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Total Guide to Weddings: Choosing The Right Suppliers

TGtB's wedding expert Natalie Lovett, takes a look at choosing the right suppliers when planning a wedding.

Wedding Suppliers – Choosing the right ones for you

Making supplier choices for your big day is a serious, time-consuming job and is not to be taken lightly!

It’s most likely the first time that you’ve organised a wedding, and with each element of your wedding (venue / photography and so on) potentially costing a great deal of money, it’s difficult to know who to put your faith, and hard-earned cash into.

So where to begin? How to go about it? Read on for a few top tips!

There are a great many ways to find potential suppliers as follows:

· Internet searches

· Word of mouth

· Venue preferred suppliers

· Local press wedding features

· Wedding magazines

· Visit Wedding Fayres

· Hire a Wedding Planner

Before arranging a meeting, through to attending it, be mindful of the below:

· Is the first meeting free of charge and of no-obligation?

· Have a clear idea of your requirements and your wedding theme.

· Have a good idea of your budget.

· Allow them to be the experts and guide you in the right direction.

· Take notes.

· Go with your head, not your heart!

During your meeting, and as a result of it – bear the following in mind:

· Are they able to refer you to a branded website?

· Are they professional and confident in their dealings with you?

· Reputation / credibility - do they offer to show you their references / testimonials?

· Don’t feel pressured into making a decision there and then unless you are completely confident

So you’ve met with them and now it’s decision time, but just before you book:

· Listen to your gut reaction.

· Do you like them?

· Ensure a contract / agreement is in place and read it thoroughly before signing.

· Beware of cash deals, even if they are tempting.

So…there’s a lot to consider isn’t there?! Making the right supplier choices is essential to the success of your very special day, so don’t make your decisions lightly.