Vendors turned Friendors and how to find them
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- posted in: Eco-Fabulous, Event, Helpful Tips, Inspiration, My Fave, Vendor Highlights
Once you have your planner, venue, catering team and photographer nailed down you’ll be able to think about the details. Curating a vibe for your wedding is like imagining it as a movie. Before asking your potential vendors questions, you may need to do some soul-searching yourself. Think about what music you want to be playing during your big and little moments. What colors do you want to think of when you remember your wedding day?
There are of course The Basics to ask these vendors:
- How many events do you do each year? Each weekend?
- What is the backup plan in the event of illness or equipment failure? (including troubleshooting issues, damage, etc)
- What are your fees/payment options?
- How many from your team are onsite the day of our event? Do they require parking or meals?
- Are you insured and can provide proof to our venue (should it be requested)?
Florals! For Weddings!
Before booking your floral designer be sure to have 2 key things nailed down: Your venue and your outfits(wink wink at least 6 months before the wedding)!
The Main Q’s:
- Do you have any specialties or an ideal style? Do you work with dried flowers or fresh flowers?
- Can we share photos of what we like for you to use as inspiration or create something custom?
- Do you deliver personal flowers to the getting-ready location?
- Do you provide candles, vases, runners, or any extra decor items?
- Do you handle all delivery and setup of each event location?
- Do you return for the strike at the end of the event for each event location?
- Will you move items from the ceremony to be repurposed to reception or help with the flip from ceremony to reception?
- How much time do you need for setup and breakdown for our particular design?
- Do you offer any floral preservation services?
Greenery Questions:
- Where do you source your flowers?
- Can you use local, seasonal, pesticide-free flowers?
- What flowers are in season for my wedding date?
- Do you use floral foam?
- Do you do anything with the flowers after the event? (I.e. Donate to local nursing homes, compost the greenery, etc.)
Dance the Night Away
The music should be a reflection of you as a couple. The musicians or dj are setting the mood for your day and dancefloor. You want to be sure they understand you and your crowds vibe and can keep reading it all night!
Questions for the musically minded:
- How many events do you play each year? Each weekend? (If you’re booking live musicians or bands ask how long they’ve played together.)
- What type of events do you usually play and what is your style?
- Can we customize our must-play/do-not play list?
- Do you accept requests from guests?
- Will you act as emcee for the event?
- How do you keep the crowd dancing?
- How many musicians/techs are onsite on the day of our event? Do you require breaks? How does music continue during breaks? (mostly pertaining to live music)
- What sort of equipment or setup do you require? If outdoors?
- Do you bring mics or any special lighting?
- What are our options regarding packages? How long do you play for?
Now, for the Fun Stuff!
Everyone loves to have their photo moment, even on the lounge furniture! If you’re considering a photo booth, a furniture rental service, or another specialty rental or entertainment service consider asking these questions when on your search:
- What options/packages do you have? How many hours for the rental period?
- Do you provide delivery and setup/styling?
- Do you provide props for the photo booth? Do you offer prints or digital copies?
- Do you strike at the end of the night?
- Do you provide an attendant?
In our next edition of the series, we’ll get down to the details. We’ll talk sweets, glam, officiating, and transportation, and other seemingly small details that can sneak up on you!
