Top 4 Questions To Ask Every Vendor

He asked. You said yes. You created a Pinterest board. Congrats.

Welcome to a whole new world you never knew existed. It can be crazy stressful to navigate – but it doesn’t have to be. Just be sure to ask the following questions as you select vendor partners to help you along the way:

• How often will I hear from you? How often will we meet?

Having crystal clear communication and meeting expectations with your vendors will make everything smoother – trust me. By understanding how and when you will connect, you’ll be able to organize your thoughts and your schedule to make sure everything gets done.

• How much do you cost? Really.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – you need to get a clear picture of what each of your vendors costs. Many people give you a starting price or a minimum…but what you want is a list of ALL fees that are going to hit your credit card. Surprises aren’t fun – well, they are. . . but not this type of surprise.

• When do you need payment?

Most vendors require some sort of payment to secure their services. It’s no big deal when those payments are spread out over the course of several weeks/months as you hire them. What most couples don’t consider, however, is that these same vendors want to be paid-in-full 2-3 weeks prior to the wedding. Yikes! That’s a lot of money due all at once. Find out what each vendor requires and then do yourself a favor. . .spread those payments out! Trust me, no vendor is going to complain when you ask if you can pay them early. They WILL care when you can’t pay them because your credit card bounced!

• What’s your cancellation policy?

I know. I know. Talking about cancelling a wedding sucks – but it happens. Sometimes, couples have to postpone or cancel for any number of reasons. Know what you’ll be on the hook for in case the worse happens. And if you’re in a state that offers wedding insurance, you may consider getting it so you can sleep better at night.