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Why don't wedding professionals post prices?

I am wasting so much time looking online at venues, photographers, DJs, florists, videographers etc that don't post their prices.  You have to call or email each one then they never stop emailing of calling.  We only have a certain amount to spend. I hate falling in love with something only to find out they charge more than we want to spend.  Even when you tell them your budget, they try to get you to overspend. Getting frustrated!

Re: Why don't wedding professionals post prices?

  • They have a better chance of selling you stuff if you have to make an appointment with or talk to them directly.
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • I agree, it's such a waste of time for everyone involved!

    I went with a venue, a photographer, and a DJ who all posted their prices online, so they are out there!  Contacting photographers was by far the worst though.

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  • Ugh, this was one of my pet peeves. In my case this "strategy" worked against them - I simply only called vendors that had prices listed and were in my budget. It quickly ruled out about 90% of the options. Their loss. I didn't have the time or energy for that...
  • AddieCake said:
    They have a better chance of selling you stuff if you have to make an appointment with or talk to them directly.
    yep.


    Plus a lot of it is negotiable, so posting the prices could cause people to just skip them over when actually they can work with the budget.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • lyndausvi said:
    AddieCake said:
    They have a better chance of selling you stuff if you have to make an appointment with or talk to them directly.
    yep.


    Plus a lot of it is negotiable, so posting the prices could cause people to just skip them over when actually they can work with the budget.
    I saw some vendors that listed a budget range to cover what could be negotiated. But even with things that are negotiable it's painful to call a place and find out that the cheapest thing they can offer is still three times what you'd be willing to spend. It's true with wedding dresses too - I had to call like 10 stores to find ONE that had dresses starting at anything less than $3k. Grrrr.... I was so annoyed.
  • Meh,   maybe it's a benefit of being older and not growing up with the internet.  I've planned many parties without the use of vendor websites, simply because they just didn't exist.    Sure it's a little more convenient, but I do think it's such a big deal.     

    The internet is not the be all end all for me.  I actually do most of my shopping at mom and pop places do not have websites.  I prefer to talk to real people.  I prefer to get recommendation from family and friends.   

    I also never go on  Yelp. It's just not something I bother to look at. 

    Sigh, I'm old.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • Wegl13Wegl13 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    The problem is the waste of time going to the mom and pop places of your budget is going to be laughed out of the store.
    I feel you- for dress and flowers I basically just made a list and sat on the phone for an hour or so, calling and asking "can you work with this budget?" The crazy thing was the dress shop that said that they totally had dresses in my budget, but when I got there.... They had three. Total. Dresses. And then the sample rack and let me tell you, those sample dresses had been ABUSED.
    So yeah, it's irritating but I just recommend calling and asking places if they can work within your budget. I narrowed down a lot there (got laughed off the phone by a couple of florists though which was irritating).
  • Because they are super special snowflakes.
  • Have you tried asking for recommendations either IRL or on the local boards?  People who have planned weddings before can give you solid advice on where to turn and who to avoid.
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  • labrolabro member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    Have you tried asking for recommendations either IRL or on the local boards?  People who have planned weddings before can give you solid advice on where to turn and who to avoid.
    Definitely this! I always watch out for people on my local board asking for recommendations. Between my sister and I both getting recently married we have a pretty good idea of what a lot of venues and vendors in our area are priced at.

    Honestly, I never had any problems with emailing various vendors and venues and asking what their pricing would be for x number of guests. I only had trouble with one venue that got too aggressive with their follow ups but everyone else was quick to respond, gave me all the relevant info. and if I didn't want to proceed further they were totally cool with it.



  • The purpose of an advertisement, whether printed or online, is to get you to walk through the door.
    The purpose of an appointment is to convince you that you need to spend your money with them.
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  • I wasn't bothered by this at all. I sent emails to get info about pricing, availability etc. 

    I actually used it to my advantage and asked if they were available for my wedding date; what's the point of falling in love with a photographer, see they're within your budget, and then find out they're booked?

    Also if they didn't respond promptly (within 2-3 days), I decided they weren't right for me anyway. I didn't have a wedding planner, so it was really important to me that my vendors were available for questions or requests. 

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