Wedding Vendors: Time equals Money

Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Time is Money”? In the world of wedding vendors, time (i.e. Hours) is money and it is a key component in vendor contracts, price structuring and wedding packages. Simply put, we are talking about the number of hours you hire your wedding vendors for. Many wedding vendors structure their contracts according to a certain number of hours. What kind of wedding vendors do this? LOTS! Here are some wedding vendor examples: photographer/videographer, wedding coordinator, ceremony and reception venues, catering companies, party rentals such as chairs and tables (etc), limo and/or transportation rentals, DJs, tux rentals, (horse and carriage?), the list goes on! So, when it gets right down to it, the number of hours that you “need” versus the hours you “want” really does impact the bottom line of ANY wedding budget. This article will give you a few tips to keep in mind when speaking to any potential wedding vendor.

When it comes to hiring a wedding vendor, you will find that many use what is referred to as a “Wedding Package”. The bones of these packages are often structured around the subject of hours. For example, “Photographer A” may have a “Basic Wedding Package” that costs $1100.00 and includes 5 hours and “Videographer A” may have a “Basic Wedding Package” that costs $850.00 and includes 6 hours. What’s the similarity between these two examples??? HOURS!! Both vendors are structuring their wedding packages based on hours. Now, this is not to say that ALL photographers and videographers and other vendors structure their businesses this way, but many do. So, how many hours do you need? The only person that can answer that question is you. But here are a few things to keep in mind when you speak with a potential photographer, videographer, venue or even a catering company.

1. SET A CLEAR START TIME AND END TIME FOR THE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION.

This may seem obvious, but I’ve attended plenty of weddings as a guest that had no clear start time and no clear end time. Once I got a save the date card on it that read “Ceremony Begins” at (insert venue and time here) on (insert date). There was a link to the couple’s wedding website and I needed to know what time the wedding ended so I could book a flight out of town to go shoot a wedding the next day. I couldn’t find the “end time”! Most people are on a schedule these days with jobs, kids, etc. It’s a good time to give your guests a clear idea of the start and end time for your wedding. This information will be important to your vendors as well.

2. FIGURE OUT HOW MANY HOURS YOU NEED FROM EACH VENDOR.

This may sound obvious but it’s something you’ll run into after speaking with several different vendors. You don’t want to hire your limo to sit and wait for you for all 8 hours during the wedding whereas you may want to hire a photographer or videographer to cover all 8 hours of your wedding. (OK, if you are a celebrity then hiring the limo for all 8 hours may not be that big of a deal). But for us mere mortals, this is just an obvious thing to keep in mind. Most vendors will “start the clock ticking” when they arrive at the venue and when they leave. For example, most photography and videography vendors will give you a clear definition of their hours and what is included in the wedding package in the contract that you sign. If you expect to have a 7 hour wedding and hire a photographer and videographer that only have a 5 hour limit on their wedding packages, then you will need to determine when they arrive and when they depart. Do you have a grand exit or a grand entrance planned? Do you have a special event or band or entertainment you want recorded? These are important questions to consider when you speak with your vendors.

3. DEFINE YOUR “HOUR” PRIORITIES.

What does this mean? Simply put, what are your “needs” versus your “wants”.   It sounds easy, but this is often the hardest part of most wedding budgets. For example, you may “want” your videographer to cover all 9 hours of your wedding but your wedding video budget will only cover 5. What’s a bridal couple to do?? First, determine what it is during your wedding day that you want “covered” by the photographer and videographer. It is the ceremony and cutting the wedding cake? It is your grand exit and throwing the garter and bridal bouquet? Each bridal couple has different priorities. Sit down with a pen and paper and determine what your priorities are. If you are determined that you want every minute of your wedding covered, then you may have to cut back on other things. A good wedding coordinator can also help with this. Also, when you are interviewing your wedding vendor, give them a clear example of what priorities it is you want covered in your wedding.

So, remenber, time is money. How many hours do you need from each of your wedding vendors? This is a question that most bridal couples don’t face until they are knee deep into the wedding planning stage. Create your priority list, needs vs. wants, and clear expectations before you start interviewing potential vendors. It will make your journey into the world of wedding planning much easier.

By: Brooke Petersen, Capture Productions & Video Design