Wedding vendor question?

Laurenbiz

Hi all,

I'm not sure where else to put this post. It's kind of a "woe" because I don't know what to do with a certain situation!

I'm trying to gather as much info on a handful of vendors in each vendor category as I can. We are planning a wedding in our hometown, which is 400 mi. away from where we live now. So collecting info via e-mail and mail is a must.

My mother and father both know people that have part-time jobs in the industry. My dad knows a man that does DJ work in addition to his 40-hour week job, and my mom knows a man that does florist work out of his home on the weekends.

Both my parents recommend these people, of course. But since they are part-time, I don't feel like they work a "legit" business. The DJ, espcially, has absolutely no website whatsoever. The florist does, although he has very few photo samples of his work on the website.

What have other brides done with these sorts of vendors? Sure, I'll consider them because of my parents' recommendations, but part of me says not to use them. On the other hand, part of me says to use them because I'd feel guilty if I picked another vendor.

Thoughts?

nani1012

I also am relying on e-mail or phone for my vendors since my wedding will be in NY and I live in DC. I did alot of research on the internet for the vendors. One is a family friend and a girl I grew up with has her own photography business. I opted for her because I'd rather give her the money and pay for her hotel. She did have a decent website and has great pictures on her site, so it helped me decide so I can see how it can be an issue.

I would ask for information about previous brides who have used their services to see if they'll work to obtain your vision.

Hope this helps.

entropicbeauty

Don't disregard them just because they're not pros per-say. People who doesn't live and die by the wedding industry can be perfectly capable of doing the job you need/want them to do and chances are they will do it at a much more reasonable rate than someone who DOESN'T have a day job to give them steady income.

RaptorSLH

Ask for references, previous clients with a similar event who will vouch for them.