By Michelle Owens, WPICC of Mo & Co Events

As a wedding planner, one of the most important things you can do is establish relationships with other vendors within the wedding industry, even other wedding planners! This will not only help you to provide better service to your clients, but it will also help you to build your own business.
In this article we will discuss the importance of preferred vendor relationships.

This industry is mostly filled with solo-entrepreneurs, and very small businesses. Building a list of preferred vendors and friend-ors will allow you to expand creatively and give you the support that you need professionally and personally.
Creating a preferred vendor list is an essential part of wedding planning and can be a great way to ensure that you are getting the best possible service for your clients. By having a list of vendors that you feel comfortable recommending to your clients, you will be able to provide them with the best possible experience.

The most important items to keep in mind when creating this list and these relationships, is recommending other vendors and businesses who are reputable, reliable and affordable. These should be based on your personal experience so that you can speak to their work.

This list should include vendors that provide high-quality services, and are easy to work with. Remember that if you recommend them, they are a direct reflection of you and your business. Having a list of vendors that you trust and can recommend to your clients will help to ensure that the wedding day runs smoothly and without any issues. This also allows you the power to create a total dream team of vendors for a day that you will be a part of. This process is mutually beneficial.

Establishing relationships with other vendors within the wedding industry is also a great way to network and build your business. You will be able to collaborate with other vendors to create unique and interesting wedding experiences, as well as to get referrals from them. Building relationships with other vendors will also help you to stay on top of the latest trends and styles in the wedding industry, so that you can offer the best to your clients.

Here are a few easy ways to work and establish relationships with other wedding and event
industry vendors:

Tag them in your Instagram stories and your social media

When other vendors are tagged in social media content, all they have to do is press share and they then have content on their pages themselves. It is mutually beneficial when both vendors then share each other’s pages to their entire following.
Example, as a wedding coordinator if you tag a venue and they share your post on their story, they potentially have 50-100 clients booked just for that upcoming wedding season alone that are following them on social media and will see your page. They might realize that they want hire a coordinator for their special day at that venue.

Create a preferred vendor package

As a wedding and event professional, having this rolodex of all your favourite and go-to reliable vendors is a huge bonus for you as the business owner but also for all of your clients. You will find yourself referencing this guide for yourself after working with so many vendors.
Let these vendors know that they are in YOUR guide. It goes a long way for them to know that you’re spreading the word on their name and their business, and they’re likely to do the same in return.

Including wedding vendors on your mailing list, not just potential clients

The more tips and tricks and industry insights you can share with your mailing list, the more engagement you’ll receive and you’ll remain top of mind when these vendors are asked for their recommendations in your profession. As a wedding planner for example, there is a huge benefit to all of the other vendors involved on an event day to having you there. Remind them of your value so that they’re more likely to recommend your services to their clients.

Overall, establishing relationships with other vendors within the wedding industry and creating a preferred vendor list for your business and your clients is essential for any wedding planner. Not only will it help to ensure that your clients get the best possible services, but it will also help to build your business and stay on top of the latest trends.