Finding Good Vendors

I am always here to refer you to quality vendors that meet your needs and are in your price range. That's one of my favorite parts of this job, because the quality of vendors you hire will make a big impact on the quality of your celebration. I don't take commissions or kick backs from anyone. That should always be a red flag, if someone is making money off of a referral! When you are planning a wedding or event, you yourself probably don't have a list of DJs, caterers, florists, etcetera that you know a lot about. That's one of the many reasons investing in a coordinator can be priceless.

I'm always going out to meet and interview folks who work in the industry. Just before the holidays I met with one florist who truly reminded me of a very important quality when looking for a vendor--someone who is going to put your best interests before their own. She was telling me about a wedding were the bride didn't have much money left over for centerpieces. The bride wanted to make a big statement, but she just didn't have much wiggle room in her budget. (We all know how that is!)

The florist didn't try to sell the bride on something she couldn't afford. Instead, she told her where she could find discount vases and other seasonal elements. The bride picked up all of these items, on sale, and then the florist tied them into her arrangements. This saved the bride tons of money and she still got the impact she was looking for.

When you find someone who will go out of their way to help you like that, they are a keeper; you know you've got a great vendor!