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Should Money be the First Topic of Conversation After You Get Engaged? [Page 2] |
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| by Robbi Ernst III, June Wedding, Inc. | ||||
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Does it match
what you have budgeted? Remember, you are giving a party
for 50, 100, 150 or 200 people. Remember also, unless you
have given parties for 50, 100, 150 or 200 people, you
may not know what some things costs. To determine what things (photographer, caterer, flowers, limousines, videographers, ceremony/reception sites, etc .... we call these people "vendors") really do cost, begin making lists of reputable and professional vendors in the area where the wedding will be held, This is easier than you might thing. Start by asking your friends who have recently had a wedding. Next ask some of your corporate/professional friends who have hired vendors for corporate or other social parties/events. Then, get on the telephone and call vendors in your neighborhood or even from the yellow pages. Let them know who you are and the date of your wedding, and ask them for the following to be sent by mail or fax: a price list, a copy of their brochure and other business materials, how long they have been in business, a copy of their business license and a certificate of insurance. Ask them for a list of referrals .... it's important to ask for other professional referrals .... not just brides (recognize that no smart business person is going to give you an unhappy referral), so you want to know what others in the industry think about these people you are about to interview. Recognize that some costs with certain vendors are going to be similar (for instance, professional and reputable photographers are going to have similar packages; the same with videographers and limousines). However, caterers, florists and cake professionals may vary considerably in costs, and this has more to do with the quality of their work or service or what you are desirous at having for your wedding. Also, ask the vendors you talk with on the telephone, what other vendors they like to work with. Make a note of these and call them to get information. If a vendor is not willing to give you most of the above information on the telephone or send you the material by fax or mail, then think twice about scheduling an appointment. But, in fairness to the vendor, recognize also that most wedding professionals are small businesses and especially regarding weddings, prefer to meet the bride and groom in the flesh so as to be able to show them their products or services firsthand. Take all the information that you have gathered, look at their costs (even if these are ranges) and then put them into your "Realistic Costs" column. Once you have gathered the
above information, then you can begin making appointments
to interview vendors. Start interviewing the vendor who
seems to be the most pleasant and closest to matching
your budget and what you want. Remember when interviewing
vendors, you must compare apples to apples and not apples
to oranges. This means, just because one photographer
might have a lower price, doesn’t mean that he or
she is offering the same thing. Again, when interviewing
vendors, ask what other vendors they like to work with.
Make a note to interview those vendors. A successful
wedding has a good team behind the scenes. And a good
team is made up of people who have worked well together. |
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