So I promised a great article on getting discounts and I promise it's coming! I just need some time to tweak it. This week I wanted to keep it in the same ballpark of wedding budgets by talk about...
Proposals!
You already got one great proposal to land you here (that's me being funny!), but I want to work on getting even more. When you meet with vendors, there's a lot of talk of options but none of it should be real in your head until you see numbers. Never leave a vendor meeting without receiving or requesting a proposal.
Honest moment - you probably will receive it after the meeting. I like making them after I meet with a couple so I can customize it to their preferences. It's hard to tell someone the costs when you don't know what you want. What follows is my advice on proposals...
1) Never hesitate to get one - Take this to be the broad meaning of getting one for all your options. Maybe you're on the fence about getting lighting at your event - don't be. Make some phone calls, meet with some lighting companies and get a proposal. In the long run, this can help you eliminate or incorporate options faster since it gives you a bottom line to look at.
2) Ask for more than one - I can imagine some vendors hating me for giving this piece of advice, but I think it's a good practice to get two quotes from each vendor: one that is your dream and one that is your budget. On that note, be sure to give vendors ballpark budget to work within for that second quote. We don't want to lose your business because we couldn't read your mind.
3) Learn when you want an estimate vs a full proposal - Proposals do take time, so if you're not feeling to strong about a vendor try to push for an estimate off the top of their head (which they should be able to do!). That way you're getting the cost without costing them too much time. It's also a good idea to check out the website to see if they have any ballpark numbers. Many companies don't so be sure to ask on the phone what price range they typically fall in.
4) Use that proposal to work your discounts - when you ask for a discount before seeing the costs, I get nervous. Let me at least propose something to you before we look at cutting it down. It also helps that we have something we can both look at when cutting costs. Trust me, having the proposal will help with this!
Good looks Brides to Be! I promise another kick-ass post next week with how to work these proposals to cut your costs!
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