How to Reserach Your Wedding Vendors

Whether you're planning a modest, intimate wedding celebration with your closest family and friends or an elaborate wedding with all the bells and whistles, one thing you need to make sure is that all your vendors are responsible, talented, and reliable. Everyone should scan all their wedding vendors before hiring them or signing a contract, otherwise you may regret it on your wedding day. Here are 5 easy, but crucial steps to pre-scan your vendors and find out the good, the bad, and the ugly!

1. Their Website

Always take a peek at a vendor's website before you even think of meeting with them. You can ask for links to pictures to check out their work. If you don't like what you see and read, then don't meet with them because it might just be a giant waste of your time. Additionally, of course there are only good things listed o n a vendor's website, so you need to go beyond just that.

2. Google Them

Google has become such a powerful search engine that people work hard to make their websites and comments rank on the first page when you search for certain terms and keywords. If you search for your vendor's name in Google (either the company name or individual's name), things like Yelp.com reviews, personal blogs, and wedding blogs may show up. It would be well worth while to scan through these other websites to look for good or bad comments. Chances are, if someone worked hard to have their personal blog rank high in Google for this vendor's name, then there is either something really negative or really positive that you should read about them.

3. Wedding Wire

Sign up for a Wedding Wire account, it's fast, free, and very easy. We have had tons of brides come to us and gush about how much Wedding Wire has helped them with their entire planning experience. The best part is that you can find your vendors (or search for new ones) on this great resource and check out reviews of them from real brides! For example, here's what one bride found about a potential vendor that convinced her not to use them:

On the flip side, here is a great review for Harvard Photography that may give you the confidence you need to sign the contract with them:

4. Facebook Them

You can search for your vendors on Facebook and see if they have a Facebook page. You can check out their "Fans" and individually message them asking about particular doubts that you may have. This way, you get a completely randomized way of choosing someone to give you their opinion on the vendor.
The negative thing about this approach is if there are random "Fans" that haven't used the vendor's services.

5. Ask for References

Lastly, you can always go the old fashioned way and ask the vendor for past client testimonials and e-mail addresses. The bad thing about this approach, is that this gives the vendor the opportunity to give you only those clients who they know will give them a great review. The good thing about this approach is that you're going straight to the source and asking them for comments from past clients.

It doesn't take long to go through these aspects for all of your vendors. It's well worth in the end to save you the heartache and trouble on your wedding day. You may read great things that get you excited to work with the vendor, and you may see very disappointing things that steer you away from them. Either way, it's well worth taking the time out to do your homework and be relaxed and satified with your vendors in the end. If you have a wedding planner, they can pre-scan all your vendors for you. Happy vendor hunting!