I thought it was time to share how I personally recommend wedding vendors to my brides. I am approached  by wedding vendors every week by e-mail, phone and through the mail to recommend their services and I am usually offered a fee to send brides their way. I do not accept fees in order to send brides to vendors. I recommend vendors based on my experience with them or if I am working with them at a wedding where the bride hired them without my recommendation, I will find out whether I want to work with them again or not.

I have a very strict one strike policy which means if a vendor messes up or delivers less than stellar service, I will be sure my brides are aware of it before considering them for their weddings. Why am I so strict? Because brides rely on me to be experienced and honest with who I recommend to them. I have to know who is a good fit and who is not. One good example, there is a very good florist in town who does lovely very artistic arrangements. Very sleek and more minimal in the design. When a bride who hired me after she had already hired the florist, explained her wedding vision to me, it was obvious to me she had the wrong florist. We continued working with the florist, but when they could not capture her vision for her bridal bouquet, we had to fire the florist and go with one who could provide the bride with lush, fluffy and abundant arrangements. That was the bride's style. I have used the original florist again for one of my brides who's style was a better fit. That's my job...knowing the area vendors very well and not hiring them because "they are nice"or I receive a fee from them.  

Another example is when I am approached by photographers who are less than professional and wonder why I haven't recommended them to any new brides. Well, let's see...you disappeared for an hour and missed the cake cutting and father/daughter dance. Do i need to have another reason? Oh, I know it's because you started the preliminary photos half an hour late because you said girls are always late any way, you drank cocktails during the entire reception, let your assistant go home during dinner although she was hired for the entire evening, danced with the bridesmaids and let's just say creeped me out with your less than professional behavior.  Here's one of my favorites: You had your assistant walk around just prior to the ceremony with a basket and attempt to confiscate all the guest's cameras saying "the bride has asked no other photos be taken today". I stopped this by the way and made them give all the cameras back immediately because the bride had never requested that.  These are situations I experienced from three different photographers that I will definitely steer my brides away from.  That's why you hire a professional and experienced wedding planner.

Just my two cents,
Barbara
www.barbarasbrides.com