Check wedding suppliers

Check wedding suppliers - why you need to check your wedding suppliers.

Not all wedding suppliers are the same.  Not all are full-time professionals.  Not all will be around when your wedding comes around.  A few simple checks on each of your wedding suppliers will help ease your mind!

Do they have a landline or just a mobile?

This is about investing in a business.  Even if you are working from home under the stairs you should really have a separate landline from your home number.  A landline is easier to trace and check than a mobile.  A sim card is a throwaway item.  A landline is easier to trace, especially if you make a formal complaint to Trading Standards etc.

How old is their website domain name?

An easy one to check: http://smallseotools.com/domain-age-checker/ The older the domain name the longer they have been around and the better they may be.  This can, sadly, be scammed so don't just use this one!

Is their website a cheaper freebie?

The business should invest in themselves.  You can easily get a free website from the likes of Wix or Vista Print for example. However, when you look at a business that won't invest in itself by spending £5 a year on a domain and £25 a year on hosting you need to ask yourself what else are they scrimping on?

Is the website look and feel professional?

Who has designed the website?  A professional company or some kid in a bedroom doing it for a few beers?  Many business owners will not invest in a web design company and do it themselves.  That's ok, but the site should look and feel professional.  It's about that investment again in their business.  Are they serious or just interested in making a quick few quid and doing a runner? Webshops like Etsy, by the way, are great - they are regulated and checked. Does the website have FULL contact details?  Name, Address, Contact number, VAT number if registered and if a Limited company the company registration number.  Use of cookies on the website.  If not what are they trying to hide?  Those details are a LEGAL requirement.  More than 95% of websites in the UK are breaking the law.  With the introduction of the EU GDPR legislation in 2018, you can be sure this will be cracked down on. Info Distance Selling - https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses Info GDPR - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/

Does the business have a professional email address?

An email address like "[email protected]" should fill you with dread. (apologies to Charlie who may use that email address by the way!).  Professional hosting (or indeed semi-professional hosting for that matter) will give you an email address that is attached to the business name: [email protected] or [email protected] etc etc Again, it's about that lack of investment in a business. Email signatures should also contain full contact information.  "Sent from iPhone" isn't enough

Check wedding suppliers - Do they only have a Facebook Page?

Again this is about investment in a business.  Nothing wrong with Facebook, but they are easy to set up and remove.  In fact, I can do just that in 15 minutes using a fake profile. Look for suppliers who have a website AND a Facebook page.  Look for suppliers with a Facebook page that is updated regularly. If a supplier only has an FB page ask for their trading address (home or unit) and ask for some proof they live there.  Yes I know it's a Pain In The Ass... but an FB page is easy to set up and easy to delete etc.

Other Social Media Channels

Are they on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest etc?  If so it's a good indication they are serious about their business.  It's more marketing channels for them.

Paperwork and Documentation

Do you get the feeling it's been rushed or has there been some thought put into it? Do they have a set of Terms & Conditions that cover what they do, what can go wrong, delivery time frames, whats included etc. Do they have a Privacy Policy on their website?  Do they tell you what they will do with your personal information? Ask for a sample invoice.  Does it have their trading address and contact number on? That is a LEGAL requirement by the way. If not then why not - what are they hiding? Info Distance Selling Regulations - https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/distance-sales/consumer-contracts-distance-sales#WhatdotheRegulationscover

Price

If the price seems toooooo good to be true; it probably is.  Yes, you can amazingly low but high-quality suppliers and those are few and far between.  There is a reason a Mercedes costs more than a Skoda.

Check wedding suppliers Business Insurance - VERY IMPORTANT

Every business should hold Liability and Indemnity insurance.  Just ask them for proof; they should be able to supply it in 48 hours or less.  If not run a mile fast.  In fact, some venues I've worked at have requested to see proof of my insurance before allowing me to work there.

Check wedding suppliers Samples

Can you get a set of samples sent to you for evaluation?  Or maybe an engagement session from the photographer/videographer to see how they work and the finished article etc?

Wedding Photographers / Videographers - Check their work.

It is easy for a person to pick up a camera/video camera and attend a workshop and get amazing images.  In fact, I've been on workshops using models that are size 0, look stunning, dresses that were perfect, hair and makeup done by professionals etc.  All I had to do was press the shutter - no thought to anything.  The models did everything and the tutors did the rest.  Boring as hell. However, it does mean that getting stunning images for a portfolio isn't hard.  Getting them in real life under the real pressures of a wedding is hard. Check the portfolio of the supplier!

• Does all the work have a consistent look and feel? - That's a good sign.
• Do some of the work look totally different to the others? - That's a bad sign.

If some images are totally and absolutely amazing and many others are pretty mediocre THINK.  It may well be the case the photographer has been in a workshop or course and is passing those images off as their own work.  Yes, they own the copyright, but they did not create the work, set up the light, pose the bride etc. It's very usual for new photographers to try and pass photographs taken at courses as their own by giving the couple names! Guess what?  Yes, that may well be illegal as well under the Consumer Protection from unfair trading regulations. Have you seen a full portfolio from a full wedding?  Bridal prep through to first dance with the same couple?  If not - ask to see it. Do the wedding photographs look 'professional'?  Sharp shadows just behind people? Red eyes? Sharp images? Group shots with no one looking at the camera? Info - Are the wedding photographs my own work?

Wedding Photographers / Videographers - Check what kind of backup they have.

Backup hard drives (on site and off site as well as cloud storage) isn't expensive these days.  Every single photograph should be backed up as soon as possible onto separate hard drives etc.  Ask your supplier about their backup process; do you feel safe in what they say? Even if things go wrong with hard drives the suppliers business insurance will pay for the hard drive to be rescued.

Check wedding suppliers - In Summary

This isn't a definitive list and is by no means intended to be exhaustive.  At the end of a day, a brand new business can have none of the above and be amazing.  An old established business can have all of the above and be crap. Only YOU can decide if it's worth it.