| We have all heard the horror stories. A couple | | | | 3. Get everything in writing. |
| pays upfront in full for a reception venue only to | | | | Although this doesn’t guarantee the vendor |
| find out a few weeks before their big day that | | | | will follow through on their promises, it does make |
| they double-booked and they’re the ones | | | | it clear to the vendor what was agreed upon if |
| who get the shaft. Or a bridal shop promises a | | | | there is any confusion, and it gives you leverage |
| bride that alterations are included in the price of | | | | if anything does happen to go awry. And |
| the dress but later denies the promise. Or the | | | | “everything” includes an itemized list of |
| caterer doesn’t prepare enough meals for | | | | what the vendor promises to deliver as well as a |
| your number of guests. Or the flowers don’t | | | | dollar amount attached to each item/service and |
| arrive as you had specified to your florist. | | | | a total amount for all items/services promised. |
| All these are a bride and groom’s nightmare, | | | | 4. Don’t rely on a vendor’s client |
| and unfortunately they happen more often than | | | | testimonials and references (no matter how |
| most engaged couples would like to admit to | | | | fabulous they might be). |
| themselves. There are many, many wedding | | | | No vendor, no matter how great they are, has a |
| vendors out there that get things very, very right | | | | 100% customer satisfaction rate, so what makes |
| 99.99% of the time and are superb to work with, | | | | you think they will give you a list of all their past |
| but it’s that small minority that get it wrong | | | | clients with the chance that you might call one |
| (and sometimes horribly, dreadfully wrong) just a | | | | that had a bad or less than ideal experience? |
| few times that causes brides to stay awake at | | | | Vendors will always, always provide glowing |
| nights and have nightmares of fallen cakes and | | | | references; it’s in their best interest. |
| no-show bands or DJs. | | | | However, it’s not necessarily in your best |
| Well, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid | | | | interest, so do your homework on them upfront |
| slipups, because we’re all human and even the | | | | before you ever step through their door. |
| best of us make mistakes or forget things on | | | | 5. Never, ever pay in full upfront unless it’s |
| occasion. But there are ways you can avoid those | | | | completely unavoidable and you have a golden, |
| flaky or irresponsible vendors who have botched | | | | stellar reference for the vendor (and even then, |
| more than their fair share of jobs and things you | | | | you may want to think twice about it). |
| can do to avoid getting ripped off by them. | | | | If a vendor has all your money already, what is |
| 1. Ask your friends, family and acquaintances for | | | | their incentive to go above and beyond for you? |
| recommendations. | | | | Those vendors who are honest and upstanding |
| This is by far the best way to find excellent | | | | will follow through because they know that they |
| vendors who will follow through and adhere to | | | | trade on their reputation, and they’ll do |
| what you agreed upon. First of all, if you | | | | anything to keep it fully intact. But vendors who |
| can’t rely on your friends and family to | | | | don’t care about their reputation don’t |
| provide you with honest, detailed advice, then | | | | care nearly as much about you or your wedding if |
| who can you trust? In most cases, they will offer | | | | they aren’t financially incentivized. So, if at all |
| a candid (and sometimes brutally honest) opinion | | | | possible, give them a reasonable deposit to retain |
| of vendors who either they used or someone | | | | their services and don’t pay them until those |
| who they know used. That’s by far the | | | | services have been (or are very, very soon to |
| litmus test for vendors. | | | | be) rendered. |
| As far as acquaintances go, one helpful route is to | | | | 6. Consult your local Better Business Bureau. |
| find wedding-related online forums (especially ones | | | | Before you sign on the dotted line, check your |
| for your area) where you can chat with other | | | | vendor out through your local Better Business |
| brides and see if anyone has the skinny on | | | | Bureau or your state’s attorney general’s |
| particular vendors to use as well as those who | | | | office. Here you can see if any complaints have |
| you should stay far, far away from. In addition, a | | | | been filed against the vendor and if you need to |
| Web-savvy, online wedding planner or blogger | | | | run in the other direction. |
| might have a great take on a certain vendor, so | | | | 7. Tell the vendor you have a brother named |
| it might pay to ask their opinion. | | | | “Max” who played linebacker for the |
| 2. Conduct an Internet search for the name(s) of | | | | Bears until he became an ultimate fighter and who |
| vendors. | | | | is very protective of his younger sister. |
| This is a great way to find out if any vendor in | | | | Okay, so this might be stretching it, but it’s |
| your area has lots of online love or a glut of | | | | not a bad idea to bring your maid of honor, mom, |
| complaints and unhappy customers. Simply type | | | | fiancé or large friend with you when you |
| the vendor’s name into Google or Bing with | | | | negotiate with vendors as a show of force. And |
| quotation marks around the vendor’s name | | | | you can keep track of all your negotiations with |
| (for example, “Tina’s Floral and Wedding | | | | one of the many free wedding software tools |
| Boutique”) and see if the results return | | | | that exist online. |
| anything of note. | | | | |