Each Monday at 11:30 AM our brides receive what I call a Weekly Wedding Tip. The emails are full of tips and tricks I have learned over my 15 year as a wedding photographer. Some are vendor related, like today’s. Others are about your dress, helping your hubby to be, planning your wedding colors, ect. The point of the weekly wedding tip emails is to educate our brides so they feel more confidant in their planning and also remind them to reach out to me if they need more help since I’m a wedding planner as well with Joy Filled Occasions. This week’s blog post is all about one of the recent tips I wrote. This one is all about what you need to tell your vendors when you reach out to them and it’s all from a vendor’s perspective.
There are so many things on your to-do list, but reaching out to your favorite vendors is a top item after you pick your wedding date/venue right? So many times someone will reach out and give me their name and date, but no other details. While I can check my calendar, I like to have an idea of what the couples is planning so I can best help them. Below are a few details for you to help the process go a little smoother.
Where you are looking to have your wedding? I need to know if I should send over details about our out-of-town weddings or wedding photography packages for the Pittsburgh area.
How big is your wedding? Now that Aaron and I have created Micro Wedding Packages, and even an hourly option for our courthouse weddings, it’s nice to know what you are looking for so I can best help and send the correct brochure.
What is the best way to reach you? I will send an email for sure, but if I don’t have Caroline and Grady under foot, I love to give a quick call too. Sometimes it is just faster to create that connection over the phone and know if we are a good fit for you two.
What is the style of your wedding? This is a very important one for florists, photographers, custom stationary designers, and a few other vendors. You see, each couple has their own style and vendors do as well. It’s best to match your style with your vendors style. This means that at the end of your wedding day, you will be happy and thrilled. I have actually tuned away couples looking for a different style than I shoot. It’s not that I didn’t like that couple or that I didn’t hit it off with them; I simply didn’t want them to be disappointed in their photos after their wedding because they wanted dark and moody and that was not me.
What is your budget? While it might be flexible, it’s good for a vendor to have a ballpark. Now here is something to think about, you might pick a vendor way out of budget and adjust your budget because you value their craft and hit it off well with them so you book anyway. That can happen so don’t always panic when you see the price. When Aaron and I were planning our wedding, there was a vendor that was way out of budget but we really wanted them. To make it happen, we pulled money from things that held less value for us to afford the vendor we HAD to have.
Last but not least, I ask our inquiring couples what they favorite thing to do together is. Quirky but effective oddly enough. Here is why… If they say travel, cook together, or play games; there is a 90% chance we will hit it off and becomes besties. Why, because that’s things Aaron and I love to do so we have common ground and talking points. Not that all of our couples love those things, just most of them do. 🙂
I hope these tips helped you add a few details to your emails when you reach out to your next vendor. As a Jackson Signature Photography couple, you always have access to vendors lists. Please feel free to reach out if you would like recommendations.
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