By: Amanda Douglas, WPICC of Amanda Douglas Events
You might think that as a Wedding Planner your job is all about the couple. And part of it is, but a lot of it is really about great communication and great relationships with your vendors.
Your vendors are such an amazing resource that should never be overlooked. Working with your vendors – and working well – is going to be one of the biggest assets in your success and your business growth.
I’ve been in the industry for 13 years, have had my business for nine years, and through all of that, I have learned many things on how to work better with my vendors, how to support them, and how intern that makes a better experience for my couple, a more seamless wedding day for everyone, and just all-around makes the job better, funnier, and easier.
Also, it’s just who we – as Planners – should be. People that care for others, care for their experience and care for their wellbeing. That must funnel down to vendors too.
Good communication and relations with vendors is something that should never be overlooked. I put together some tips on how I think you can up your game with better communication with your wedding vendors.
Start early.
When your clients hire you it might be at the beginning, and you’re doing Full Planning, it might be really late; a last-minute booking a month before the wedding. It doesn’t matter when you get hired, make sure one of the first things you do, after you’ve onboarded your client, is to reach out to the vendors you know are already booked and let them know you’re working with the client.
Depending on the package you got hired for you really might not do much with them until closer to the wedding, but it’s important for them to know there’s a Planner in the mix. A simple email just stating your name, your company name, what your role is on this wedding, and that you’re here to support them and will give them further details, a timeline, floor plan etc. closer to the wedding. This little effort goes a long way in good vendor relations.
Be kind.
I feel like I should never have to mention this but unfortunately, I do. I have encountered many vendors that have said to me “You’re SO easy to work with”, “You really don’t get upset about these things to you?”, “Wow, this is all going so smoothly”, “Everything is really running to time and it’s a well-organized”. I think you get the idea.
Of course, I’m flattered, but these should not really be comments that I’m getting. Across-the-board us Planners should have a standard of excellence. Yes, we all come from a different level of experience and a lot of what we do is learn on the job, but vendors should be able to have an expectation of kindness, organization, and efficiency.
On the wedding day keeping things on time for them is just as important as keeping things on time for the couple. And being kind when you’re asking for an adjustment, give them a five-minute warning before another speech, thanking them; these sorts of things go a very long way.
Be available.
Vendors are going to have questions throughout the planning process. If your Full Planning, you’ll be much more hands-on and go to many of the vendor meetings. If you’re just doing Wedding Management or Wedding Coordination, you might only have conversations with them weeks or even a month before the wedding.
Just remind that you are there to support the vendors and answer questions. You’re supported to be the leader, so to speak, of the wedding.
Tip: Make sure when you sent out the itinerary (I call it this, you might call it a timeline) that you follow up. Make sure that they know that they can book a meeting (a short phone chat is what I would suggest) and chat through the day and their role.
Set clear expectations.
On the note – of giving vendors access to you – make sure that they understand what you’re actually hired for. Sometimes vendors will reach out to you with all sorts of questions wanting all sorts of information about a couple. If you’re just hired for Management or Coordination this might not be information you have. Make sure that they understand what your package entails and what you can support them with.
I suggest having a bit of a kind reply here; “the couple has hired me for Wedding Management. I do not deal with any orders finalization or payments within this service. If you’re looking for that final confirmation I would suggest going to them directly but of course, I appreciate a CC to keep me in the loop”.
It can be difficult for vendors to understand what we all do. I’ve even had vendors that I’ve worked with for years still being confused about what I’ll do (and don’t do!). A little kind reminder, and few boundaries, go along way.
Be thankful.
Take some time to thank vendors. Thank them for their efforts, thank them for their good communication, and thank them for what they did on the wedding day. This can be verbal or can be things like making sure they have water, make sure the DJ has food, making sure their table gets called for the buffet line, or just all-around supporting them.
Sometimes this can look like lending a hand when a second shooter is running late, holding a light on the dance floor while the videographer changes cameras, or jumping in to put out some centrepieces when the setup is taking a little longer then florist allotted (there’s a difference between decorators and florist expecting you to do this and this being a kind gesture but that’s for another post).
It’s our job to get a lot done and manage a lot but it’s also our job to take care of vendors. That’s not something that should be taken lightly or overlooked.
So many of our good reviews, and our referrals, come from vendors. Longevity in the industry is not just about clients saying nice things on Wedding Wire or Google; it’s about vendors wanting to work with you, appreciate your role (and how it makes their job easier!), and know you’re a great professional and easy choice for their clients.
These are the people that are in it for the long-haul, they are the people that clients will ask “What Planner should I hire?”, “Who would be the best Wedding Planner for my type of wedding?”. These are the questions vendors are going to get asked and you want to be the one they refer!
Have any other great tips you or suggestions you want to share? Please leave them in the comments below! I’d love to chat!
Thank you WPIC for letting me guest blog! If you want to see more of our work you can find it on our site or on our Instagram.
Happy planning!
Amanda
Amanda Douglas Events is the culmination of owner Amanda’s 14 years experience in events, uniting her creative and organizational strengths together with her passion for distinct and beautiful celebrations.
Amanda is a Certified Planner through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC) and studied Public Relations, Marketing, and Project Management at the University of Winnipeg. She also holds her Event Design certification through the Wedding and Event Institute (WEI). She is an active member of the WPIC Alumni, regularly invited to lecture at their educational seminars.
A founding member of the Manitoba Wedding Network, Amanda is committed to continued education; using her expertise to encourage ethical and professional practices in the Manitoba Wedding Industry.
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