When Vendors Seem To Be Too Good To Be True

I am inspired to write about this topic based off of a consultation I had this afternoon. Apparently, my services + prices were too good to be true. Both the bride and the groom were looking for the catch, the hidden loophole, any reason to believe that what I was offering them was not reality. {Reality: What I offer is the reality, no strings attached, no hidden anything} It got me thinking, how often in the wedding planning process do you think "its too good to be true?". Turns out, fairly often. Its as though life, education, advice and experience have taught us to be skeptical of everything from guarantees to promises, and everyday we face situations that seem to be too good to be true. How do you know when it is that good to be true?!

Leaving gut instinct aside {which yes, I do firmly believe plays a massive role in how we perceive services and make purchases}, what impetus allows you, the purchaser, to believe you're getting the best that you can get?

When planning a wedding, the first rule of thumb everyone tells you is to not mention that you're planning a wedding, since the word alone encourages vendors to jack the price up. In same instances, yes, this does happen and its best to pretend you're just having one extravagant affair. But, in other instances, letting a vendor know that its your wedding may lead to getting a lot of extras on top of what you are paying for. Obviously, some vendors you need to hire will automatically know its a wedding {photographer, videographer for example} and you won't be left wondering if you didn't mention WEDDING if the price would be less.

If during your meeting with a vendor, they show their expertise, they are concise in their descriptions, they understand your goals and they generally seem like they get you and your wedding ... take them at face value. I rarely come across a vendor who is out to screw you. In fact, its quite the opposite ~ people who work in this industry generally have a passion for weddings, happiness and their clients. They want their clients to have a happy wedding day. And, they want their services to be what contributes to a happy, seamless wedding day. They usually aren't sinister, quoting one price when the bottom line is actually multiples more. But, if during your meeting you feel like they won't develop on their services or they aren't going to be the best match, then move along.

Try not to base your decisions off of the bottom line, try to base your decisions off the value add that this vendor is going to provide in your planning process. The best compliment a vendor can receive is that they are invaluable regardless of what they charged you.