The internet is chock full of advice about weddings and referrals to wedding service providers. Finding the right vendors is a challenging task, made all the more difficult by high-pressure sales tactics ("If you book today, I can offer a huge discount..."), good-natured suggestions from family and friends ("You're going to use the same photographer we did, aren't you?") and bridal magazine-imposed deadlines ("With only twelve months left until your wedding, you should have already signed contracts with the following sixteen vendors..."). We suggest that you take a step back from all that pressure and remember that it's more important to get it right than it is to get it done NOW.

Hiring vendors

Before you make any decisions or hire any vendors for your wedding, do your homework. Talk to bridal and other references and probe them with questions about the specific areas about which you are most concerned. Talk to other vendors that worked with them on events and make sure they worked well together. Get detailed proposals from the companies you're interviewing so you can review contracts and all their small print. Read the proposals/contracts carefully and make sure you understand cancellation clauses (and be wary of contracts that allow the vendor to cancel) and whether or not the vendor reserves the right to substitute personnel or materials based on availability -- and if they will inform you if they want to make such changes.

Also, not all referrals are created equal. Put the most stock in the recommendations given by the people you know in your area. Online vendor lists (including the one we share with you here) can be a great starting point, but they are not the same as the advice of a trusted friend. No matter who refers you to a vendor, do your homework!

Whether or not you are working with a wedding coordinator, much of the wedding experience will depend your vendors.

Wedding advice - take it all with a grain of salt

Whether your get your wedding advice from family, friends, Modern Bride, Martha Stewart, The Knot, or a wedding-related web site, read it critically. Not all advice is objective, and some of it -- especially on-line -- is little more than marketing copy dressed up with a "How To" title.

As long as you know what you're reading, sales-oriented articles can be helpful, too. But if you're looking for objective, reliable advice you need to read very, very carefully.

Because it's easy for anyone to write an article and post it on their site as advice, you can never be sure that you're getting reliable, accurate information until you dig a little deeper. Here are a few phrases used by amateur authors that haven't taken the time to research their articles before presenting them to you, and what they often really mean:

"Studies have shown..." = "It seems logical to me."
"Leading organizations say..." = "I think I read this once."
"Many people believe..." = "I want you to believe..."

Good luck sorting through the veritable cornucopia of wedding tips and advice. Read carefully and you'll find the gems that will help make your wedding the unique, personal affair you're trying to create.

Return to Big Moment Films: Resources