How to Choose Your Vendors

Congratulations! You’ve said “yes,” and now it’s time to plan the wedding of your dreams.

But with so many vendors vying for your attention, how do you find the perfect ones to make your big day unforgettable?

Hopefully you have already sat down and discussed with your partner what your wedding priorities are. If you haven’t, take a moment to talk about this as it will make your decisions that much easier.

With your priorities sorted out, you are now ready to start booking your vendors. But how do you choose? There are so many to choose from — how do you find the ones that will work best with you?

Here are our steps to finding vendors that suit you and your wedding.

Define your priorities & budget

This list may not be perfect, but make a list of what you want that vendor to provide. It will help you receive a clear proposal and quote while also eliminating vendors that can’t provide what you are looking for. This is also a great way to save some money as you may pay less in delivery and set up fees and reduce stress as fewer vendors are easier to manage!

Here’s what to include:

• Budget: Determine a realistic budget for each vendor category (e.g., photography, catering, venue).
  
• Experience: Specify the minimum experience level you expect (e.g., number of weddings photographed, years in business).
  
• Style: Indicate your preferred style (e.g., classic, rustic, modern) to ensure alignment with the vendor’s aesthetic.
  
• Availability: Mention your desired wedding date and timeframe to check their availability.
  
• Insurance and licensing: Ensure they have the necessary insurance and licenses for their work.
  
• Communication preferences: It’s important to make sure that you jive with your vendors for communication — do they prefer email, phone calls, etc?

And for specific vendors:

Specific Vendors:

• Venue: Capacity for guests, ceremony and reception space options, catering options (in-house or external), availability of audio/visual equipment, parking facilities.
  
• Caterer: Desired cuisines, dietary restrictions to accommodate, service style (buffet, plated), bar service options (open bar, cash bar).
  
• Photographer/Videographer: Hours of coverage, editing style (traditional, artistic), number of photographers/videographers, delivery format for final photos/videos.
  
• Florist: Types of flowers preferred, overall theme and color scheme, specific floral arrangements needed (bouquets, centerpieces, etc.).
  
• DJ/Band: Musical genres you prefer, ability to take requests, sound equipment and setup needs.
  
• Stationery: Desired design style, types of stationery needed (invitations, save-the-dates, menus, etc.).
  
• Transportation: Type of vehicle needed (limo, bus, etc.), number of passengers, pick-up and drop-off locations.
  
• Cake/Dessert: Desired flavors and styles, dietary restrictions to consider, number of tiers for the cake.
  
• Hair and Makeup Artist: Trials beforehand, experience with your desired styles.

Find your dream team of vendors

You can find vendors through many channels —

• Google
• Social media
• Wedding directories
• Wedding publications
• Wedding shows or fairs
• Word of mouth

When you find someone that you may like, make sure that you write down their info or save their website so that you can revisit after you do some more research.

Oh, or you can hire a wedding planner — we’ll hook you up!

Narrow it down to your top faves

This is a great opportunity to weed out any vendors that do not meet your list of requirements, match your style, or are within your budget. This way you don’t waste your time or theirs.

Some of your requirements will be hard boundaries. For example, you can’t fit 200 guests in a venue that can only accommodate 150 guests. Some of your requirements might be nice-to-have, but not required. For example, ideally you would like to have your photographer and videographer from the same company, but what if the photographer that you love doesn’t offer videography services? Don’t let this stop you from reaching out to that photographer.

If you still have a long list of vendors, consider their style or the way they work. Does it match your wedding and how you want to work with your vendors. If it doesn’t, then get those vendors off the list.

If you can find their pricing (sometimes this is not published), take a look and see if it is within your budget or could you go over budget and cut something else out if this is your dream vendor?

Inquire with your shortlist

Once you’ve completed the other tasks, it’s the time to inquire with your favourite vendors on your list. Include in your inquiry the date of your wedding (if you have it), location (venue or city), and what services you may be interested in, and the best way to reach you!

Likely the vendor will respond to let you know their availability, give you an idea of price points, and then book an appointment to meet to discuss your wedding. I always suggest meeting with your vendors, especially those that will play a personal role on the day.

Ensure a smooth experience — make sure they’re legit

Your meeting with the vendor is a great opportunity to understand if they are running a legitimate business.

First, they should have a business licence and carry insurance.

Second, they should have an idea of the licences and permits needed for your wedding. For example, when I work in neighbouring towns I need to have licences for those towns or I risk being band from working at those locations.

Third, they should have reviews that you can look at. Google Business Profiles are great and some directories also have reviews on them. If there is something concerning in the reviews, you can ask the vendor about it.

Fourth, ask for references of their work whether that is a former client. That way you can talk to someone directly about their experience!

And finally, see if they have are a part of any professional associations or memberships!

Get the contract!

Once you have met with your vendor and you think that they will be a great fit for your wedding, get the contract and read it over carefully. If they don’t have a contract, it’s a massive red flag.

Make sure the contract protects you as the client as well. It never hurts to have a lawyer look over these contracts if you are unsure.

Relax & enjoy!

If everything checks out, it’s time to sign on and start the wedding experience! Congratulations on finding your wedding dream team. Now you can relax, enjoy the planning process, and know that your wedding will be everything you wanted.

Remember, if you have any questions or need help navigating the planning process, a wedding planner is always here to support you!