Five ways Wedding Suppliers will try to screw you over (and how to avoid it)
I have performed at weddings for over 15 Years. I have been to more weddings in the last six months than most people will go to in a lifetime. I also know the industry very well and I know a lot of wedding suppliers.
Most wedding suppliers are awesome. They are ethical and will bend over backwards to help their clients. However there are some wedding suppliers that are exactly the opposite. All they want is your money and will do whatever it takes to get it. Ask any decent wedding supplier and they will tell you there are some cowboys in the industry.
The question is how to you spot the good guys from the bad guys? How can you tell someone has your best interests at heart? It’s a good question and an important one. In this blog I will reveal to you five ways that unethical wedding suppliers can screw you over and what to do about it.
1.) Don’t mention that it’s a wedding
Some suppliers will massively increase their prices if they know the enquiry is for a wedding. I knew one magician who tripled his prices when anyone mentioned the word ‘wedding’. The reason for this is because suppliers are aware that brides and grooms spend a lot of money on weddings. They know that brides are wanting a once in a life experience and although most brides have a budget it’s higher than it would be for a normal event. Plus most brides and grooms have financial support from relatives.
The way to deal with this is not to mention that you are enquiring about a wedding. Don’t mention what the enquiry is for, just say you are planning an event. When you get the quote in writing then tell the supplier that it is for your wedding and not until. That way they have committed to a price. They can’t really go back on this afterwards.
2.) Make sure that there are no added extras
Some unethical wedding suppliers will give a very competitive quote that you will be tempted to accept. If you are comparing quotes their quote might be the best one and you would probably be tempted to accept it. However you need to be aware that they might add several added extras that ultimately inflates the total cost much higher than you expected.
I spoke to one bride a few months ago that booked a wedding car company. After accepting the quote the company in question added over £300 onto the total quote for things you would think had been included. For example a cleaning charge to clean the car before the event. The total quote including all the extras and to much more than the bride expected.
The key thing here is to make sure that all quotes you receive are in writing and insist that the total cost includes all potential added costs. This should give you a very clear idea of how much you would actually end up paying. To see our no-hidden cost packages for weddings, CLICK HERE.
3.) Be careful of venues that try to control your choices
There are some amazing wedding venues in the UK. Most of the venues I have worked at are very ethical. However there are some venues that will insist on you using suppliers off their database. Now don’t get me wrong I think it’s great when wedding venues give couples a list of preferred suppliers. However I don’t agree that they should insist of you using one of their suppliers.
The choice of who you have at your wedding should be your choice and you shouldn’t be forced to pick someone you haven’t seen. Take a DJ for example. You might have a DJ in mind for your wedding. Someone who you have seen before and you really like. Imagine being told you cannot use that DJ because the venue insist that you use their DJ instead.
The problem is most venues that have a policy like this won’t tell you until you have paid a deposit and by then it is too late. The best option would be to make sure you know exactly what you are getting and what you are not getting before you sign a contract. Understand that there will be small print and you have to make sure you read it before you agree.
4.) Make sure your supplier takes a deposit
If you are paying a supplier expect to pay a deposit. If your supplier is not changing you a deposit then this should be cause for concern. A deposit not only protects the supplier it also protects you. There are a lot of unethical suppliers in the wedding industry. These people will promise you the earth and then not deliver. I heard of one magician who took every job he could get. He would book himself out multiple times for the same date. He would charge more each time and then cancel the previous cheaper booking afterwards. This way he would always have a gig but could keep pushing for a higher fee. This guy never took a deposit because that way it would be easier to cancel a booking if he needed to.
This is a terrible thing to do and is a perfect example of why you should always pay a deposit. If a company you are hiring is not charging a deposit this really should make you question the professionalism of the company. This is especially true in the wedding industry where people generally book things a suppliers a couple of years before the event. The key is to be vigilant and make sure you book a company that asks for a deposit.
5.) They might give you bad advice.
Some wedding suppliers might give you bad advise to further their own agenda. Telling you that you need to get a specific something for your wedding that you don’t actually need. This comes down to the fact that suppliers know that brides and grooms have lots of money to spend and will stop at nothing to separate you from your cash.
The key thing here is to understand that the most important thing about your wedding is you. Don’t spend money on something unless you absolutely want it even if someone tried to persuade you otherwise.
They key thing here is that most wedding suppliers are awesome and will bend over backwards to help make your special day the best it can be. However just like any industry their are cowboys and this is something you should be aware of. CLICK HERE to read a blog about why you shouldn’t book cheap entertainment for your wedding.
Don’t forget if you want to speak to us we would love to give you a no obligation consultation for your wedding. We can advise you on the best plan of action for your wedding. CLICK HERE and fill in the form. We will get back to you ASAP.
