Many brides have stories to tell about how their hired professionals—caterer, photographer, florist, etc.—failed to deliver the products or services promised. But what most of us later confess is that it may have been partly our fault: We didn't ask enough questions, check out references, read or require a contract, or we were afraid to tell the hired help exactly what we wanted.
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No Regrets: • Never put down a deposit without a signed contract in hand,and never sign a contract until you're confident it covers all relevant points. • Wedding pros in one area can be great sources for recommendations in other areas (i.e., your caterer may know the perfect florist), but they may have a financial incentive to suggest one vendor over another. Always do your homework and check references thoroughly, regardless of who made the recommendation. • You can't foresee every possible problem, but think about what could go wrong with each professional and ask what they'll do to prevent or respond to problems. For example, if the fuses blow at your backyard wedding, will the DJ have a back-up generator? If a hurricane prevents the tropical flowers from arriving, what will the florist use instead? Don't scare yourself with disaster dreams, but do troubleshoot as much as possible. |
Planning experts say that many common wedding snafus can be averted if the pending nuptials are looked at less as the most special day of your life and more as a business deal. Although you're quite naturally feeling emotional, you have to be dispassionate about such things as contracts and negotiations with vendors. You're in love with your wedding-day dream; they're doing business as usual. "The contract is the only source of recourse you have should something go wrong," says Deborah McCoy, wedding consultant in Boca Raton, Florida, and author of Weddings From A to Z (Hay House, Inc., 2000).
Besides demanding comprehensive and binding contracts (read Contract Savvy for more details), always ask to speak with former clients. But beware: Professionals will obviously give you the names of their most satisfied clients, so when you call them, go beyond the standard "were you happy" questions. "Ask them things like, ‘Is there one thing that could have been better or that you would have liked done differently?'" says Kathleen Kennedy, a former caterer and author of Priceless Weddings for Under $5,000 (Clarkson Potter, 2000).
Double Checking
If you really want to go the extra mile to insure that all the professionals you are considering hiring (or have already booked) are reliable, contact the Better Business Bureau. Its web site, BBB.org, will hook you up with your local BBB branch—there are 50—and allow you to check online reliability reports that state whether a complaint was filed against a business and, if so, how it was resolved. You can also query the Chamber of Commerce in the area where the reception will take place to ask if your hired professionals are members in good standing of the local business community.
Who to Hire When
The best wedding professionals, from the caterer to the band, often have full calendars. For this reason, it's never too early to start planning your wedding. Here's the ideal order to follow in lining up your locations and team of pros:
The first order of business is to draw up a wedding guest list, or at least the rough number of guests you'll invite. It's especially important to have this information handy when booking the location for the ceremony and reception. Some catering halls require a guaranteed number of people, while others have a cap on how many can be accommodated.
Next, figure out where the wedding ceremony will take place and lock in a date. Churches and synagogues book up quickly: After becoming engaged in December 1997, I called my church to schedule a date for October 1998. The receptionist who answered the phone chuckled at my request—there were no Saturdays available until the following June. If you're not getting married in a house of worship, make sure you arrange for someone to officiate the ceremony.
Third, the ceremony secured, immediately start looking for a wedding reception site and/or caterer. But don't stop there: At the same time, you should be looking for a band or DJ. Wedding consultants frequently make it a practice to book the reception spot and the entertainment within days of each other. "While other pros can serve several clients per day, once a good band or DJ is booked, they're booked," points out McCoy.
Next step: Find a wedding photographer and videographer. These professionals also book up fast, especially photographers known for their distinct style or artistic flair. Polly Flint, a Florida-based wedding planner, recommends hiring photographers and videographers within a few weeks of choosing your location.
Your last stop should be booking your florist and wedding transportation. Depending on the length of your engagement, these pros can be booked anywhere from six months to six weeks prior to your wedding. Planners say that it's fine to start interviewing different florists once you've hired your other professionals. But you shouldn't choose floral arrangements until other details, like the color of the bridesmaid dresses, have been finalized.
Roll With It
Even if you've put your hired professionals through a rigorous query session and down every detail of their contract, last-minute, beyond-your-control dilemmas are bound to rear their disruptive heads. Kathleen Kennedy says the best way to avoid panicking over a last-minute dilemma is to appoint a trustworthy person—anyone from a hired planner to your maid of honor—to deal with the professionals on your wedding day. It also doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan. "If you've hired a band, check out a DJ as sort of a backup," says Polly Flint, a Florida-based wedding consultant. While you obviously can't have a DJ on standby without paying full price, you might call around a week or so before the wedding to see if anyone is available on short notice.
And if something does go wrong that can't be fixed, Flint says, "Roll with it. You still have the love of your life. That's what it's all supposed to be about, anyway."