who threaten not to perform unless they are given what they want. It is far easier not to book them in the first place.
No one wants to ever think about planning for the worst imaginable possibility. A vendor referral from a trusted professional with proven experience will help guide you in the right direction, you can peruse our planning packages here. Never shop alone on price (you always get what you pay for), and in the absence of having access to a wedding planner for guidance, do your research, scour forums, look at vendor portfolios and try to speak to other friends and family who may have had firsthand experience to share with you.
