What the Pros Want You to Know!

Hello lovely readers!  Today I am starting a new feature called "What the Pros Want You to Know."  Originally this was only going to be one blog post, but I got such a great response from my wedding vendor pals that I am going to make this one a series!  Hopefully these tips from experienced wedding pros will help brides who are planning their celebrations be a little more prepared for the vendor hunt.  Finding the right vendors for your big day is super important--they are the ones that make everything happen!

For our first installment, I wanted to share some info that came back from almost every vendor, no matter what their service.  This one is easy: Pros want you to be honest!  Be honest about what you want, be honest about your budget, be honest about your expectations, your worries, your concerns, your hopes, your vision, everything!  No vendor can give you the best service if you do not fully disclose everything you want or need from him or her.  Wedding vendors really want to give you everything you have ever dreamed of for your wedding, but we aren't mind readers.  If you let us know exactly what you want, chances are we can make it happen (and if we can't, we'll politely tell you exactly why).

The second thing all vendors want you to know is that there is no extra special "wedding" charge.  There is this myth that brides and grooms put the word "wedding" out there to vendors and automatically the charges double.  So not the case!  Wedding vendors charge what they do because that is the price it takes to give you the best possible service.  From my experience, photographers seem to bear the brunt of this "all-wedding-vendors-are-overpriced" theory.  On the surface, it makes sense: $3000 for an eight hour day!?!?  However, the work does not stop after your wedding day.  Photographers spend HOURS editing your pictures to get them ready for you.  Plus, all wedding vendors have expenses like advertising, website maintenance, insurance, rent, and equipment--just like any other business.  I promise, vendors are not trying to overcharge you just because it's your wedding day!  Try to keep that in mind as you begin your vendor search.

I hope these tips are helpful and give you brides some insight into the minds of your wedding vendors!  I will be back next week with some specific tips from wedding photographers!

Photo credit: bakeryfantacy.com