9 tips to ensure wedding success
These 9 tips to ensure wedding success are how you can support your vendors (so they can support you) and keep your guests comfortable so they will remember your wedding for all the right reasons! You spend time carefully deciding where to get married, who and what you want in your wedding, and carefully choosing vendors to help fulfill your dream. What else do you need to do?
What your vendors need
No matter if they are entertainers, planners, photographers, videographers, musicians, caterers, florists, designers, DJs, MUAs, or hairstylists, here are a few steps to help your great wedding vendors help you make your big day as smooth as possible.
1. Make it easy for your great vendors to do a great job by creating a great environment for them. Let your venue know who is expected, and when and where they will be setting up. Verify that you have adequate power, lighting, seating, and space available. How cool is a 10-piece full band on a 5′ x 5′ podium?
2. Make sure your vendors have detailed maps to make sure they know where to park, where to load-in, who to check in with (with a current a cell phone number), and any oddities about the route or signage.
3. Offer refreshments, and if at all possible, a dressing room or green room for your officiant, photographers, entertainers, and others who may have travelled long distances. They might be spending the day and night far away from home.
Designate a secure area for their personal belongings.
This is a cost-efficient and smart way to help them be at their best for your wedding.
4. Let your vendors know you appreciate them. Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ is an excellent habit to develop.
Keeping You Safe
5. Check your vendors’ RECENT references – you want to communicate with clients who have booked them in the last six to twelve months, preferably.
Verify that number or email you are contacting are actually of a real person or company who hired them.
6. Does your venue require vendors to carry their own liability insurance? If yes, request that Certificate of Insurance from your vendor NOW, not Friday at 4:30 PM right before the rehearsal dinner. Vendors need to contact their insurer and request a COI issued in the venue’s name.
Do you have accommodations for anyone who needs assistance? Is your venue is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant? If Cousin Winifred has a broken ankle and needs to get to the ladies room, will she have to be driven to the hotel?
8. Make EVERYONE feel welcome. Does the on-site signage reflect your and your guests’ values? Are all the restroom facilities in the same general area? Try to avoid having certain groups put on a different floor, or in a less hospitable area.
9. Double-check for annoyances, disruptive weather, or eeven natural disasters and try to provide solutions.
For example: Are there suddenly mosquitoes everywhere? Put out a basket of individually packaged insect repellent.
Potential for rain? Check if your valet is equipped with umbrellas. Hot weather expected? Have parasols/misters/cooling cloths available for guests.
Creating a welcoming and accommodating environment puts everyone at ease and helps them to do and be their very best!