What is one of the best kept secrets to a successfully executed wedding? Treat your wedding vendors well! The old adage “You catch more flies with honey” has never been more applicable. It’s simple: be kind to them and they will work harder for you! Everyone from your florist, planner, and photographer to even the calligrapher, seamstress, and bartender will go the extra mile to ensure your day is magical IF you have a good working relationship. But are you annoying your wedding vendors without even realizing it? While seemingly innocent, doing these seven things could put a riff between you and the pros!
Expecting Unrealistic Response Times
Be patient. Sometimes life just happens and a vendor cannot respond within 24 hours. Sometimes, they can’t even do it within 72. If it’s a Friday (when they are prepping for that weekend’s wedding, a Saturday (when they are at said wedding), or a Sunday or Monday (when they are recuperating from said wedding), your vendor’s response time may be delayed. It’s ok to give a simple nudge and let them know you are waiting for an answer about something. But make sure to consider their work schedule and cut them a little slack on certain days of the week.
Acting Like You are Their Only Client
While your wedding may be the only one you are working on, remember that this isn’t the case for your wedding vendors. In most cases, they are juggling several dozen clients at a given time, some of whom may have weddings happening well before yours. Appreciate and respect the prioritization that vendors have to give clients. Recognize that you are one of many. But KNOW that on YOUR wedding day, you will have their undivided attention!
Asking for Discounts
Would you ask Target to sell you something for less just because? Do you attempt to haggle pricing with Amazon? Of course not. What makes it ok to ask small business owners to discount their products and services? Trust us when we say this: wedding vendors are not trying to take advantage of you. They are not making millions of dollars off of your wedding. They are earning living wages, and they are paying their staff the same. They are paying for overhead of products, facilities, equipment, and supplies. They are paying taxes and continuing their education to bring you the latest technology and trends. A vendor’s prices are what they are for many reasons. To ask to eliminate products or services you don’t need, thereby lowering the price, is one thing, and some vendors are happy to do this. But to ask for a discount simply because? So not cool.
Not Knowing What You Want
Vendors don’t expect you to have every detail of your day mapped out ahead of time. If you did, what would their job be? They are happy to guide you, help you verbalize the seemingly jumbled mess of ideas in your head, and come up with solutions you didn’t even know you needed until you had them. But you have to provide them with some direction. Some of the toughest clients are the ones who say, “I don’t know what I want” or worst yet, “I don’t care.” You need to provide some foundation from which your vendors can jump off. Even knowing what you DON’T want can be very helpful in determining what you DO WANT.
Not Communicating Well with Them
When you first book your vendors, ask how it is best to communicate with them. Some prefer email while others would rather you just pick up the phone. DMing on social media is cool for some pros while others don’t even know how to check their Instagram DMs (no joke). Figure out what works best for you and your pros and stick to that channel of communication. Likewise, try to gather your thoughts and send clear, concise messages, rather than a hundred stream-of-consciousness thoughts with no relevance to one another. This will allow your vendors to keep your wishes organized, which means they are more likely to be able to grant them!
Not Giving Them Creative Freedom
Wedding vendors have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest and other social media platforms. They should be used as inspiration, not a blueprint. Social media, magazines, and hell, even wedding blogs (ahem!) can be great tools to spark creativity but asking your pros to replicate something you saw online? Probably not the best idea. Not only does it rip off the original artistic but it also doesn’t allow your vendors the chance to do the very thing you hired them to do – use their talents! Find people you trust and who understand your vision and then LET IT GO! Trust us…the results will be much better than you could have imagined.
Not Being Appreciative
Think about your boss. Doesn’t it stink when they undervalue you and your work? Damn straight it does, and it’s no different for wedding vendors either. They pour their blood, sweat, and tears into their jobs; they do not take being a part of someone’s once-in-a-lifetime day lightly. Start channeling all those manners you learned in kindergarten and show your appreciation for all their hard work and dedication. A very simple “thank you” goes such a long, long way. Things like a hand-written note, an online review, singing their praises on social media, or recommending them to family and friends are EASY and FREE ways to express your gratitude.
