Planning Tidbit: Vendor Personalities

The number one complaint I hear from both brides I work with and those working on their own, is that wedding vendors can be "unprofessional". While it is not usually the case with the team I work with, with some vendors, it can take days to get a call or email returned and then if you do reach them the follow up can be equally frustrating for some couples. While I'm not a psychologist, I do have a theory for you brides out there: Most vendors, if they are really talented, are artists first and foremost. A florist's specialty is not excel spreadsheets and many bands and DJs are rarely out of bed until 1 or 2pm each day due to late gigs the night before. While this isn't meant to be an excuse, it is something to keep in mind while planning the big day. If your vendor is a true entrepreneur in addition to their God given talent, then they may have an office assistant or business manager to compensate for their wonderfully developed right brain and weaker left. So, if you are the type to panic easily or even lose your patience with typos, overlooked emails, etc. find out the organization of the business and their approach to your wedding. Are they a one person show (which coincidentally would probably save you a buck or two) or do they have a ton of staff. Are they boutique in structure or are they ran more like a corporation? In the end, it's up to you to evaluate what you are and aren't willing to tolerate from a vendor, but my advice is to really research and check the references of the vendor you are working with. If you hear things like, "sometimes they were slow to respond, but the cake was the talk of the town," then make your decision based on what your personality can handle. Once you have thoroughly researched and found the right team, the best advice I can give is to then trust that they will produce the same breathtaking flowers, the absolute best meal or the wildest dance floor as they have been known to produce at their previous events. The accounting might have been slightly off or the photographer may have made a small typo early on, but in the end, you are hiring these people to design and create a unique event and not to do your taxes. While, I can truly appreciate a perfect contract or invoice, some of the biggest talent in the business spend more time perfecting their art instead of pouring over their books.