Vendor Communication 101

With restrictions easing and wedding season on the horizon, email volume is increasing significantly for all wedding vendors, (CUE that flooded inbox)!  One of the (many) advantages of a wedding planner is their ability to coordinate all vendor communications on behalf of a client and build a detailed itinerary based on all prior correspondence.  If I am not emailing a vendor directly, I always ask my clients to cc me on messages to ensure I am looped into the latest updates.  I find every vendor has a very different communication style and some don’t respond regularly which can create much stress for couples when they are not working with a wedding planner.  If you are taking on most of the vendor communications on your own, I’ve assembled a list of recommendations as you detail your wedding day plans this season.

Use Your Computer

I admit I get a bit ‘old school’ about this, but when it comes to planning your wedding, sending and responding to detailed emails on your phone is simply not the same as thoughtfully sitting in front of your computer and composing a message.  Your wedding is an essential part of our business so please take the time to read and formulate a response with as much detail as you can provide.  Moving into the planning process, continue to keep your communication to email only in order to ensure all messages are tracked and noted properly.  You wouldn’t message your lawyer on Instagram, so please follow the same rules with your wedding vendors!

Get Everything in Writing

It is very important to have a written record to fall back on as needed.  If you have an important conversation with a vendor, summarize the discussion in an email to them afterwards to ensure everyone is on the same page. Ensure you receive a contract or detailed confirmation email for every service you book and save these files in a special folder for future reference.

All In The Details!

When you first inquire with a wedding vendor, try to include as much detail as possible in your message. Vendors are more inclined to respond faster to couples who share lots of information such as date, venue, guest count and wish list. Once you book a wedding vendor, there will be a period of ‘down time’ between the contract signing until approximately 90 days prior to the wedding when it is time to detail your day.  If you have an important update or would like to add or change the items or services on your contract before the 90-day mark, try to include as much information as possible in your message, adding ‘last names – wedding date’ in the title of your email.  If your message isn’t urgent, try making a note of the updates in a separate document and send all updates in one email closer to the wedding.  Streamlined and efficient communications are greatly appreciated by your vendors.

Give Vendors Time to Respond

Firstly, it is important to remember your wedding vendors are business owners and we expect professional and respectful communication at all times.  At AME, our standard is to reply to all messages within 1-2 business days but you could expect 3-4 days during peak season and of course other vendors have different policies. Remember that wedding businesses are small, typically with one person managing inquiries and emails plus managing small teams to handle event orders and event execution.  Be sure to consider the flow of our work week, and the time of year when you send an email.  An email sent on a Thursday or Friday between May – October likely won’t get a response until the following Monday or Tuesday.

Proper Follow Ups

Be considerate in your timing follow up.  Start with an email capturing all your details, send a follow up email 2-3 business days later (or longer if not urgent) and THEN a phone call.  We know it is tempting, but try to stay off social media and direct messages. If the vendor isn’t responding to any messages, we share in your frustration.  Radio silence is NEVER ok and these are obviously not good businesses to work with. If your message is an inquiry, it is time to move forward with another option.  If you are trying to follow up with a confirmed vendor, continue with phone follow ups and hire a planner for an hourly consult to get additional guidance on next steps.

Be Kind

Of course it goes without saying, but kindness goes a long way towards fostering a solid relationship with your vendor team.  Start your messages with ‘how are you?’ or a specific follow up after your last conversation, such as: ‘I hope the wedding show went well…’  it is so refreshing as a wedding vendor to open these kinds of friendly emails at the start of each day and work with clients who show appreciation for your hard work.  Be understanding - it has been a tough few years for vendors and many are still short staffed. 2022 is the busiest season yet and with the support and partnership of our amazing clients, we can’t wait to make wedding magic happen!

Need help with your wedding vendor communication? Send me an email at alli@allimae.com