Paying off vendors??

happe2gether

We are steadily saving up for the big day and have reserved almost all of the vendors.  My question is:  Did you ladies pay your vendors off over time,  near the end before your day or the day of?   

island07b2b

Of the vendors we have booked so far, only the venue is being paid over time.  The other vendors required deposits only and the balances due a few weeks before the wedding day. 

I am a bit leery to pay any vendor in full up front particularly if they are newbies or small scale just in case they go out of business or skip town.  I really would hate to have to chase them down.  It would not be pretty.  LOL! 

BrideBling82

I put a down payment on the Venue to reserve my spot....when I know final numbers we pay the full amount 2 weeks -10 days prior to my wedding.

I put 50% down on my cake baker....only bc thats her fee to hold the spot. We'll pay her in full 1 week before the wedding.

The photographer :we put 50% down and have been making payments (last one this month yaaahhh!!!) to lessen the load after the wedding. Good thing is we we're able to pay th E-Pics and then the wedding pictures over time.

I'm with island07....I'm not paying any vendor entirely until paperwork has been signed and I have at least two weeks before my day.

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happe2gether

I was thinking we could start paying the venue more than the deposit because I know that bill is going to be a KILLER!! And maybe the photographer just a little bit since that bill is nothing nice either.  I doubt I pay everything off completely because I know what you mean.  

wallacje

We put down the initial required deposits for ceremony, reception, photographer, DJ, videographer.

We then made payments over time and paid off the largest amounts first until they are paid in full.

The vendors all gave us a payment schedule that we could follow too.

Now, 10 days out we have slowly paid everything off the only thing left is the DJ, smallest bill.

I think you should do what works best for yall and your finances.

cincy2011

We paid off all of the "trusted" vendors and did not pay the others until their deadline.  There are only a couple that we are going to pay the day of - our caterer and our DJ.  Everyone else is paid off! 

lil01

We paid off the venue a couple of months ago. Everything else got paid off between last month & now. Paying a few vendors off as I speak!

2010Bride2be

I know my parents have been making payments to the reception venue, florist, and limo company. Since fi and I are paying for the photographer, we made our initial deposit when we booked her, I sent her another 3rd of the price last month, and we'll send her the final 3rd a few weeks before the wedding.

Our other vendors will get paid the day of.

M1ssJ

I'm unsure what to do here. I've ready many of the vendors contracts and the caterer especially has a clause that says prices are subject ti change up to "90 days prior to the event" that is unless its paid in full. It worries me because of the fluctuating price of food products lately. It seems safer to at least pay them off in full. Everyone else I want to pay the minute they are due

Artemis9999

We paid all of our vendors a 50% deposit to hold the date. A few of them I made payments to....our reception venue, and a few others. But now I am at crunch time and all of my payments are due so this coming week I am paying off my baker, florist, photographer, ceremony venue, reception venue.....phew Lord. I think that's it! That's enough! lol

I would avoid paying vendors 100% up front because you just never know.......people can become super shady when they have all that loot and don't have to work for it....I would suggest 3 payments if you want to pay over time. ONe to hold your date, one payment in the middle and then the final payment 2 weeks or so before your date. Plus it can make the payments easier to keep track of when you knock it down to a few.

KYPHILLY

Agree over time. My wedding planner stomped this in my head! She had a bride who didn't listen to her and her venue foreclosed on her a month before the wedding.

happe2gether

Thanks for all the insight ladies!  I think I was really worried about the payments to the venue because that's the biggest bill.  I agree with not paying anyone off completely because I still can't grow money from trees.  But definitely going to pay more to the venue because that is a whole lotta moola! I might even have a heart attack paying such a big bill at once.

halfpin21

I paid off the video and photographer.  The venue will be the last to pay in full b/c of numbers.  The florist, DOC and cake got deposits and will be paid off by the end of this month. 

ETA:  I will add that my goal is to not have to hand out money to anyone on the day off the wedding. The only money going out will be for tips.

caramelcutinva

None of the vendors would accept a full payment. They said it protects them in case we cancel or change our minds. We put down deposits and pay everything in installments.