This is it. The BIG question. The thing my friends ask me the most about how to do right. How do you ask for a discount without sounding cheap AND get it?
There are several ways to bring down the cost of your event without sacrificing quality or burning bridges. Today I'm going to go over just one and I'll be honest, it's probably not the one you want to hear.
Change your date.
It's hard. You're battling family schedules, guest convenience, your dreams, and the weather. Trust me, as a vendor I get it, but I am not inclined to offer discounts on a Saturday in May. A Friday in August though? Now we're talking. Here's the quick of how adjusting your date can save you big.
1) Learn the peak seasons and avoid them. You know that spring wedding you've been dreaming of? So have a lot of other brides. Autumn is also a peak time with the cooling temperatures and fall colors. Shift your vision to the deep summer months (July/August) and deep winter months (January/February) and you'll have more date choices and ability to hussle a bargain. Remember - not all Saturdays are created equal.
2) Think outside the Saturday. Fridays and Sunday weddings are on the rise and for good reason! Everything from ceremony sites to cocktail bites tend to be a little cheaper on these days. You can always have a small, romantic Friday wedding and fill the weekend with activities for out of town guests. I am also a big fan of Sunday Brunch weddings where you can slash your food budget and alcohol budget without hurting anyone's feelings or stomachs.
3) Talk with your vendors about what dates they would be willing to discount. Go back to my article on asking questions if you have not read it yet (LINK). If you love a particular vendor and really want them but can't afford them, ask them which days they would be willing to work with you on. Prime dates do vary between vendors so you may be able to get a great deal on a great date just by asking.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Raise your hand in the air
I love questions! Questions means that you've really read over the sales materials and guidelines. No one should ever apologize for asking questions or needing clarifications. It also means you're communicating with me, which is even more important. I want to know what you're thinking and planning so I can assist with the logistics on my side.
I think clients sometimes refrain from asking questions because they either assume I will say no or they are afraid I will say no and rather ask for forgiveness than permission. Here's the problem with both of those lines of thinking:
1) Never assume anything! I am shocked at some of the things I have gotten passed through proper channels from banners hung in new locations to animals on property I didn't think we could have. I've taken some questions over my boss' head (with permission! I do like my job) and shocked her with the answers I get. It is always worth the ask, on your part and on mine. You have nothing to lose so ask me anything from the mundane to the ridiculous and let me surprise you with the answer.
2) Don't think I won't see what you're doing. It is always an awkward position when I have to say no to something that a client tries to sneak by. It makes you angry and offends me that you've tried, which makes me less likely to negotiate with you on other items. Happy vendors give better discounts - remember that. Then again, sometimes it really is an innocent mistake. Regardless of what brought us here, I always want to compromise but it's easier to find solutions that make both of us happy when we have a few months to plan instead of an hour.
In summary - Ask your vendors for the moon, if they're smart you'll get a beautiful picture.
I think clients sometimes refrain from asking questions because they either assume I will say no or they are afraid I will say no and rather ask for forgiveness than permission. Here's the problem with both of those lines of thinking:
1) Never assume anything! I am shocked at some of the things I have gotten passed through proper channels from banners hung in new locations to animals on property I didn't think we could have. I've taken some questions over my boss' head (with permission! I do like my job) and shocked her with the answers I get. It is always worth the ask, on your part and on mine. You have nothing to lose so ask me anything from the mundane to the ridiculous and let me surprise you with the answer.
2) Don't think I won't see what you're doing. It is always an awkward position when I have to say no to something that a client tries to sneak by. It makes you angry and offends me that you've tried, which makes me less likely to negotiate with you on other items. Happy vendors give better discounts - remember that. Then again, sometimes it really is an innocent mistake. Regardless of what brought us here, I always want to compromise but it's easier to find solutions that make both of us happy when we have a few months to plan instead of an hour.
In summary - Ask your vendors for the moon, if they're smart you'll get a beautiful picture.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Vendor Highlight - Photographers
Welcome to the start of a mini series I'm calling Vendor Highlights. Eventually I'll narrow this down to specific peeps, but right now I'm keeping my brush strokes broad. Let's start with a quick ditty on photographers.
I love photographers; they're a vendor's best friend because they make all of us look good. That and they tend to be pretty awesome people in general. Even if you care more about the music than the photos, be sure to put some time into booking this vendor - you're not going to be sharing your wedding playlist with your relatives and future children. So here are a few hints when your starting that process of booking a photographer:
1) Read their blog! Most photographers host an online gallery and a blog. While the gallery often showcases larger portfolios of a few weddings, the blogs are a smaller taste of more events. Add their blog to your RSS reader to get a feel of what type of work they currently do. Then let the photographer know what photos you like so they can better capture your day, your way. Not to mention, it's fun to indulge in some eye candy at work.
2) Keep searching through those blogs! Guess what else are in those photos? Venues, flower arrangements, cakes, bands, food, lighting, decor, you name it. Search for your other vendors in photographer's blogs. Maybe there's a great place for photos at your ceremony site that you never saw in your walkthrough. Or if you're trying to decide between different decor companies, get online and see the type of work they produce. Photographer blogs are the perfect place to see other vendors in action.
3) Talk to them about what matters to you. Did you know you can have a photographer at your rehearsal dinner? Or that you can have a private session with them to take pictures of you in your wedding dress weeks before the wedding? Photography doesn't have to happen between the ceremony start and reception end. Open up about the details and people you want captured so they can make a package that suites you.
Here's some blogs I enjoy to follow:
Picture This! Photographer - http://sandraandgreg.blogspot.com/
PWP Photos (corporate only now, but still fun to read)- http://pwpstudio.com/blog/
Fotographa-http://www.myfotographa.com/Blog/
I love photographers; they're a vendor's best friend because they make all of us look good. That and they tend to be pretty awesome people in general. Even if you care more about the music than the photos, be sure to put some time into booking this vendor - you're not going to be sharing your wedding playlist with your relatives and future children. So here are a few hints when your starting that process of booking a photographer:
1) Read their blog! Most photographers host an online gallery and a blog. While the gallery often showcases larger portfolios of a few weddings, the blogs are a smaller taste of more events. Add their blog to your RSS reader to get a feel of what type of work they currently do. Then let the photographer know what photos you like so they can better capture your day, your way. Not to mention, it's fun to indulge in some eye candy at work.
2) Keep searching through those blogs! Guess what else are in those photos? Venues, flower arrangements, cakes, bands, food, lighting, decor, you name it. Search for your other vendors in photographer's blogs. Maybe there's a great place for photos at your ceremony site that you never saw in your walkthrough. Or if you're trying to decide between different decor companies, get online and see the type of work they produce. Photographer blogs are the perfect place to see other vendors in action.
3) Talk to them about what matters to you. Did you know you can have a photographer at your rehearsal dinner? Or that you can have a private session with them to take pictures of you in your wedding dress weeks before the wedding? Photography doesn't have to happen between the ceremony start and reception end. Open up about the details and people you want captured so they can make a package that suites you.
Here's some blogs I enjoy to follow:
Picture This! Photographer - http://sandraandgreg.blogspot.com/
PWP Photos (corporate only now, but still fun to read)- http://pwpstudio.com/blog/
Fotographa-http://www.myfotographa.com/Blog/
Friday, August 13, 2010
And now, for my first trick....
In this day of email, twitter, and texting, the art of a good voice mail is disappearing. Not gone, but definitely more of a challenge than you would think! So here's a quick ditty about how to leave the ideal phone message when you are calling anyone
1) Quality, not quantity- It's great that you want to talk and share your event vision with me, but my voicemail is not the place to do it. Keep it short and sweet like your mama taught you.
2) What day is your event? - I promise I won't tie you down to it! It can be a range or it can be specific. Just let me know what you're thinking ( I know you have some idea if you're calling me) and if your flexible with it.
3) Guest count - This number is critical for me in determining if I can host your group or what spaces they fit in, but I'm convinced someone out there is telling people that every time you give this number an angel loses their wings. Once again, a range is acceptable, nay expected! I just need to know if you need a pontoon boat, a steam boat or a cruise boat to fit all your guests.
4) Most Important!!! - see how I put three exclamation marks there? That means this is three times more important than the other things. Please, say your phone number slowly and clearly. A lot of people speed through this part because while everything else is an uncertainty, this part they know; however, this is the one part I can not guess on. Saying it twice is even better, because sometimes the phone cuts out and I'm one digit short.
In short- be short, give dates because they're tasty fruit, tell them your favorite type of boat and resist the urge to say your phone number any faster than you can spell "mississippi".
1) Quality, not quantity- It's great that you want to talk and share your event vision with me, but my voicemail is not the place to do it. Keep it short and sweet like your mama taught you.
2) What day is your event? - I promise I won't tie you down to it! It can be a range or it can be specific. Just let me know what you're thinking ( I know you have some idea if you're calling me) and if your flexible with it.
3) Guest count - This number is critical for me in determining if I can host your group or what spaces they fit in, but I'm convinced someone out there is telling people that every time you give this number an angel loses their wings. Once again, a range is acceptable, nay expected! I just need to know if you need a pontoon boat, a steam boat or a cruise boat to fit all your guests.
4) Most Important!!! - see how I put three exclamation marks there? That means this is three times more important than the other things. Please, say your phone number slowly and clearly. A lot of people speed through this part because while everything else is an uncertainty, this part they know; however, this is the one part I can not guess on. Saying it twice is even better, because sometimes the phone cuts out and I'm one digit short.
In short- be short, give dates because they're tasty fruit, tell them your favorite type of boat and resist the urge to say your phone number any faster than you can spell "mississippi".
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Welcome
I've never been one for blogging. I can barely keep up with posting on Facebook and responding to invites on Linked In. Heck, I don't even have a Twitter account! But my co-workers are wonderful people and have inspired me to start a blog of my own.
The hardest part of blogging I thought would be finding a topic. My job is the one thing I would want to share stories from however, it was the first thing I thought of as taboo. But while I was driving into work this morning I thought "That just makes it more of a challenge!"
Instead of making this a ranting blog of bad experiences, I want to make this blog a place for new and future clients to learn how to navigate through one of the most emotional, stressful and rewarding events in their life. (I have to give a recently engaged buddy of mine props for that genius idea.) Names and dates will be omitted as I have personal and professional obligation to protect identities.Other than that, let the good times roll!
The hardest part of blogging I thought would be finding a topic. My job is the one thing I would want to share stories from however, it was the first thing I thought of as taboo. But while I was driving into work this morning I thought "That just makes it more of a challenge!"
Instead of making this a ranting blog of bad experiences, I want to make this blog a place for new and future clients to learn how to navigate through one of the most emotional, stressful and rewarding events in their life. (I have to give a recently engaged buddy of mine props for that genius idea.) Names and dates will be omitted as I have personal and professional obligation to protect identities.Other than that, let the good times roll!
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