how to approach a wedding vendor at a bridal show
The next largest bridal show in the area is coming up THIS Sunday, February 6th at The Centre in Evansville, Indiana.
Bridal shows are a wonderful way to get excited about your wedding with your mom and bridesmaids. But they can also be a little overwhelming.
Here’s a secret: It’s exhausting for us vendors as well. We talk to so many people that literally, by the end of the day we have no voice left.
Still, your excitement is contagious.
So here are a few tips on the best way to approach a wedding vendor at a bridal show:
Be Prepared: Know that you are going to be asked by every single vendor that you talk to when you are getting married and all the deets that go along. Perhaps you can bring along pre-addressed labels for giveaways so you don’t have to write your name, phone number, email every time.
Get to the Point: Let the vendor know what you are looking for or might be interested. Vendors spend MONEY to be in a show and need to speak to as many potential brides as possible. Save your time and theirs.
Let the Vendor Take the Lead: If you have a good feeling and a good conversation, let the vendor have your information to contact YOU! This puts the responsibility in their hands.
No Pressure: Some vendors offer specials at bridal shows, that is a great way to save a few bucks! But don’t feel pressured. A really good offer will allow a bride to have at least a few days or even weeks to make up their mind.
Tomorrow: the finale, how to manage the wedding vendor followup
photog: saundra’s iPhone
plan on!
how to interview your wedding vendor
We are continuing our series on choosing your wedding vendor.
Today we are going to talk to you about the interview. It’s like a “first date” with your wedding vendor. Keep these quick tips in mind:
- Be Prepared: If you are meeting with a florist/designer then bring along photos of designs that you like. This is the easiest way for him/her to get to know your style. Before the appointment, know your budget or at least a glimpse into it.
- Do your Research: It’s important to look at the style of the vendor you are going to meet. If you are looking for a more traditional wedding photographer, then it may be a waste of your time to meet with a photog who’s website screams candid artistry. You can’t change their style, nor should you ask.
- Be Attentive: And let me go a little further, only bring attentive people with you. Imagine sitting with a vendor for an hour consult, and your little brother is bored to tears or your Mom never wanted to attend. This is a distraction that you do not need.
- Confirm: Vendors should confirm the appointment with you, however, if they have not… it may be in your best interest to shoot them an email. Likewise, if something should arise that you cannot make the appointment (these last minute things do happen), please have the courtesy to contact the vendor and let them know. NEVER stand someone up.
- Be Respectful: Respect is a two-way street and is earned. Vendors should absolutely treat you and your family with respect — they want your business! But you should as well. Rolling your eyes or dropping your jaw at their prices, is not in your best interest. And you may stop from moving forward in possible negotiations.
- Interviewing YOU: Know that vendors are sizing you up and interviewing you as well as you are interviewing them. Yes, we run a business, but we also don’t want to be hanging all day with “crazy”. Yes. I’m blunt.
Tomorrow’s tip: how to approach a wedding vendor at a bridal show.
photograph: a good wedding planner friend, Jubliee Events, wedding consultation room
plan on!
how to request an inquiry for wedding services
Our first installment in our series, choosing your wedding vendor, we start with “the inquiry”.
Obviously this is YOU (the bride) requesting for the wedding vendor to contact you. Most of these requests are done through the vendor’s website contact or you emailing them directly. But you could apply the same techniques if you were leaving a phone message.
We wish we could post the web inquiry “client blooper requests” we have received in the past, but that would not be the right thing to do. One planner friend of mine recently received a web inquiry where the bride rambled on and on without saying much of anything and never left ANY way to contact her back. Believe it or not, the vendor is not able to see your email address through a web inquiry form.
Think of it this way, if YOU (the bride) were selling a service, what would you like to learn from an incoming inquiry?
Here are some tips on filling out a web inquiry form for optimal results:
- Email: Be sure to include your email address through the vendor’s contact form. You may not know this, but when you fill this out, it doesn’t show where the email came from.
- Telephone: Please leave a telephone number. You can put in the Comment section if you would prefer to be contacted through email, but sometimes emails bounce and it would be better for a vendor to be able to follow up with a phone call.
- Wedding Information: ALWAYS put your wedding date. It’s great to add the area where you want to get married and what type of service that you may be interested in learning about. Also, THE BEST TIME to reach you.
- Read the Vendor’s Website: Some vendors sell packages and put them online with pricing. Others state on their site that they customize services but will have a starting price (we do that). So asking a vendor to send pricing that sells customized services isn’t very helpful, because they cannot. They should be able to tell you where their service pricing begins or a range.
Following these tips are to help you and the vendor not waste your precious time.
Tomorrow: how to interview your wedding vendor
plan on!
how to choose a wedding vendor series
Engagement seasons is definitely here, and we could not be more happier.
Yes, we are excited about the new business (our families like to eat). BUT, the love and gushy excitement (and dare say, a little panic) is contagious.
If you haven’t already attended a bridal show you may be starting to look at vendors and trying to secure them. This week we are going to feature real tips on how to make that experience the best possible. Which includes how to narrow down your choices and not waste your valuable time.
The benefit? This also helps wedding vendors too! So you won’t miss a beat, take a moment and sign up to have the blog go straight into your RSS feed, email or read it off our Facebook fan page.
Series starts tomorrow! First up, how to how to request an inquiry for wedding services
ps That’s me, Saundra in the photo above. In extreme heat and humidity, my hair looks great! Not!
photog: jordan barclay
plan on!
how to be a maid of honor, or best MAN of honor…
We take great care who to choose who will be in our wedding party. I remember (um, 18 years ago) who I selected to stand up with me. I had 5 great girlfriends that were all over the U.S. and I didn’t want to burden with travel and be in my wedding party. So when it came down to it (and this is a whole different blog post) I ended up keeping it really simple. We chose one maid of honor, one best man and one flower girl (my niece).
Fast forward: this is 2011 and there is no reason why you need, as a bride, to have a woman stand with you. Or vice versa. Sometimes it’s more appropriate to have a member of the opposite sex support you.
We’ve had this happen many times, but today we’ll introduce you to our bride Megan Dendinger Dearing who chose her brother to be the Man of Honor to stand next to her. How endearing is that?
Now, don’t get me wrong. Her bro was a man and wasn’t super keen on holding flowers or fixing her dress. Just in case you decide to do something like this here are a couple of photos to get you through.
You know when the bride stands up to do her marriage vows, she needs to “hand off” her bouquet to her typical, “maid of honor”. Now when this person is the “man of honor”, he doesn’t want to be standing there holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. What to do? Here’s a photo….
That’s right! You can look cool to the guests by holding the bouquet and supporting your sister. What about other formal wedding portraits?
Formals…. have the girls leave their flowers behind and you “man up” next to your sister. We LOVE LOVE LOVE this wedding.
There are only a few rules in weddings. Who you choose to stand next to you, is not one of them.
