Wedding Blog

Happy Friday everyone. It’s a gloomy morning here in Orlando, but the weekend promises to be nice. It’s a good thing, we have two weddings this weekend, one with an outdoor ceremony and the other with an outdoor cocktail hour. Please think sunny thoughts for me.

Since we are knee-deep in wedding season down south, I am reminded about how important it is to have a group of vendors who enjoy working with each other and who will all pitch in to make your wedding day successful. When you are shopping for your wedding vendors, remember to look for personality in addition to skill and style. Look below the photos for my top four characteristics to look for in the perfect wedding vendor.

One of my favorite wedding vendors, Bonnie Garfield, Director of Catering at the Portofino Bay Hotel. Photo by NuVisions in Photography.

Photos by Karla Fountain

1. See how other wedding vendors feel about the vendors you are considering. The wedding industry is a fairly tight community. Most likely, if you toss out a name, you will get some sort of reaction. Look for things like, “Oh I worked with him last month, he’s great,” or “I’ve heard of her, I hear she does great work.”
2. Listen to how your potential wedding vendors speak about other wedding vendors. Be careful of someone who speaks badly about others.
3. Ask probing questions like, “If something were to happen in the kitchen and the food service were delayed, how could you help?” Your DJ or entertainment should say something like, “I would rearange the agenda so that we could stall until the servers were ready to go.”
4. Follow your instincts. If interviewing a particular wedding vendor makes you feel uneasy, chances are he has the same affect on other people.

Over the years, I have seen videographers assist decorators tie chair bows, I have watched DJs help carry photography equipment, and just last week, I had a photographer help pin boutonniers when my staff got preoccupied with an issue. Good wedding vendors feel that the success of the evening is based on the overall result, not that his work is the only one that matters and that if someone else has an issue, it’s that vendor’s problem.

If you have any questions, comments or ideas about selecting the perfect wedding vendor, please post here or email me at susan.southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

At this weekend’s wedding seminar in South Florida, I spent a bit of time discussing contract negotiations and working with vendors who will help you maintain your budget. I truly believe that a good and ethical wedding professional will look beyond pure profitability in order to make recommendations for ways get services you want without overspending. Sometimes, the vendor’s recommendation may be to suggest another vendor who can accommodate your budget, others will work with you to shave costs of their own packages in order to work with you. In either case, knowing what you can spend is critical.

As we were discussing this, a bride name Megan offered up her story. She has found her location and hired a number of vendors. Almost everything of hers has been contracted. While she was reviewing what she was spending, she realized that she was spending a bit too much. She needed to find a way to cut costs. This is no easy task once a contract is signed.

Megan was very lucky. She went to her reception site and told her representative her plight. He suggested to her that she change the time of her reception in order to save money. That is exactly what she did. She moved from an evening wedding to an afternoon wedding and saved 10 percent on her bottom line. Just enough to help maintain her budget.

I want to emphasize that this is a very risky maneuver. It is much better to plan your budget in advance and stick to it. Going back to renegotiate a signed contract is very difficult.

Do you have a story about saving money at your wedding? Send it to me and I might just publish it on the blog or our Facebook Fan Page.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan

I received a few comments yesterday regarding using an iPod versus hiring a professional wedding DJ for your reception. You can see two of the comments in the comment section of yesterday’s post. Below are a couple that I received on Facebook.

Good Blog. Equipment is just a small piece of a DJ experience. Schuyler Osborne, Wedding Videographer, Orlando, Florida

Nicely written piece Susan. As you know and eloquently wrote, a “wedding” DJ does so much more than playing music. A wedding DJ is the music player, emcee, host, etc etc etc. Thank you for explaining ALL the things a “Professional Wedding DJ” does! Wendy Goelz Kopasz, Wedding DJ, Orlando, Florida

Please keep the comments coming here, or email me at Susan.Southerland@pwg.com.

Hello all. Once again I have been MIA for a few days. It is definitely wedding-planning season and I am grateful to say that many brides have been calling for assistance in planning their special days.

I received an early-morning Facebook posting yesterday that made me stop in my tracks. A national wedding show was advising couples that a good way to save money on their wedding day is to use an iPod rather than hiring a DJ.

Well, I cannot argue that an iPod is a wonderful piece of technology and it can certainly play any music you may want to hear, but before you scrap the professional, let me share with you a few thoughts on why my preference still lies with hiring a pro.

1. While the iPod itself may cost less than a professional wedding DJ, the equipment you need to amplify the music in the room may cost as much, if not more, to rent than the DJ’s fee.
2. If you want to have a blessing and/or toasts, you will also need to rent a microphone. That will add yet another cost.
3. A professional wedding DJ is more than someone who just plays music, he is an emcee, he reads the crowd and adjusts music to get or keep people dancing and he coordinates with other vendors to make sure the events of the evening, like the first dance, cake cutting and bouquet toss get photographed and recorded.
4. The professional wedding DJ will help you organize your reception so you know when is the best time to dance, toast, eat, cut the cake, etc. He will also help you plan introductions and special announcements.
5. An iPod offers no interaction. If you don’t have a crowd that will jump up and dance on their own, you may have a boring reception.
6. Finally, who wants to be responsible for setting up equipment and making sure it runs smoothly throughout the evening? More importantly, what happens if the equipment fails. Do you want to have a backup system on hand?

If you are having a very small group and a laid back reception with only dining and socializing, you may be able to get away with an iPod for background music, but if you are planning a fun party with lots of dancing and excitement, no technological wonder can replace the talent and skill of a professional wedding DJ.

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this topic. It is definitely a hot subject! Please post for me here, or send me an email at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan Southerland

Good morning from Freeport. I am blogging from my balcony at the resort. Below is my view.

It’s not a bad place to have to work!

Anyway, today I want to share some advice from a great photographer I met while in Minneapolis. As I mentioned yesterday, all conversations eventually led to the state of the economy and couples who can no longer afford their weddings. I spoke with John Ray from Photography by Design and John Ray Photography to hear about his experience with the changing times.

Susan: Have you had any couples who have needed to change their contracts based on the economy?
 
John: I did have a couple who was booked who had to cancel because they couldn’t afford their wedding anymore.
 
Susan: What were you able to do for them?
 
John: I told them if they re booked their date within a year and if I am available, I would honor their deposit towards the new date.
 
Susan: What are you doing with your business to make things more attractive to budget-minded couples?
 
John: My prices haven’t changed, but I am adding features to the packages to give couples more value. Couples can choose from a “trash the dress” session or a wedding album for the same price as I’ve always charged. Also, I am going to be at the Perfect Wedding Show on Sunday here in Minneapolis. Anyone who books my services there will get a twenty percent discount.
 

Bridal shows are a great way get bargains for your wedding. It isn’t just about winning free prizes (but that is a perk!). Many vendors will give discounts and special offers if you book with them at the show. You must continue to be a careful shopper, but if you find a vendor you love, and you’ve done some research about their work, don’t be afraid to make a commitment. Your savings might be significant.

It is also a good idea to discuss with any vendor what their policies are regarding having to back out in case of a financial emergency. As with everything I suggest doing with wedding planning, being upfront about your concerns or budgetary needs is the best way to ensure a good outcome. Remember, wedding vendors are feeling the crunch of the economy too. Each one would be happy to help you in anyway possible.

If you want to make a comment about canceling a wedding vendor or to ask any wedding-related question, post here or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Your Partner for Perfect Planning,

Susan