Beware the Wedding Vendors who Overpromise

Photo by Jess Latos Photography (an example of a vendor who promises and delivers!)

Every once in a while I write a post that goes out not only to our potential clients and those engaged folks, but also to my fellow wedding vendors. This is one of those posts, and is a bit of a cautionary tale about vendors who overpromise.

I recently assisted in a wedding in which the clients had very expensive taste, but - frankly - didn’t want to spend the money that accompanies those tastes :) That’s fine, and it happens a lot. But my job as a planner, and every wedding vendor’s job, is to help clients understand what can and can’t be done for X amount of dollars, and then provide alternatives or options. There’s a real danger in “yes”ing your clients (or, if you’re planning a wedding, in having vendors that seem to be too good to be true - are promising a lot, for not a lot of money). If vendors overpromise and underdeliver - the clients are going to be disappointed. That’s not anything anyone wants on their wedding day.

In this specific case, there were multiple vendors who had said they could do X, Y and Z, but actually had never done it before (!) and frankly, couldn’t deliver. One vendor not only failed to do what they said they could do, but actually created a dangerous situation (that I had to insist be taken down). Another vendor simply verbally embellished certain aspects, but it wasn’t in the budget to really follow through on what they’d claimed they’d be able to provide.

So I urge vendors not to “yes” your clients, thinking it’s better to get the sale than to have the tough conversation and have them walk away. It’s not. Having a disappointed and angry bride or groom is way worse than being honest and upfront about what you can and can’t do. And clients - appreciate the vendors who are honest with you. And trust them :) If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Instead, work on either shifting your priorities and budget (move some funds from one area over to another), or shift your expectations and see if some other creative ideas and different options might create a similar result for less money. Because the last thing anyone wants - both the clients and the vendors - is to have anyone be disappointed, frustrated, or even angry on their wedding day.

Hire the best and trust your wedding vendors

Photo by Sam Hurd

I recently write a blog post in which I discussed how important communication is to a stress-free wedding. I had one of my favorite wedding friendors reach out and say that the real key to a stress free wedding is “hire the best and trust your vendors.”

I loved it. Especially as a planner, and therefore someone who guides couples in that decision-making process. So I thought I’d dive into this topic a bit, cause it’s a good one - and one that a lot of wedding vendors don’t often talk about, but should.

Having a good wedding vendor team is essential to eliminating stress on your wedding day. Why? Because if you truly trust your gut in the hiring process, and find vendors that “get” you and ones that you feel confident in, then your work is done. You as the couple getting married get to lean back, relax, and let them do their thing. By letting go and trusting (which I realize, is not always easy), you also let go of the stress and worry on your wedding day.

So when choosing a wedding vendor I urge all of my clients to move past the numbers (though I always stay within their budget!) and really look at the person. Do you not only like their work, but them? Did you choose them just cause they were randomly recommended or did you really read reviews about them, and those reviews spoke to you in some way? Did you feel at ease and comfortable when you spoke or met with them? Or did some red flags get raised, but you pushed those away cause you just wanted a decision to be made so you could move on?

Photo by Jessica Crews

Wedding vendors have all dealt with couples that hired them and then didn’t trust them. And let me tell you - that’s not easy from our end, either. So I urge you all to take your time and listen to your gut when hiring wedding vendors. Better yet, hire a planner that you trust who will then recommend vendors that are a good fit :)

And it’s actually quite interesting that for this huge day, this day when you’re marrying your person, your partner who you will commit to and vow to trust, that you also need to apply that to the other relationships. Though they’re not romantic ones, they are important ones. So hire the best and then trust them to do their best so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your wedding!