When you hire a wedding vendor because that company’s services cost the least, here are some things you might get —

1. Slow Service.  To keep their expenses low, some wedding vendors trim the number of on-site staff.  How does this affect you?  Have you ever been to a wedding reception where the dinner service took forever?  More than likely, that painfully slow service was the result of too few staff members.

2. Liability.  Picture this — “Your deejay’s equipment causes an electrical fire at your wedding venue.  The wedding venue sues the deejay for damages, but he doesn’t have the money and eventually goes out of business.  To keep his overhead low, the deejay got rid of his business insurance six months prior to your wedding.  With your deejay out of the picture, who do you think might be liable for the damages?  You.

3. A Lot of Fluff.  Read the packages thoroughly.  You want to ensure that the services you truly need for your wedding are included.

4. Hidden Fees.  To keep prices low, a vendor may break up the offered services and sell them a la carte.  Once again, the vendor’s fees will seem low initially.  But, you will quickly find out that you are paying more in the long run.  Discuss the services (and the pricing) with the vendor before you sign an agreement.  It’s a very different conversation if you discover the “hidden fees” after you signed the agreement.

5. “Guinea Pig” Service.  Typically, the vendors that cost the least have the least amount of experience.  Be sure to ask about the vendor’s years of experience.  And, definitely ask about the number of weddings the vendor has managed in the past.

6. Paying for a Vendor Twice.  When you book a vendor based on their fee only, there is a strong chance you didn’t pay attention to the cues that were sending you red flags.  After suffering through it for a while, you and the vendor may decide to part ways.  Then, you hire the vendor you should have hired in the first place. Thus, paying for two vendors to do one job.

When hiring your wedding vendors, you should consider many factors — the vendor’s price, service offerings, references from other wedding vendors, past client reviews and the chemistry you feel when you meet with them.  Paying attention to all of these aspects minimizes your time, your heartbreak and your money.

Love and Soul Always, Kawania