Red flags to look out for when booking wedding vendors
Once you start digging into the wedding planning process, it can be extremely overwhelming. Everyone you know has opinions and recommendations, and the Internet has a million more. Once you do start narrowing recommendations, interviewing and assessing vendors can be a full-time job! To help you figure out which vendors will help bring your dream wedding to life, I've pulled together a list of five red flags to watch out for in your vendor interviews and early communications, plus a bonus red flag.
Vendors who don't reply in a timely manner. Generally, it's fair to give vendors a window of 24-48 hours to reply to messages, unless they've already clarified their response window. This will ebb and flow depending on the day of the week, season, and availability, but it's a good general rule to apply across all vendor categories.
Major vendors who don't provide a contract. For major vendors (in general, this includes: venues, planners/coordinators, photographers, videographers, content creators, florists, DJs/bands, bartenders, caterers, and hair and makeup artists), your point of contact should provide a contract to be signed by both parties. The contract not only protects the client if the vendor fails to deliver, but it also protects the vendor in case something happens. Smaller vendors, such as specialty food items for example, may not even be large enough to have a contract process, so this may not apply.
Major vendors who demand the full payment upfront. Similarly, for your major vendors, you should not pay the entire amount upfront — your major vendors should only require a deposit upon signing. These vendors will have payment terms outlined in their contracts, and payments will be made in installments, with the majority of the money due in the weeks before your wedding. Those who do ask for everything upfront are most commonly scam artists. Again, your smaller vendors will be on a case-by-case basis for payment terms. And always use your best judgment.
Vendors who won't allow you to speak with their previous clients. Unless you're speaking with vendors who have extremely high profile and ultra high networth clients, this is a glaring red flag. It's generally a sign that something was amiss and those clients did not have a positive experience.
Any vendor who doesn't listen to you or respect your wishes. This could be anything from respecting your budget, abiding by the terms in your contract, following the instructions you give them regarding the look and feel for your event, and more. A vendor who does not listen to you at the beginning of the process will not magically start taking your perspective into account later on. It's likely they have their own agenda that they want to push on to you. This is a big red flag to watch out for.
And a bonus red flag to look out for! For photographers, videographers, and content creators, anyone who refuses to share a full gallery. This doesn't mean you can see every picture or video ever, but you should be able to look through a full gallery or two. The full gallery allows you to get a better sense of the vendor's style, capabilities, and strengths. Again, unless you're speaking with vendors who have extremely high profile clients, this is a glaring red flag. It's generally a sign that these vendors are outsourcing the work, having someone else manage editing, stealing their featured content from elsewhere on the Internet, or using fake photos/videos.
Hopefully these tips help as you're sorting through vendors and developing your vendor list. If you're looking for more specific advice and help with your wedding planning process, don't hesitate to reach out!
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