We have been thinking about this a lot lately – what is a deal and what is not?
We love getting the best pricing when we can for our clients when possible, however when a client brings us a ‘deal’ they found on Craigslist and they have already hired/paid for it, I cringe – Now, I am not saying that all business dealings on Craigslist are bad, of course you can find a small business just starting out and have great luck. To avoid some pretty stressful situations – We’d like to share some really helpful tips for you to ponder.
- Get it in writing first, this is done by insisting you have a valid contract with the deal outline and what services you are paying for counter-signed by the vendor. You must read and review the contract and clauses for any odd items and question them on something that seems strange. We also recommend that you send an email to your vendor with your expectations written out and make sure they confirm it back with you.
- You get references from PLACES/VENUES/VENDORS that the person/company has worked for. We would even go so far to ask the venue or vendor to contact the client they worked with for a reference. This way you are not getting a cousin, or best friend who will provide a glowing review of services
- You do a search of the person/company on Google and see what comes up
- DO NOT SENT A DEPOSIT unless you have checked off 1,2,3
- Of course our solution is to hire a seasoned event planner from the beginning stages of your amazing adventure together. If you think this is a major investment for your wedding budget – it is simple, it is. But in the end it will save you, your parents, your fiance on countless sleepless nights, being stressed on your wedding day, time, money and frustration.
Is it worth it?
