What Wedding Vendors Think They Know, but Don’t

Today’s blog is well written and well said, with a little bit of a reminder for all of us as wedding professionals. The reason that we do what we do is for our couples.  Sometimes we need to step back and open up our minds (and our listening ears) to make sure that we are doing what is best for our couples and bringing their ideas to fruition. Thanks for contributing to our blog, Brooke!

By guest blogger:  Brooke Oberst 

I recently got married this past May and learned a lot about myself, and the wedding industry in general during my 10 months of planning and prepping. You should know that not only am I very particular about things, but my husband and I have a non-traditional style. We didn’t want a first dance, I wasn’t going to be wearing white, he wasn’t tossing a garter, and so on. We are laid back people who chose bits and pieces of what many consider to be ‘traditional’ aspects of a wedding. Yes, everything had to be perfect–but it also had to be relaxed. There were so many things that came together last minute some would think we should have just gone to a courthouse. I encountered a few vendors throughout the process that I fell in love with, those were the people and companies I felt comfortable with and wanted to work with. On the flip side, there were many vendors I wished we could have moved forward with, but ultimately they weren’t going to meet our needs because they weren’t able to work with us.

Diamonds Aren’t Always a Girl’s Best Friend

I am not, nor will I ever be, a jewelry girl. I have a nice pair of pearls for work, and my wedding ring, but every other piece of jewelry I am gifted sits on display in our spare bedroom (where the cats and dog can’t get them). Going into our engagement, I knew I wanted my engagement ring to double as my wedding band, with no extra frills. I needed (and preferred) white gold, and when my future husband Mike went to get the ring, he knew a trillion cut ruby was what my heart desired. The original jeweler we went to made shopping for a ring such a hassle, Mike ended up going elsewhere to have it custom made.

Wedding ring vendors take note: There are so many great resources on buying an engagement ring, selecting the stone, and how much to save up, most people shopping for wedding and engagement rings already know what they want and how much they’ll spend. When you force ‘your ideal way’ to buy jeweler on potential customers, you may be turning away profit.

Floral Ideas Can Flourish (with a little water)

I knew I wanted to incorporate succulents into my centerpieces -something that is slowly becoming more popular. Some things to consider when selecting centerpieces are lighting, height, and venue restrictions.  Other things I considered included finding something that was in season (so I could plant it after the wedding), a plant or flower that was cost efficient, and a succulent that would tie in easily with my rose bouquet. The first florist I went to quoted me an exorbitant amount for (what I considered cheap looking) rose bouquets. The second florist told me getting a succulent into a bouquet would be nearly impossible (which it is).

Florists take note: I went with my florist because they delivered on both the execution of the bouquets and centerpieces, and they actually delivered to the venue. Work with your customer. The old adage, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way,’ can’t ring more true in this instance. My bouquet ended up being twice as big because the succulents were too heavy to be supported by a smaller one. My florist explained that, offered me an alternative, and retained me as a customer.

We Can Help You Set Up (kind of)

Vendors have their own way of setting up laid out perfectly in their mind, and I get that. That being said, with a backyard wedding, available space is a whole different ball game. I was lucky–Mike and I got married at my parents’ house. They have some acreage, and my dad was the event manager at a ritzy hotel for 10 years. We had hired a food truck and a large photo booth, both of which would need a lot of room, and were informed of the amount of room they’d need beforehand. Space is so important for having a successful outdoor event, and given the setup of my parents’ property, we had to do some finagling.

For starters, my parents had to have the food truck park on the lawn on the side of the house. We didn’t want people having to go on a trek for food, only to have to trek all the way back to the tables. In preparation, my parents stopped watering that section of their lawn a week beforehand. It made it safe for the food truck to drive onto, and their yard wouldn’t get damaged. They knew what needed to be done, and went for it.

We were given the dimensions of the photo booth a month before the big day. We found the perfect spot and merely had to move around some furniture to make space. When the photography booth showed up, the vendors were displeased with the location we had selected and insisted it be moved elsewhere. If you don’t already know, photo booth placement is vital. The spot they wanted to move it to may have had more space, but, the manner in which the sun would be setting would ruin any and all photos taken in the booth. It took some convincing, but the photo booth remained where we originally intended it to, and we got some sweet photos as a result.

Backyard wedding vendors take note: Customers know their event area better than you do. Listen to what venue owners have to say in order to collaborate in a non-stressful manner quickly and to resolve any bumps that may arise if the location or set up makes your job difficult.

Trust Flows Both Ways

As a vendor, you’ve likely been a part of 100+ weddings. You’re the expert. You’ve seen the mishaps, the struggles, and what works. Just because you have the experience though, doesn’t mean you can’t trust the customer. I placed a lot of trust in our vendors, and having that returned was important.

My seamstress needed precise measurements for my skirt. Her quality of work depended on it. Wedding dress shopping is stressful. PERIOD. My seamstress requested I set an appointment for a fitting, but I wasn’t interested in driving 4 hours to see her for just a fitting. If I had the luxury of taking that time off, I would have spent a day at the spa. She needed to know that I wanted her to get it right just as much as she did. She trusted me to get her the right measurements and I did. My skirt fit beautifully.

All parties involved want weddings to be successful. Vendors need to make money and garner positive reviews, and newlyweds want their day to be everything they hoped it would be–with little to no problems. By ensuring there is trust, a willingness to try things, and the capability to listen and truly hear what someone is asking for, wedding vendors and their consumers can enjoy the fruits of their labor and a long lasting relationship.

Vendor Credits:

Photos: 5 & 5 Photography

Food provided by: Archie’s Place

Photo Booth: Treasure Valley

Flowers: Boise At It’s Best