Submitted by gail on
Hi Everyone,
I've just got off the phone with Katie who is a bride-to-be in Birmingham in the West Midlands plus in the middle of her wedding planning, and she asked me a really important question that I want to share with you all.
Kate asked, 'how can I be sure when booking a wedding supplier, especially a wedding photographer, or buying my wedding dress, that they are as good as they say they are, and will I be let down on the day?'
Many couples are worried that they will make a big mistake, and book someone that quite simply lets them down badly on the day or in the run-up to their wedding. Wanting to help Katie and everyone else, we feel the really important thing you must always do is ask for recommendations, or details of past customers. Some couples think this will offend the supplier, but if that becomes the case, then it's a 'green light' signal to run a mile from them. All professional companies will offer to show you letters of testimonial from their happy customers, and this should be offered before they ask you to book. And don't be afraid to ask your supplier for postal addresses so that you can write to the person yourself and get an independent review of the supplier's work.
Other important considerations boil down to the price the supplier is charging. If it's cheap and sounds too good to be true, then it usually is, and you should be open-minded to the fact that this wedding supplier can only give you what you pay for. The same is true about buying wedding dresses or wedding items or services off the Internet. It's often the cheaper end of the market and you are purchasing blind. No matter how tempting it is to save money this way, you should be wary and keep your eyes wide open.
So Katie, here's the best advice to help you with choosing wedding suppliers with confidence:
* Look for endorsements from respected products such as White Wedding Pages and other wedding supplier directories that know the wedding industry, inside out.
* Always ask for testimonials or addresses so that you can write to past customers yourself.
* Be open-minded about the price and expect a higher level of service from a higher priced item
* Walk away from a hard-sell and ask for 48 hours 'thinking time'.
* Do your own research by searching Google for any blogging about the wedding supplier
* Don't be bullied into signing anything until you'd discussed it with other people and family members.
* Ask family and friends to recommend wedding suppliers to you by past great service.
* Always arrange to meet in their place of business. After all, you will need to like working with them, if they are to take a significant part in your wedding planning.
If you have any questions for me, whether generally about wedding planning or about a wedding supplier in particular, call me on 01926 485 411. I'll research the answer for you so that you can plan a wedding with confidence.
Regards
Gail