So this analogy is for all the couples out there who love a great football game. Imagine the pandemic is the opposing team and you as an engaged couple are on defense. The pandemic is trying to make a big upsetting scoring play with your wedding plans. In football, when the offensive team has the ball and tries to throw it in the air, for someone on their team to catch, it’s called a pass. The pandemic is trying to pass the ball and score on you right now. It’s trying to win. But, have no fear, just like a great defensive team (you and your fiancé), you have prepared and prepped for this sneaky offensive play. Therefore, when the ball is thrown, you can intercept it in midair, take it as your own, and run toward your opponent’s end zone (the pandemic) and score 6 points for your team. Yes! Can you hear the crowd screaming and chanting for you??? Let the excitement soak in.
Ok, ok… back to the excitement of wedding planning.
Wedding planning should and can excite you if you have the right resources to help you. Use this resource as a guide to help wisely choose your wedding vendors. Don’t let the pandemic try to make any upsetting plays with your special day. Be prepared and plan from the very beginning. Choosing the right wedding vendors now can save you stress, frustration, and unrecoverable finances. Prepping now for your wedding will help you score 6 points for your wedding planning team.
Here are 6 points to consider right now while trying to choose your wedding vendors. The pandemic has made these times uncertain, but if you implement these 6 strategies into your wedding planning process you will confidently plan.
1 - READ REVIEWS
If you do only one thing from this list, please read reviews. Reviews are free, written by other couples, and give a first hand testimony of what it was like to work with a particular vendor. Those reviews are date stamped and show true real time information. 2020 was long, but if your intended vendor was working, they should have a validating review. Researching reviews written before April 2020 are helpful for general information, but vendors actively engaged in weddings during the pandemic is critical.
2 - COMMUNICATION
Yes, communication is key. We live in a 21st century culture where being able to connect with someone through some basic communicative platform is accessible. Therefore, phone calls, text messages, emails, etc., need to be efficiently returned and answered. Please be reasonable about your expectations regarding this point. Consider the time of day, day of the week, and circumstances of your call. Beginning Fridays, most vendors are busy with their weekend events. Sundays and Monday can be their days off, if they take any, so be considerate to personal time. However, if you have sent multiple forms of communication and over a time period you are not getting a response, it is time to move on. If a vendor can not respond before you pay a deposit then what will happen after you commit to them?
3 - CERTIFIED, INSURED, AND LEGIT
Would you get your cavity filled by an uncertified, uninsured, unestablished dentist? Nope. Neither would I, so why consider hiring vendors without qualifications? Just like your dentist has medical practice insurance for their business in case of any mishaps or hardships so too should wedding professionals. If a wedding professional takes their services seriously and values the work they provide for their clients then they will have insurance. The simple, functional, and administrative methods used in universal businesses still apply to wedding professionals.
4 - VETTING & REFERRALS
Having a successful wedding day is absolutely contingent on the vendors you book so it is a must to find the ones that are actually competent to handle your day. In addition to reading reviews, gathering referrals from family, friends, and other trusted wedding vendors is crucial. This is the closest you will come to finding capable people that are just one person away from a direct contact. If a friend has recently had a great experience with a vendor then chances are you will too. This is also reason to hire a wedding planner who should be well versed with multiple vendors in each wedding category in different price points to reflect your budget and needs.
5 - COVID SAFETY
At the top of your list should be the desire to keep you and your guests safe. We know the importance of masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer, contract tracing, vaccines, CDC guidelines, etc and all of the vital recommendations and mandates. Now is the moment you as an individual will need to consider how you will want and expect your vendors to execute safety protocols. If safety is important to you is should be important to your vendors. Ask the considered vendor how they plan on and have planned for Covid safety during this pandemic. Have they participated in events? What have they contributed to ensure safety precautions are implemented and followed? This leads us directly to our last point #6.
6 - ASK QUESTIONS
No question is a bad question. Do you remember your 2nd grade teacher telling you not to be shy and to go ahead and ask your questions? The same wisdom still applies as we get older. Following the previous 5 points you may still feel like there are unanswered thoughts in your head. It is ok. The deeper you dive in the more information you will receive and the greater sense of resistance or confidence you will receive from your vendor. If you feel any type of resistance from your inner self or the vendor, then listen to your gut instinct. Chances are you will be saving yourself headaches in the future.
There are many amazing, professional, and committed wedding vendors in our community working and successfully surviving the pandemic. It is essential you feel confident assured about these 6 points. Continue to look and pass up on any vendors if any red flags appear and book immediately the vendors who have passed your 6 Pick test!