What stage are you at in planning your wedding?

You may be at the start of the process of contacting wedding suppliers to book them for your big day? As well as contacting them you need to be CONNECTING with them! “Connecting” is the key word here! And I don’t mean following their Facebook or Instagram account!

In connecting with wedding suppliers it is really important that you give them as much information about you, your wedding etc so they can respond effectively to your email.

Here are a few tips to help you approach a potential wedding supplier in the right way.

Wedding Date

Have you picked a date to get married? If yes, it is crucial that you give this date to the supplier so they can firstly let you know their availability for this date.

If you haven’t secured or decided on your date yet let the supplier know what time of the year you are thinking of getting married or if you have a particular day or date you would like to get married on.

Wedding Venue

Have you got your wedding venue sorted yet? If not, do you have an idea of where you would like to have your reception? Even if it is just in a general area e.g. Leinster, let the supplier know! This will help them determine their availability and also if they need to include any travel costs in their price. 

Also, this supplier may have already visited your venue so they could give you some advice/tips on it too.

Size of the Wedding

How big is your wedding? This could have an impact on the service and cost of your supplier so be sure to include roughly the number of guests you are planning to invite.

Don’t forget to include yourself, your fiancé, solemniser and your bridal party in your numbers.

Budget

Set your budget at the start of your wedding planning process.  Determine roughly how much you want/can spend on the big day (and don’t forget about budgeting for your honeymoon).

Priortise your spending as this will help you make the right decision about your wedding suppliers, as you may, for example, want to spend more on a photographer than a videographer.

If you feel comfortable you can share the budget you have for this particular service with the supplier but if you have your homework done in advance you should have a rough idea of how much they will cost (suppliers usually put estimates on their website).

And remember, if something is too good to be true then it probably is!!

Also, the quotation is more than just a price! There is a bigger picture here! You need to have that connection.  Do you feel you have the right fit with the supplier? Is there a good rapport building? Do you “like” the person? You will be spending lots of time talking to them and arranging things with them in the run up to your wedding day.

How Did You Hear About Them?

I think this is really nice for the supplier to hear this! As a supplier, we invest so much in our brand and PR and therefore it is always so great to find out where people heard about us so we know what avenues are working best for us!

And if someone has recommended them tell them their name!

Dream Wedding

Give the wedding supplier any other information you think may be relevant. By sharing this information with them you are beginning to connect with them! They want to know about your wedding and know what is important to you on your big day so they can ensure it happens!

It also helps them build a picture of you two as a couple! At the end of the day you are planning a huge event that you want to go off seamlessly so if you have a good relationship with the supplier this will make things A LOT easier!

In giving all the above information to each supplier it will allow you to compare and contrast the quotations much more comprehensibly.

Close Out

Once you pick your chosen wedding suppliers please remember to contact the other wedding suppliers to notify them that you have chosen another supplier and to thank them for their time.

My Wedding Planner lists all the questions you need to ask suppliers. See below for a sneak peek! These questions for the photographer carry onto the next page too!

Purchase your copy online at www.myweddingplanner.ie