As leaders in the destination wedding industry, we have had the chance to work with a wide variety of vendors. From reputable caterers and artistic florists to small part-time wedding bands, we’ve worked with people from every walk of life. The one thing we look for when choosing our preferred vendors is whether or not they can work seamlessly as a part of our team. This is a characteristic that can’t necessarily be highlighted during an interview or over the phone.
Here are some red flags that your potential vendor isn’t a good team player, and might be more trouble than you asked for.
The timeline is the backbone of a great wedding. And every team member needs to share equal ownership of this timeline.
Although a photographer may be inspired midway through group photos to take the wedding party on a hike to find the perfect natural lighting, the rest of the wedding will be delayed, which means hungry guests, melting cakes and shortened receptions. A band who decided they want to play through their first break so they can jam on their favorite song for 15 minutes means the caterer misses his chance for the cake cutting and they will never get to the father and daughter dance.
In order to find the perfect team of vendors, ask them what experience they have with weddings like yours. Tell them about your overall vision and they will understand how they fit in with the whole picture. I suggest choosing vendors that have worked together in the past and highly recommend each other. A dream team of vendors who are familiar with each other will be able to communicate easily and work out small logistical issues without getting you involved. You should never be pulled away from your big day to answer questions or figure out where vendors are supposed to be.
Finding a trusted vendor means looking beyond creative skills and choosing a group of vendors that work together like a well-oiled machine.