In this three part series, we are sharing info that your wedding vendors desperately want you to know it comes to working with them.

So, without any fluff and further ado, let’s dive right in.

One: Read Your Contracts

This should be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. You wouldn’t believe how many couples sign contracts without any knowledge of what’s written. Wedding contracts aren’t like your boring Apple Terms + Conditions that you have to agree to in order to install a new iPhone update. Wedding contracts share and hold viable details in which you’ll have to reference back to during your planning and timeline creation.

For example, in your venue contract it will state how long alcohol can be served, what time you have access to the venue, what is your responsibility for cleaning up at the end of the night, and SO much more. All highly important things that other vendors will ask you about as you book your wedding pro team.

Your wedding photographer, videographer, DJ, and wedding planner contracts may include a clause about how you will be responsible for providing them with a meal during the reception. Your rental company contract will include exactly what is included in setting rentals up and picking rentals up (i.e. Do they just drop off items or do they place items?).

Vendors really, really (and I mean, really, really) hate having to use the phrase, “It’s in the contract…” when having to defend something that you may be having concerns about because you state that you were unaware of a certain rule or rules.

In fact, vendors actually like when couples will ask questions about contracts before signing because it means couples are reading the contract. Never will vendors ever mind explaining why they have a specific clause or providing more clarity on a clause when asked.

Please, vendors cannot beg you enough, read your contracts.

Two: Feed Your Vendors + Two Sub Points

It is important that you consider your wedding pro team when it’s time to eat.

Wedding vendors that will be on-site during your reception should also be included in your final count with your caterer. The most common vendors you’ll need to factor in for your final catering numbers are: DJ, Planner and their assistant(s), photographers, videographer, photo booth assistant, bartenders, and catering staff.

Keep in mind if you have a band their meal often needs to be prepped ahead of time since they will be playing during the reception. What a band expects for their meal time is always included in their contract (Hence, why the first point made is to READ your contracts).

While we are on the topic of food, two sub points vendors would like for you to know…

• Have a vendor table if the venue doesn’t have a designated space that vendors can gather to eat.

• Please know when vendors pause to refuel this is so they can continue to provide you with their absolute best work.

Three: Vendors Are Not Out to Make You Spend All of Your Money

Wedding vendors (at least the ones who are truly genuine about business) are not out to nickel and dime you. They understand that you have a budget and they respect all budgets.

When sending proposals, you may have sticker shock and that’s okay. Be open and honest with your vendors. If they are able, they will work on ways to stay within your budget. However, there may be times when they simply cannot stay within a particular number for exactly what you have in mind and want.

For wedding venues especially (but in reality all vendors), know that venues sell TIME. So when you ask to have an extra hour for getting ready or an extra hour for reception, that comes with an hourly cost. And, again, to reiterate point three it isn’t because they want to nickel and dime you, but because they have to cover the cost of their staff, energy bills, water bills, and so on. The longer you want to have access to the space, the more bills rise and staffing has to be on-site.

Wedding vendors are not millionaires. They do what they do because they truly love it.

Four: Tell Us What You Think

To quote specifically a photographer, “If we don’t hear back from you after you receive your final gallery, we assume you hate all of the pictures and hate us and we just wanna cry.”

As funny as that statement is, it’s the truth for all of your vendors. Your vendors have gone above and beyond to make your day everything you dreamt so after your wedding if you don’t tell them thanks or leave them a review, they wonder in the back of their mind if they met your expectations. Vendors love hearing your feedback. So as much as they loved being apart of your wedding, make sure to tell them how much YOU loved having them apart of your wedding team.

Five: Wedding Planners Are Valuable and Needed by Everyone

Disclaimer: A wedding planner did not submit this tidbit. Photographers and caterer’s actually mentioned it.

Now that you have the disclaimer, it’s important to add a wedding planner to your wedding budget. Even if you are an extreme Type A person, having a planner on-site the day of your wedding is crucial to your wedding. There are planners in Arkansas who offer wedding management services, which include rehearsal coordination, day-of coordination, and timeline curation if you know you don’t need a full-service planner.

Wedding planners are stress-relievers for your wedding party, family members, and wedding vendors. Knowing a point person for all communication the day-of your event helps everyone instead of having to play telephone back and forth throughout the evening.

Six: Please Know We Love it When You Tag Us!

The final point for part one of this series is this… Tag your vendors!

When you share your wedding images on Instagram and Facebook, make sure to give your vendors credit by linking their social media handles. We promise they love resharing and reliving your wedding day.

Plus, when you tag them it helps them with word-of-mouth referrals and referrals from past clients that they loved working with are always the absolute best.

This is part one of a three part blog series. If you are a vendor and would like to suggest a tidbit for our next blog, please contact us. Thanks!

Image Credits | Social Squares

P.P.S. Edit to add that Part Two has been published and you can read it here.