Do you need to meet ALL of your wedding vendors?
The short answer is no. You don’t NEED to meet them all, but if you want to feel confident you have the right team on board, then the answer becomes a resounding YES.
This is your one special day.
You want it to be perfect.
The vendors you have chosen to be there on the day are your team. They are there for YOU and the more they know you, the better they will be able to do their job to suit you.
Every couple is different. Every couple is unique. So it’s important to meet all your suppliers.
Let’s go through them all and why you should meet them.
Your Photographer/Videographer
If you don’t meet your photographer, how are they going to know what style of photos you would like? How are they going to produce those special shots you want, or know to make sure you get a heap of certain people (and maybe less of others).
Your photographer and you and your partner should “gel”. You should feel comfortable in front of this person. Getting to know them is key to having fun, memorable and relaxed photos. There is nothing worse than looking back on a photo where you can tell you had to “force it” or pose unnaturally to get the shot.
Feeling comfortable around your photographer is very important and you only get that by meeting them.
Your Florist
Sure, you COULD just email your florist with the types of flowers you want and the style they are to be done in, but … wouldn’t it be nicer to actually meet them so they can give you a few extra ideas and actually show you ideas. Of course, it doesn’t really matter if you “gel” with them or not, but it’s still nice to meet them!
Your Stylist
Again, you could email and look at photos etc, but if you actually take the time to meet them, you might get extra ideas that don’t translate properly via e-mail.
Your Cake Maker
You should meet your cake maker to sample what their cake tastes like as well as look at previous images of work so you can see what it will look like.
Your Caterer
After a long day of what happens on your wedding, you will be looking very forward to your meal. It’s really a great idea to ensure what you are getting is what you want. Arrange to meet with them to discuss options as well as arrange a tasting experience so you can make a better informed decision.
Your Venue
Almost all couples meet their venue as they often like to see it before choosing. However, there are instances where couples have just gone off photos. This can be good … or bad. It’s always a good idea, if you can to meet the person who will be your co-ordinator on your wedding day. This person will be one of the key people (along with your MC) for keeping everything running smoothly.
You should get a good feeling about them and feel confident that they know what they are doing.
Your Hair Stylist / Make Up
You should ensure you get a trial run before the day of your hair and makeup. This is the time to check that the colour pallette is right for your skin tone. It gives you the chance to test what it might look like in photos. It also gives you a chance to test that you don’t have a reaction to any of the products. That is a surpise you don’t want on your wedding day.
Your DJ / Musician
Meeting your entertainer is a very good idea. Sure, you could just send them a list of songs that you like, but … remember you are not hiring a jukebox, so don’t treat them like one. Seasoned wedding entertainers will often have a very good idea of what to play to ensure your guests have a great time. It’s what they do, so it’s great if you can work with them to give them an idea of your flavour, but don’t try and tie their hands with too many demands on what you want played.
It’s good to meet them to ensure you “gel” as they will be there at your wedding for a significant amount of time. You want to make sure you feel comfortable around them and that you feel your guests will also feel comfortable with them.
Your Master of Ceremonies
If you have chosen to hire a professional Master of Ceremonies, congratulations! You are one of the ever increasing number that are hiring a professional now instead of having a family member or friend do this very time intensive and critical role.
Your Master of Ceremonies is so much more than someone that isn’t afraid of public speaking, it is the person who will work with you extensively before the day and liase with your other vendors to ensure everything runs smoothly. Your venue appointed wedding co-ordinator and your Master of Ceremonies work together on the day to ensure everything happens, when it is supposed to happen. If something goes wrong, your MC will take action to correct things and bring it back on path.
It’s crucial to meet your MC so that they can really get to know you. Your MC is probably the person, more than any other that you need to “gel” with. A good Master of Ceremonies will get to know you very well before the day so that their announcements are warm and genuine, as they will actually know you.
A good MC will not only meet you once, but perhaps a number of times as the day gets closer to not only get to know you better, but to also finalise all the finer details. To help guide you on the creation of the run sheet as well as make some suggestions for potential activities on the night.
Your Celebrant
This is the person that is taking you from being a couple of single people to a married couple. This is definitely someone you should meet. This person is someone that will give you guidance though the styles of ceremonies you can have, as well as get to know you and your personality so that their style of ceremony matches you.
Definitely take the time to “gel” with this person as you will always remember that celebrant that married you as years go by, and so will your guests.
