In the last week I have been contacting potential wedding vendors for our reception in Omaha, and I wanted to share some tips while they were still fresh in my mind. Having a destination wedding can make this step easier for the ceremony, as you really don’t have to contact vendors - it’s taken care of by the resort wedding coordinator. However, since we decided to have a reception in Omaha as well, we have to manage some of the traditional details brides have to work through, such as selecting vendors for various parts of your wedding and/or reception. So as you start to contact your potential vendors, here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH. The first thing I did for any vendor was research and make a list of those that I liked. It takes some time, but it helped me to feel more confident that I was getting a great vendor. I would check social media for examples of their work, look around for reviews and ask people I knew for recommendations.
2. NARROW IT DOWN. Once I made a good list, I narrowed it down to my favorite 2-5 vendors and sent an email. Narrowing it down to just a few was helpful because sometimes too many options is more overwhelming than helpful!
3. ASK FOR THE SAME INFORMATION FROM EACH VENDOR. Getting the same information from each vendor makes comparing easier. You’ll want to be able to compare what services will be offered and included in a price in order to get the best idea of which vendor is right for you.
4. MAKE SURE TO ASK ABOUT THOSE HIDDEN FEES! Taxes, gratuity, service fees, delivery fees and set-up fees are all things that can be added on to a cost and may not necessarily be mentioned when you’re first inquiring about services. Don’t forget to think about tips you may want to add on for a job well done!
5. FOLLOW UP. Even if we chose a different vendor, I still followed-up with all those that were gracious enough to respond. I think it’s courteous to send a simple thank you and let them know you went a different way.
We’ve been on the hunt for DJs and dessert vendors, and I’ve used the tips above when contacting each one. When we made a decision, I felt confident that we had all the information and chose the best vendor for our reception!
images via Pinterest
