During the wedding planning process, couples spend a lot of time and effort seeking out the wedding vendors that suit their needs. If you think about it, for most people, the largest event they’ve planned in their past is a birthday or dinner party, usually for twenty people or less. Planning a wedding is a whole other ballgame, so why wouldn’t you want someone by your side to help out? If you’re really organized, you can use a month-of or day-of planner and have a successful wedding, but for many, it takes a lot more than that.

After all that time spent researching vendors, couples can still be disappointed with the vendors they selected, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Having been in the wedding industry as a vendor and consultant for many years, we have assembled some tips to help you select and work with the best wedding vendors you can:

• Putting together a budget is crucial. Most couples have no idea how to set a budget for their wedding. There are occasions where their parents say you have X amount of dollars to spend on anything you do. The average wedding can cost between $25K and $30K for around 100-125 guests. If the wedding dress is to be a part of that total, they can blow a sizable portion of their budget on their first purchase. Pinterest and wedding publications can be their best friend, or their worst enemy. Couples should try to get an understanding beforehand as to what things cost. Here at A Chair Affair, we try to help everyone achieve their dream wedding; it just may be a different dream than what they came in with.

• Ask your friends for referrals. Chances are, you have a friend or two, or a dozen, who are married and have gone through the whole wedding vendor process firsthand. Ask them which vendors they loved and would recommend. This consultation costs nothing and can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Also, vendors like to hear a satisfied client has referred them!

• Ask a lot of questions. Don’t worry, vendors are used to having a lot of questions thrown their way. Be patient, however, because vendors are typically working with several clients at once. A client should be marginally prepared and they should have some idea of the items they are interested in, but honestly we can assist them if they are completely unprepared. We know our inventory inside and out, so making recommendations is not a problem.

• Communicate with your vendors often and visit their showroom. Frequently speaking with your vendors will give you a better feel for their ethics, personality, and how they treat clients. If you don’t get along with the vendor on a personal level, it’s probably a wise choice to replace them. At A Chair Affair, we’re happy to communicate with our clients however they prefer, but we feel in-person meeting at our showroom is the most effective way. Most brides are visual people; rarely do we meet a bride who knows exactly what she wants without seeing it first. The bride who knows exactly what she wants will have a shorter showroom appointment, for obvious reasons.  But, we’re happy to help our clients develop their visions for their special day.

• Ask your vendor for a referral. Chances are that the vendors you hire will be able to confidently recommend other vendors that they like working with. Good vendors working together can only mean great things for your wedding!

We hope these tips have helped give you a better understanding on selecting and working with wedding vendors!