7 Qualities to Look For In a Wedding Vendor
Picking the Best Day-Of Team For You
There are a lot of wedding vendors out there. How do you sort through the hundreds of florists, venues, and DJs to find the right fit for you and your wedding? What’s more, once you’ve narrowed your list down to your finalists, how do you narrow that list down to just one?
Vendors are the lifeblood of the wedding industry. They bring your vision to life and all work together to make your big day the best it can be. That makes picking your day-of wedding vendor team one of the most important decisions a newly-engaged couple can make.
Thankfully, there are ways to find the right wedding vendors for you. We’ve been asked before what makes a good wedding vendor. The unfortunate reality is that there isn’t one concrete answer. There are many factors that need to come together for any wedding vendo to be right for you. Some of the main ones to look for are:
Works well as a team
Easy to get in touch with
Enthusiastic about their work
Knows it’s about you
Experience
Reputation
Within your budget
If you find a wedding vendor that checks all the boxes here, don’t wait to book. You may have just found your perfect vendor.
1. Works Well With Others
Working well with others may seem like an obvious quality to look for, but it’s also one that’s frequently not considered. A vendor may seem great one-on-one, but when the big day rolls around, you don’t want to find out that your photographer is in a screaming match with the florist. That’s not what anyone needs right before walking down the aisle.
Your vendor team is exactly that: a team. Even though everyone has many different jobs, they have one main job in common: making your day the best it can be. And a big part of achieving that goal is being able to work with each other.
A wedding vendor team has to be ready and willing to help each other to make the day perfect. The DJ should coordinate with the photographer to make sure the lighting is right for the big moments. The caterer should coordinate with the wedding planner to make sure everyone’s in position for cake cutting. Examples like this show how important it is to be able to effectively and efficiently coordinate big wedding moments as a team.
With a rogue vendor, you may find yourself having your first dance while the photographer is outside taking glamour-shots of the guests. That’s not a problem any bride or groom wants to have.
Having a vendor team that works well together makes the day a well-oiled machine. That way, even in the event something not-according-to-plan happens, your vendor team can all work together to solve potential problems. If they do it well, you may not even realize anything was wrong!
What you can do: Ask them about other vendors they’ve enjoyed working with or who they would recommend. If they can immediately offer you other vendors they like, that’s a sign they’re comfortable working with a group. If they can’t come up with a single other wedding vendor they have a good relationship with, that may be a not-so-good sign.
2. Easy To Get In Touch With
A good wedding vendor also needs to be reachable. After you’ve booked them, no matter who the vendor is, there will be a lot of coordination. From getting the flowers just right to nailing down the nuances of the timeline and seating charts, it’s important that you be able to get in touch with your wedding vendors.
This is another quality that, while important, is also overlooked. Though the importance of this quality also comes down to how you’re planning your wedding.
Some couples have a very specific vision for how they want the day to go. They’re very involved in the planning process with every vendor and want to make sure each vendor is totally on the same page. For couples like this, it’s important to have vendors who are able to get back to them in a timely manner. If aspects of the wedding day are subject to change, then you need to know they know the most recent plan.
Other couples take a more hands-off approach. They’re simply happy to be getting married, and everything else is icing on the cake (wedding pun, we’re very sorry). If your wedding is more relaxed, then incredibly prompt response times may be less important. But that’s not to say that they’re unimportant. Even if you’re letting your vendors do their own thing, you still don’t want to be unsure if they’re going to arrive on time or if they fully understand all their responsibilities.
What you can do: Exchange more than a single email with the vendor. How quickly do they get back to you? Take note of their response time. If you find yourself having to send multiple emails or leave several voicemails to get a response, that could be a bad sign. Weddings notoriously may have last-minute changes. How will you convey those to a vendor you can’t get ahold of?
3. Enthusiastic About Their Work
A wedding vendor phoning it in is never a pretty sight.
The sad reality is that some vendors have been in the wedding industry for too long and are just over it. While this isn’t a common phenomenon, it does happen.
You’re excited about the possibilities of your wedding day. So your vendors should be able to match that excitement with comparable enthusiasm. It shouldn’t be like pulling teeth to get a vendor to tell you about how they can help you achieve your wedding day vision.
Enthusiasm can mean everything when it comes to the day itself. To see just how important passion is, think about the opposite. Would you want a DJ who just sat in one spot the entire time, begrudgingly making announcements? Or a photographer who just sighed and dragged their heels every time a big wedding moment happened?
Those seem like obvious No’s right? That’s the difference enthusiasm makes. A DJ who’s fired up about what they’re doing also fires up a dance floor. And a photographer who’s genuinely excited about their work brings out that energy in others to take the best photos.
Enthusiasm and passion about their work is without a doubt one of the most important qualities of an excellent wedding vendor. Thankfully, it’s also usually something you can pick up on just by having a conversation with the vendor.
What you can do: Ask your vendor about other weddings they’ve done that they’ve enjoyed. If they’re passionate and enthusiastic about what they do, they’re generally more than happy to tell you about weddings they had that really shined. While they’re telling you about past successful weddings, take note of their tone. Do they sound bored or genuinely excited?
4. Knows It’s About You
The most important person on your wedding day is you. That’s a fact that a good wedding vendor understands. Your wedding is not them time for them to make it all about them. Understanding where the focus should be is also a mark of a good team player (see #1), so it’s definitely not a wedding vendor quality to skip over.
Knowing that the day is about you is similar to being a good team player. But it goes further than that, too. They should understand that if you want something that may be slightly different than what you’re used to, it’s up to them to help make that want a reality.
Granted, there is a line. It’s unreasonable to expect your vendors to do unreasonable things. A wedding photographer may not be comfortable with being asked to scale the roof of the venue to get an overhead shot of everything. But a DJ should be able to accommodate on-the-fly music requests, and a wedding planner should be flexible enough to make a shifting timeline work.
A certain level of flexibility is required when it comes to a wedding. On your wedding day you may find you want to spend more time doing one activity than another. And that’s okay, it’s your day. Your vendor team should be able to work together to make it work.
What you can do: Ask your vendor to describe a typical wedding. Does their description seem like it’s all about them? Or are they talking about the bride or groom and how they worked with them to make the day the best ever? Take note of the words they use. Does it seem like it’s all about them? Or that they work with the couple to make the day great?
5. Has Real-Life Experience
You don’t want your wedding day to be someone’s training ground. For best results, we’d generally recommend going with an experienced vendor.
But it’s not just years of experience that make up a good vendor. It’s also familiarity with the specific venues, other vendors, and weddings as a whole. That’s the kind of experience that makes for a well-rounded vendor.
With some wedding vendors, level of experience may be even more important. When it comes to roles that involve coordinating the day itself, there’s no substitute for real-wedding experience. For vendors like the DJ or the wedding coordinator, experience is an absolute prerequisite. Would you want somebody who’s never really been on the mic to be directing the flow of the whole day? Or someone who has no experience managing other wedding vendors to be in charge of the timeline?
Many skills can be learned by studying. But many other skills require real-world application. Wedding vendors are not exempt from this truism. No wedding is exactly like another wedding. You’re a unique person, so you’ll have a wedding unique to you. This is something that an experienced wedding vendor not only anticipates, but plans for.
There are even aspects of the wedding day that can’t be planned for. If something breaks or goes not according to plan, it’s experience that helps vendors devise a viable plan to solve any issues.
What you can do: Ask your vendor how long they’ve been working in their current position. Do they have significant previous wedding experience? Or are they just getting their feet wet with weddings? How many weddings do they typically do per year? These are questions that can give you a feel for how much real-wedding experience a vendor may have.
6. Learn Their Reputation
In many cities, the wedding vendor community is a small one. Many vendors know each other and have worked together. And many vendors will have opinions about other vendors. They may not come right out and say it, but if you ask about a particular vendor, you should be able to tell what people think of them based on their reactions.
You don’t just have to ask other wedding vendors either. If you’re finding potential vendors by asking newly-married friends or family, ask which vendors they liked and what they liked about them. This can help you get a feel for a vendor's reputation.
These days, you don’t simply have to rely on word-of-mouth vendor referrals, though. There are invaluable resources online that can show you exactly how hundreds of other couples felt about a particular wedding vendor. Do they have good reviews on wedding websites or Google? Do they have any reviews at all? Do they maintain an active online presence? And do they seem connected to the wedding community as a whole?
Checking out a vendor’s reviews and reading testimonials is a great way to vet any potential vendor. If they seemed nice on the phone but only have dozens of 1-star reviews, something may be wrong.
However, going by reviews alone is not a good strategy. It’s also important to get to know the vendor, even just a little. What was a perfect wedding vendor for one couple may not be perfect for you. Know what you want when you’re on your vendor hunt.
What you can do: Do a little research about your potential vendor. If it’s a referral from a friend, ask that friend what they liked about the vendor and what they didn’t like. If you think you’ve found one who’s a good fit, then see if they have solid reviews. Don’t go entirely by one or the other.
7. Within Your Budget
Ah, the dreaded wedding budget. Often, this is one of the more uncomfortable aspects to wedding planning. But it’s also a reality that can’t be ignored.
You may have found the absolute most perfect DJ. But what do you do if they’re 3x more than your allotted wedding DJ budget? Do you sacrifice the DJ for a less expensive alternative? Or forego a different vendor so you can have your dream DJ?
Unfortunately, that’s up to you to decide. We can offer some advice though. Being in weddings as long as we have, we’ve learned it’s smart to be upfront with vendors about your budget. Set your budget when you begin the planning process (and maybe even allow yourself a little budget wiggle-room). Then, when you’re making your list of vendors to contact, find ones that fit within your budget.
But, if you found one that’s just absolutely perfect, there are ways to cut costs. One of the most common we’ve seen recently is couples doing their own decorating or writing their own save the date cards. That may free up the budget required to get that dream DJ after all!
What you can do: Know your budget going in. It’s heartbreaking for many couples to find an absolutely perfect wedding vendor, only to not be able to book them due to cost. If you have a rough idea of how much you’re willing to spend on each vendor, you can make a list of potential vendors who fit within your budget.
Finding the Best Wedding Vendors For You
Final Thoughts on Vendor Selection
Tracking down and vetting wedding vendors may seem like a daunting prospect to newly-engaged couples. But when you know what you’re looking for, it can simplify the vendor selection process drastically.
Some of the most important qualities to look for in a potential wedding vendor are
Works well with others
Easy to get in touch with
Passionate about their work
Knows who the spotlight should be on
Has actual wedding/event experience
Has a good reputation
And is within your budget
If you go into planning for your vendors with these qualities in mind, choosing the right vendors can be a breeze. Also, have fun with it! It’s not every day you get to plan a wedding. Savor the memories!
If you’re planning a Pittsburgh wedding and need some more guidance, we’re happy to help! Contact Loyalty Entertainment for Pittsburgh wedding DJs, wedding photography, photo booths, wedding planning, videography, dance lessons, or just to chat about how your big day can be the best day ever.