The Beauty of Choice – Initial Consult
Charleston, South Carolina: a premiere destination location and a top choice for weddings. Conversely, this means you will find a large pool of vendors. In spite of your initial surface research, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the choices. The following list offers ways to avoid trouble when hiring your wedding vendors!
1. First, Google the name of the vendor personally, and the business name to check reviews online. Do not assume that the reviews on their website are the only ones out there.
2. Will the vendor you spoke with will be at your wedding? This is critical, especially as you determine how you build the relationship with the vendor during the planning process!
3. Be sure to get a signed contract that includes the vendor’s signature (not just yours) and be sure all the specific details of your event are on the contract.
4. Get a physical address as well as a phone number for the vendor or company you are using. If there is trouble with their phone you will want somewhere to go to reach them directly. Likewise, if the vendor does not answer calls you will need a way to find them.
5. If possible, meet your vendor personally, bring many questions, and see how he or she responds. You can even do this via Skype or Facetime. Be sure that the vendor you are speaking with will be at your event on your big day, not just the person that does the booking.
Vetting Your Options
6. Additionally, learn what happens if there is an emergency and they cannot be there?
7. Furthermore, learn about the number of years he or she has been a professional wedding vendor. Just working at private parties or events is not the same as a wedding! How many actual weddings has he (she) been paid to work? Can you look up reviews from other wedding clients?
8. Inquire about how he or she will dress for your event? Do they plan to bring multiple vehicles? If so, how many will need to be accommodated for parking? Even more, how much power do they need?
9. At the same time, find out what time they will be there to set up for your event.
10. Finally, ask to see the forms he or she uses for planning the event. Are the forms professional, comprehensive, and easy to understand?
Hiring Your Wedding Vendors – Closing Thoughts
As you can see, Weddings are complex and Hiring your wedding vendors are, arguably, even more complex. Many things are happening that can be magical or, conversely, tragic depending on the experience of your vendors. Follow these guidelines to be sure that you get vendors that will take diligent care of you and your guests. Isn’t a little more money for amazing wedding vendors worth your peace of mind? Especially on a day that only gets one take.
Cheers and blessings to you and your family!
Michael Peifer- President
Wedding Music Charleston
Event Music Charleston
Chairman- Charleston DJ Alliance
Cheers and blessings to you and your family!
How do I know if a wedding vendor is legit?
Selecting a wedding vendor from a large pool of choices brings up many concerns – including the legitimacy of the vendors. Do they deliver? Pro tip: check out the unbiased reviews on their website. With the advent of social media, there are plenty of ways to dig a bit further and ensure the person you are hiring will deliver!
How do I reach out to potential wedding vendors?
This is a great question. Depending on how you wish to communicate, you may find reaching out via email or DM’ing on social media to be beneficial. Maybe you wish to call or text. The biggest key to success: how fast do they reach back out to you? Are they communicating effectively and providing insight into how they will be working with you. That initial contact will tell you a lot about the business’ character.
How do I find my local wedding vendors?
Word-of-mouth recommendations are still the most popular and long-standing way to find local wedding vendors you can trust. You can also research online vendor marketplaces and consider the options available. Another pro tip is talking with your venue, wedding DJ, or wedding planner. They usually have the intel!