Q: I recently became engaged and beginning to think about my wedding plans. I am more excited than ever, but feeling a little overwhelmed. Do you have advice for me and other brides-to-be about making wise purchases and choosing vendors?
A: The average wedding costs between $20,000 and $25,000. With your event being such a large investment, it is important that you make wise consumer decisions about the vendors you select. Making informed decisions will assist you have the wedding you always dreamed about without being disappointed in a vendor who may not meet your expectations on the big day. The Better Business Bureau offers the following advice to help make the planning process a little smoother and a lot less stressful.
The first step in the planning process is to decide which aspects of your wedding you will be taking on yourself and which ones require vendors. When choosing vendors it is extremely important to do your research, and to do it thoroughly. Ask friends and family about specific vendors they have used in the past and their satisfaction level. As you evaluate vendors, don't be lured in by low prices. Be sure expectations will be met; don't sacrifice quality for price. For example, once you have your choices narrowed down to a few photographers, ask to see their portfolio, and a list of recent clients that may be contacted as references. It is also very important to check with your local Better Business Bureau to get a Reliability Report on this person or company.
When you have established a budget and decided on what wedding day vendors are required; it is time to discuss exactly what you want and how much you are willing to spend. Don't permit yourself to be pressured into buying a service or product you don't actually want or need in the wedding. This is your day, and vendors work for you, not the other way around. The Better Business Bureau advises that you keep the following key points in mind while preparing for your wedding:
1) Check the Better Business Bureau web site for its business reliability report on each vendor you have under consideration. This will advise you if the business meets the standards of the BBB and if there may be a pattern of complaints against the business. www.chattanooga.bbb.org
2) Require a written contract that details every service or product to be provided, and review it very carefully. Get every detail in writing, no matter how small it seems. The contract should also specify the cancellation/refund policy.
3) When a deposit is required; negotiate and keep it as small as possible. Deposits are usually non-refundable, and if something changes you want to minimize the risk of monies on deposit.
4) It is advised to use a credit card for payment, as opposed to cash. Credit cards offer more protection than cash because if something goes awry, you can ask the credit card issuer to dispute the charge until both parties are in agreement. Payments with cash, offer less protection and negotiation opportunities.
5) Always be sure to ask for a receipt and keep everything on file. You may require this documentation and proof in case a dispute arises.
6) When arranging delivery plans with vendors, always allow for extra time. Don't require everything to arrive at the same time or the day before the wedding. Anticipate and allow for problems and mistakes, they will occur. By allowing extra time, if something isn't right, there is time to have it corrected.
Congratulations on your wedding day. Please visit www.bbb.org for other consumer and business related tips on various products and services. Start with Trust.
Get answers to your questions each Friday from Jim Winsett, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Inc., which serves Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. Submit questions to his attention by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at jvass@timesfreepress.com.