Throughout the entire process of wedding planning, one term that you’ll hear brought up time and time again is “wedding vendors.” Unsurprisingly, a complete wedding celebration is going to include quite a few different people and as such, you’ll be plenty busy in the months leading up to the big day. After all, there’s a reason why a number of our previous blog posts have been focused on various different wedding vendors. That includes our guide to creating your wedding vendor dream team. Click HERE to check that blog out! To sum it up, no matter how big or small of a wedding you’re planning on having, we can safely assume that wedding vendors will be involved in one way or another.
While we’ve written plenty of tip-style blogs that discuss strategies for selecting the perfect photographer, florist, caterer and other vendors for your wedding, we’ve never actually spoken on how you can show your gratitude to the vendors after the event is over. These different wedding vendors are going to serve such an important role on your special day that it only makes sense to give back. Throughout this week’s blog, we’ll touch on a few different ways in which you can show this appreciation for your talented team of wedding vendors.
Photos on the thumbnail courtesy of Ama by Aisha #AmaByClaudia. They are from our open house held back in January of this year.
Utilize Online Platforms
If one thing is for certain, it’s that the wedding world has become increasingly digital, no different than any other industry. We’ve broken down this evolution in prior blogs, but it has never been more important for wedding vendors to utilize social media, online review sites and plenty of other platforms in their regular business plan. As such, a great way for clients (of these vendors) to show their appreciation for the vendor’s services is through showing them some love online. What are some concrete examples of doing so?
5-Star Reviews – Unless couples have a vendor referral, chances are they’ll start their search for potential vendor options through the internet. And any time you’re comparing different businesses online, I’m going to guess that you may take a peek at their reviews. That could be on Google, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Yelp or any other review site. In any case, they’ll definitely be appreciative of receiving a 5-star review and having another example of a happy customer on their profile. If you’re unsure of which platform to leave the review, feel free to just ask them if they have a particular preference! Odds are they’ll say one of the four we mentioned above.
Tagging Their Accounts on Social Media – We just mentioned above how many engaged couples are going to utilize online platforms when evaluating different wedding vendors. One area where the wedding world has been very active is social media. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, you name it! Whether it be wedding venues, photographers, caterers, florists, DJ’s, or any other vendor, social media is the perfect place to showcase their work and give engaged couples a look at what all they’re capable of. How can you help in their quest to get more eyes on their social media pages? Simply by tagging them and giving them a quick shout-out! I’m sure you’ll already be posting plenty of pics anyways once the photographer has them ready to go, so why not take an extra minute and tag each of the vendors involved? They’ll certainly enjoy the extra reach and added exposure it provides!
Something From the Heart
Would you agree that thoughtful gifts are sometimes the best gifts out there? Well…the same can be said for thank you’s as well! Did you grow up writing thank you cards for birthday gifts as a child? In addition to leaving a thoughtful Google review, why not also write a thank you card detailing what you were the most appreciative of and how they impacted your celebration? This is the perfect way to show how they helped make your special day so great and will certainly also be something that the vendors love receiving! Better yet, consider tossing in a small gift with the thank you card as well! That could be in the form of a few wedding photos from your special day, possibly with their service included in some way (i.e. a pic from everyone on the dance floor for the DJ). It could be a gift card to a favorite local restaurant or even just Amazon (everyone can find something on Amazon). How about a bottle of wine? That always works well too! All in all, it’s just a nice way to show your appreciation for their hard work.
Refer Them to Your Friends!
Our next token of appreciation is something that just about every business can use: referrals! If you have friends or family members that are tying the knot in the near future, it doesn’t hurt to tell them which vendors you used and what you liked best about their services. Not to mention, it will also make your friends or family members’ lives much easier in wedding planning, as it will help immensely in their wedding vendor search. After all, if you’re currently in the midst of wedding planning, you may already know how many different vendors there are to look through (especially in a bigger market like Houston or Conroe). So, if you already have a loved one who can vouch for a particular vendor, that’ll help give you somewhere to start!
Leave a Tip
Just as you would tip your server when you go out to eat, it’s also quite common for couples to give tips to their wedding vendors. If you’re unsure of how much to tip, there is plenty of research around the internet with average gratuities for specific vendors. Additionally, if you’re working with a wedding planner or have a wedding venue coordinator, they should be able to provide some guidance in this area too. Odds are you won’t be the first one who’s asked them that question and they can definitely give you some ballpark numbers to work off of.
As a side note, if you’re still in the process of creating your wedding budget, make sure to factor in gratuities. This is a prime example of something couples tend to forget when setting a budget early on and could result in you exceeding your budget further down the road! While tips aren’t required by any means, it definitely is something that can be very helpful for these small businesses working in the wedding industry and tends to be a common gesture!
Still Need a Venue?
When it comes to wedding planning, chances are one of the first (if not the very first) vendors that you book will be the wedding venue itself! Unsurprisingly, the wedding venue will set the backdrop for your big day and as such, is an important decision. In addition, once you have your wedding venue finalized, you’ll have a specific date to share with other vendors to see if they’re available and should give you a reasonable idea on what the rest of your budget looks like (since the venue is one of the larger investments you’ll have to make). Plus, your wedding venue coordinator can likely help in providing recommendations on which vendors they’ve worked with on prior weddings, in case you find yourself struggling to come up with ideas. Long story short, it’s always a smart move to get your venue locked in early!
For those that are engaged and searching for a wedding venue near Houston, we would love to show you around our event space, Madera Estates! Located in Conroe, TX, we’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of couples over the years and always enjoy hearing new love stories! To book a free venue tour, click HERE to check out our online booking calendar. Cheers to a fun wedding planning experience!