Top 5 Mistakes That Couples Make When Choosing Their Wedding Vendors

Planning a wedding can be a daunting task when there are so many pieces in the puzzle. After a couple selects their date and finds the perfect venue for their big day, they usually start thinking about all the vendors they need to hire. It can be overwhelming!

I wanted to make this process a little easier for the recently engaged couples out there, so I created a list of the top 5 mistakes couple’s make when choosing their wedding vendors.

Keep these 5 tips in mind as you begin your vendor search. They’ll help you cut through the clutter & confusion so you can find the vendors that are the right match for you and your wedding!

A bride and groom say their vows during their firestone vineyard ceremony.

#1 NOT HIRING AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL

This is a big one! Your wedding is a one-time event. There are no do-overs, so you simply can’t afford the risk of hiring a part-time or inexperienced vendor. You need your vendor to be an expert in what they do so you won’t have to worry about their quality of service or ability to deliver. Avoid the headaches and hire quality, experienced vendors that will make your life easier!

#2 NOT CHOOSING A VENDOR WHO’S WORK “SPEAKS” TO YOU

Before hiring a vendor ask yourself if their service and/or product fits well with what you envision for your wedding day. Planning a wedding is essentially like putting together a puzzle. You need all the right pieces in place to make the complete picture of your day. So ask yourself “Does this vendor’s work fit well in the overall picture of my day?”

#3 NOT RANKING EACH VENDOR ON A PRIORITY LIST

Let’s be real for a minute…most couples don’t have an unlimited budget for their wedding. They’ll have to make some difficult choices during their planning. Choices like “How much should I spend on my wedding dress?”, “Should we hire a professional wedding coordinator?”, “Do we need a videographer?”, and “do we want to provide an open bar?”. When it comes to hiring vendors, I’ve found the most helpful way to prioritize and budget is to list the vendors in order of importance/priority to you. This will help you discover which vendors are worth investing more of your budget in and which vendors are low priority and should have less of your budget.

#4 HIRING A VENDOR THAT YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH OR TRUST

After meeting or talking with a potential vendor, ask yourself if you felt comfortable with them and if you felt that they were honest and trustworthy. This is especially applicable to vendors like the coordinator, photographer and videographer since you’ll be spending a majority of your wedding day around them.

LA Wedding Photographer

#5 HIRING AN IN-HOUSE VENDOR BECAUSE IT’S EASY OR YOU FELT PRESSURED TO

Some venues have their own in-house or preferred vendors that they encourage you to book with. Some even charge a fee if you decide to go with an outside vendor. If you happen to love their vendor(s), great! But if not, don’t let the venue discourage you from hiring vendors that are the right “fit” for your wedding. Convenience is nice, but regret lasts a lot longer!