A few days ago I was at the grocery store, and I was trying to decide what bread to buy. There were so many options out there. Even within a brand, there might be 4 different types. I ended up sitting there for like 10 minutes looking and comparing. It was overwhelming! The same thing happens to wedding couples all the time. There are too many wedding vendors out there and picking can be confusing and stressful. Today, we are going to look at How to Evaluate and Pick your Wedding Vendors.
How to Evaluate and Pick your Wedding Vendors
I like to tackle problems in an organized way and with a process. If you go through the steps, you should be able to find the perfect wedding vendors without losing your mind.
The first thing is to create a way to keep track of everything. I would suggest some form of a spreadsheet. In that spreadsheet you can put info as you go and update things when you make a decision.
Make a List of Wedding Vendor Options
The first step in booking any of your wedding vendors should be to make a list. Go out there and gather as many options as you can find. Look in Google, WeddingWire, The Knot, and ask people for recommendations. Take all of those names and put them into your spreadsheet. Don’t fret about getting every single business out there. If they don’t show up in one of those options, then they probably aren’t the best option.
First Impression of Each Wedding Vendor
Once you have your list, it’s time to start looking into all the options. Go to their website and take a look around. What do you notice? How do their photos and words make you feel? Can you gather anything about their personalities or what they care about?
Don’t spend more than 2 minutes on each site. Do a quick look and then give each vendor a score and maybe jot down a few notes. The point of this first impression is to quickly narrow down all the options out there.
Trim the List of Wedding Vendors
At this point, you can get rid of a good portion of the names on your list. Now, I wouldn’t suggest deleting them. You never know when you might have to go back and look for someone. Instead, make a new tab in your spreadsheet and add your top 10 or 15 to that tab. These are now your finalists.
Research your Wedding Vendors
Now, you can start researching your top choices. Check out their reviews on Google and Facebook and other platforms. Are they a real business or is this a hobby? Do they do this full time? How many years of experience do they have? See how much you find out about them on their website and feel free to reach out to them and ask questions.
All of this information lets you know more about them. It gives you a better idea of the type of person you are looking and whether they can be trusted for your big day.
Schedule a Meeting with your Favorites
Usually, this will narrow down your list to maybe 2-4. From there, schedule a meeting. This will get you a chance to actually meet the person and see what they are really like. The website might say they are full of energy and fun, but are they really? Are they giving off any weird vibes or red flags or do you love talking with them?
Look at the cost and collections
I know a lot of people are going to ignore me on this part, but I really suggest you don’t look at cost until the last few steps. If you start off basing everything on cost, that becomes the most important thing, and you might miss out on some really great options.
Also, if you find someone you just love, you might be willing to change your budget. I know personally, I will spend more money when I find something I really want.
Now, I will say there is at least one situation where looking at the cost earlier would be best. If there is something you don’t care about and simply want the cheapest, then yes, look at cost first. This is your wedding, though, so I hope you care about most of it.
Hiring your Wedding Vendors
At this point, you should only have 1 or 2 options left, and you should know a ton about them. If you still find that you can’t make up your mind, go with your gut. Often, our minds get in the way, but our gut really knows what we should be doing. Trust it!
I know planning a wedding is hard, especially in these times, so I hope this has been helpful. Hopefully, you now feel more confident about picking your wedding vendors and excited to start that journey.
