Connecticut

Final payment for vendors

I find it odd that most vendors are requiring final payment before our wedding day. They could totally bail on us! Lol. I know there's a contract & such but I don't understand why photographers don't allow you to pay a final payment when you pick up pics. What has been your experience with vendors?

Re: Final payment for vendors

  • My best recommendation is to find vendors with great reputations.  If you're selecting a vendor that's super "cheap" or someone without a reputation, I would be weary of handing over 100% before getting my service/products. Vendors that have a good reputation, however, are tried & true professionals and would not do that.  If they're running a legitimate business, they probably have a lot of expenses that they need to be compensated for before your wedding day;
    Travel to and from consultations
    DJs sometimes have to update their music library
    Equipment rental/purchases
    Day-of insurance (for some)
    If you have a photographer doing your engagement session they need to get paid for their time shooting, processing (editing), archiving, and delivering your images as well as any pre-wedding products you've purchased (Save-the-Dates, Seating Charts, Sign-In Guestbook, etc) and the time they put into designing those items
    Caters need to by the food and pay staff for prep
    Coordinators may need to buy special material, lights, etc to decorate your venue
    Paying staff
    Paying sales tax & self-employment taxes
    Health insurance for the vendor & their families

    Bills don't stop coming in, and unfortunately, weddings are busiest only during certain seasons depending on the part of the country you live in.  If they waited until the day of your wedding or after your wedding to get paid, their business cannot sustain itself and they won't be able to feed their families.  Again, I'd be less likely to hand over 100% before the service or product have been given to anyone who's pricing seems "too goo to be true" (because it probably is), or anyone that hasn't built a solid foundation for their new business.  You may be able to negotiate a payment schedule (for instance, holding back 25% of the balance until after XYZ event occurs) for those with the talent and capability to do the job your looking for, but just haven't established a solid foundation yet.  I can only imagine, however, how many people hold many back from their vendors because of a subjective opinion, or something outside of that vendor's control, or some other crazy reason.  Interview your vendors, make sure you see/hear/read samples of their work, ask for references (clients and other professionals) AND do your online research (don't just go by references alone, but do consider that not all references will offer a glowing review).  I hope that answers your question to some degree!  Best of luck with your planning!  :)
  • PP said it perfectly! FWIW, we paid all vendors in advance and had no issues.
  • thanks for you thoughts...I definitely had some of that in mind...just still makes me nervous, but I suppose if they are reputable vendors then I shoudn't worry so much, thanks for making that point! :)
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