When you choose to hire a planner or day-of coordinator to assist with your wedding or event, there are a number of factors that help to make a successful relationship, which in turn makes a successful event. These tips apply to a majority of your vendors so here are a few things to keep in mind when working with the team of vendors you hire…
1) Don’t reinvent the wheel. Your planner has been doing this for a while and most likely has forms or templates that she/he will have you fill out or complete together. The vendor uses these forms over and over again and are very comfortable with what is included in them in the order they need it. When you create new spreadsheets, forms, timelines, etc. and turn them over to the planner, they not only have to re-write the information back into their own forms but also your information may be missing critical information. It’s always bet to use what they provide. *Note, the only exception to this is if you hire a planner well into the planning process and you have documents you created already.
2) Be up front and honest with your wants and needs when “shopping” for a vendor. Be specific when looking for particular services. Do you want the planner to accompany you on vendor meetings or just recommend vendors? Ask questions. If a vendor is hesitant to answer your questions, move on. Do you want a planner who can aggressively negotiate contracts for you or one that has a warehouse full of decor to rent? Do you want a planner who will keep you moving and help make decisions, then organize all those decisions into a game plan? Will your DJ get out on the dance floor and start the line dances or do you want him to simply play music to keep your crowd dancing? Is your videographer shooting more cinematographic style or traditional? Knowing what you want during the interview process will help you find the perfect fit with all your vendors.
3) Trust your team. You did your research, met with and hired experts in each category that you felt would be the best for you. So trust them to provide you advice and support. These vendors are in the industry and know the best ways to execute your event, keeping your vision in mind.
4) Communication is key. You hired us to help you plan and execute your event. Give us all the information possible to complete the specific tasks we’re working on. Your vendor will ask direct questions to learn your preferences but make sure you can be specific during your meetings and via email. Create a list of questions for each vendor to send in one email that they can respond to all at once instead of many emails that could get lost in the inbox. Communicate in one form – by keeping all your communication within one format (email, text, social media) this will help keep all the information about your event easy to retrieve.
Hiring an experienced team of vendors to execute your event, relying on their expertise and engaging in active communication are the keys to a successful and stress -free event, for both you and your vendors!
