Friends in the wedding business!!!

rgeddy

I have many friends in the wedding business - wedding planners (3), photographers (2), videographers etc!

I do not appreciate after telling them I'd love their services but we're not interested/already have someone else they KEEP bugging me!  Plus they're invited to the wedding, so its kind of awkward.  We've decided to not go with a videographer or a wedding planner for personal reasons.   You're  a good friend, but lets keep business separate!

Ninnybride

Tell them exactly that; you keep business and friendships separate, but if they keep bugging you, they won't be in that category, either! Of course you won't mean it, but it will at least let them know they're freaking annoying you.

Piper_62

amen!

njl28

I don"t know if you read my post "Caterer has gone crazy", but if you want to keep them as friends, don't hire them. I had to learn the hard way and now I may have lost a friend; but if someone takes advantage of you they aren't a friend in the first place. And, don't fall into the trap of letting your friends tell you well this is wrong, or I would do this this way. If you are PAYING someone to do things the way you like, then don't let anyone tell you otherwise. At the end of the day it is your wedding. Good Luck.

Da0419

Ugh, I think working on a professional level with friends, wedding or no wedding, is really hard.  Someone always takes something personally, and it's usually a disaster.  Kudos to you for avoiding the situation and BLAH to them for not getting the hint.  Trust me, your friendships will thank you for going elsewhere.  Maybe they'd feel better if you told them that you have gone elsewhere but wouldn't mind passing their name on to other brides as the occassion arrises?

weddingbells2010

Amen to that!

My mother works in the catering business so she is constantly on my case about using her friends.  My FI and I made it our official policy not to work with any family or family friends, and for all of the good reasons said above! We buckled under pressure and let her talk us into a meeting with a florist friend, and he never called us back! I mean, totally left me hanging, ignored calls and emails, the whole thing! Meanwhile, she still doesn't stop hounding about other friends in the business and has actually stopped talking to me for several days over not using her invitation friend.

Ugh! 

mistyrichmond

Funny they want to work the wedding so much.  I've had the exact opposit problem with my friends' weddings.  I'm a wedding photographer and I'd so much rather just hang out at my friends' weddings than shoot them.  I already work ALL the time, so when friends get married, I'm always hoping they'll just invite me like everyone else so I can enjoy the day too.  The few times I've shot friends' weddings, I've worked just as hard as I do at all of my other weddings and hardly had a second to have a conversation with anyone.  I can't help but keep my camera on me  anyway (I guess I'm a little obsessed with photos), but I don't want all the pressure on me.  I love being a happy guest with no other responsibilites!