Now please don't let this send you into a wedding planning nervous breakdown. I said I only want to examine this briefly today, and I mean to stick to my word. What I have done to reassure you thought is share with you some really useful words of advice that I have compiled based on brides & grooms l have worked with & some whom l did not but they were disappointed without following the list below.
1. When it comes to finding suppliers, word of mouth is one of the most reliable sources of recommendation. If you don’t have friends who can recommend, then trawl popular wedding blogs. Bloggers will generally only publish the work of suppliers who enjoy a good reputation in the industry.
Use Twitter and Facebook to engage with other Brides to obtain feedback and recommendations.
2. Be as thorough as possible with your questions to your suppliers, particularly the venue and the wedding photographer as these tend to be the most expensive items on your wedding day shopping list. Be very precise with your explanation of what you are looking for (reportage, traditional, intimate photos etc) Ask the photographer if they have an assistant and ask to see his/her portfolio.
What would they do if they were ill on the day? Be absolutely sure that your photographer is comfortable taking the kind of pictures you would like for your wedding.
3. Hire a planner if you can. Not all planners are a luxury, and many offer stand-alone services like 'suppliers search' or 'on the day coordination' {how reassuring to have someone there on the day to ensure everything runs perfectly}, which is a lot cheaper than full-coordination and will give you complete peace of mind.
3. Hire a planner if you can. Not all planners are a luxury, and many offer stand-alone services like 'suppliers search' or 'on the day coordination' {how reassuring to have someone there on the day to ensure everything runs perfectly}, which is a lot cheaper than full-coordination and will give you complete peace of mind.
4. Always, always take time to read carefully through any contracts and question anything you are unsure about. If a supplier doesn't have a contract – think again. They should have one – to cover their back and yours. It's a business no-brainer for anyone working in the wedding industry.
5. When booking with a venue – make sure you are free to bring in independent suppliers and are not obliged to have to use suppliers that the venue recommends.
6. Ask what the suppliers background is (how long have they been established, where have they worked, what is there experience) and from there you can then ask to see testimonials/references from past clients etc.
7. Reassess how you are spending your budget. Sometimes its worth paying a little extra for the reassurance that a job is done professionally and that supplier comes vetted with so many years of experience. It is worth looking at a supplier as a package, not solely focused on how cheaply you can cut a deal.
8. Stay in touch with your suppliers – keep in regular contact with them in the run up to your wedding.