Top Tips For Choosing Suppliers For Your Big Day

The importance of choosing suppliers for your big day that understand your vision and feel “right” for you

MAKE SURE YOUR SUPPLIERS ARE PEOPLE YOU RELATE TO AND TRUST…
Matt and I got married in 2016 and after a two year engagement were beyond excited to say “I do” and start our lives as Husband and Wife. Everything was planned and organised and the week of our wedding we were expecting to be preparing for the spa days, trips to the barbers and spray tan appointments we had booked to ensure we looked our best. But what actually happened couldn’t have been worse. Unfortunately the same week of our wedding, just 3 days before the big day we lost our baby and I ended up in hospital and undergoing surgery. It was the most heartbreaking experience and threw all of our plans in to disarray. I was discharged from Hospital on the Tuesday and we were married on the Thursday. During my time in hospital I was grieving but also delegating all remaining tasks to family members to still help us pull our big day together as best as we could. Without the love and support of some pretty epic suppliers who we had built an incredible relationship with that simply wouldn’t have been possible. Now, we know, and hope our experience is a very rare one but having said that life is changeable and we don’t know what challenges, big or small we might experience in the run up to the biggest day of our lives so having a team of professionals who are there to support you really takes that worry away.

Shout out to some of these insane suppliers that somehow managed to pull off the day of dreams for Matt and I despite the adversities. 📸 @thespringles  💐@thegorgeousflowercompany 💍wedding planner www.weddingsatthepriory.com 🎂 @forevercakecreations

COVID: during this Pandemic we have moved some couples wedding dates FOUR times to accommodate restrictions and to ensure they get the best day possible and as a responsible supplier with a heart we have done that without charge to them. So when choosing a supplier make sure you choose one that you like, you can built rapport with and finally has a decent Covid clause. 

DO YOUR RESEARCH AND DECIDE ON YOUR PRIORITIES AND BUDGET…
There are tonnes of amazingly talented suppliers in our Industry but what I have come to realise through my own wedding planning is you usually get what you pay for.  Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean good.

If your priority is having an incredible photographer who has the ability to get the sort of shots and style you are after, then we would undoubtedly recommend reserving a decent amount for that. Again if food or drinks (😜) are your priority make sure you look for recommended suppliers who can provide what you would like for the day at a competitive but fair price. Ask for things like hygiene certificates, Covid training certificates, insurance etc to make sure you are using a reputable business that is commited to providing an exquisite experience for you and your guests.

DO EVEN MORE RESEARCH…
Check out the shortlisted suppliers in even more details…

• Are they active on social media?
• Do they brochures or blogs/websites you can look at?
• Do they have any work featured on blogs or wedding magazines?
• Do they have testimonials you can read from past clients?

By doing this little bit of “digging” you will have a better idea as to the sort of business they are.

MAKE YOUR DECISION AND GET BOOKING…
From your short list of suppliers follow your gut and make your decision! Let the other suppliers know you aren’t going to be proceeding with them! Take it from me, we REALLY appreciate the honesty and courtesy and it actually helps us to learn as Business Owners too! Make sure you have a good read of the terms and conditions and schedule a call to run through these if there any areas you are not clear on. You don’t want to end up with any regrets for not asking the questions playing on your mind!

Once you have decided book your suppliers ASAP. Most sought-after suppliers book 1 year (if not more) in advance and get booked up very quickly. Make it your priority to prioritize getting your dream suppliers in place as soon as you can!

We hope this will help a bit for your big days but if you need any recommendations for suppliers, or would like to discuss how we work as a bar for our Clients special days just get in touch!

Lissie x