Vendor response time

View quoted message I've learned to be very wary of the wedding show vendors... I won a few "contests" that were a bit sketchy and they really weren't very good deals, plus that annoying photographer I met was at a show. There are definitely good vendors, you just have to be careful.

View quoted message

I had something similar too Erin. A photographer we met at a wedding show was calling me nearly everyday to try to set up a meeting. Timing was always off where i didn't answer the phone but he never got the hint. Finally i called and left a message saying we'd booked someone else.

I've also had the issue of hearing from a vendor TOO MUCH. He emailed me EVERY DAY "just checking in if I had made a decision yet... Yikes, dude, give me some space! Needless to say, I didn't go with him. The people I finally decided on have been wonderful - patient, responsive, enthusiastic, accommodating... Don't settle for someone who won't get back to you!

I have picked vendors based on response time. I e-mail and call and if I don't hear back I move on. They should want my business, I shouldn't have to chase them down to give them money!

It's frustrating but thankfully the vendors I have heard from have turned out to be better than the ones that didn't respond!

I've had mixed experiences with my venue specifically. At first, super attentive and fast. Deposit but down and response time slowed. Sometimes they are quick to respond, sometimes i feel like i'm chasing them. All in all, i'm sure it will all work out, but i'm the type of personality that has a rough time with delayed response times. Trying to be understanding though.

I contacted my venue 2 years in advance every time I’ve messaged them I got an answer that day or the next day, unless it was their day off and in case they had an automatic email tell me when they’d be back to work. I think the longest I had to wait was maybe 3 days when they were putting together our contract. I feel really comfortable because I know they’ll respond if I have any concerns. I have two photographers in mind and one of them is my mum’s friend who she’s going to be seeing in the next couple of weeks and she’s going to talk to him and get details and if he’s not available my backup has always responded within a day (Usually within an hour or two). I feel more confident knowing they’ll answer me.

We had this problem when we were first contacting vendors. When I tried to look at venues, we only got a response from around 5 of them, and those we booked a visit, 2 of them cancelled on us. It's not the way to get my business. Anytime vendors took to long to get back to me, I moved on or gave them a call, if I had already booked because I was planning from out-of-province and had limited time when I came to visit.

With that said, your wedding is still a year away, so they are probably prepping for this wedding season with all their summer weddings. It will probably take some time to get back to you, but I would expect quicker responses by mid-October, especially November. I say, wait a week, and if you don't hear back, give them a call.

I usually judge it by the time of yr. If it's peak wedding season then I give it maybe 3 weeks to respond as I get it they are busy. If it's not peak wedding season I give it a week - week & a half to respond. By then I move on. The longest that someone took to respond for me was my DJ which was 5 days after I contacted him. If they want your business they will get back to you. I can tell you I emailed/called at least 15 venues and only about 4-6 actually got back to me.

I agree with everyone here about the response times! The vendors I’ve gone with so far are the ones who’ve returned emails/phone calls ASAP. I still have vendors (from WW and otherwise) who haven’t responded back to me and it’s 2.5 months later.

If they don't prioritize answering clients, or potential clients, they won't prioritize you down the line.
I emailed a couple photographers the other day, and the one I was leaning towards most emailed me within the hour to say he was at a shoot and would email me my requested information when he was done... Then I received a full email a few hours later! Let's just say he's #1 on the list right now.

Thanks Everyone! I have the same feeling....the quick responders will be the most reliable. It is just disappointing ... one photographer in particular I was set on booking because they had a great portfolio.

Definitely go with the quick responders. Those vendors are typically the ones you know you'll be able to rely on when it comes down to the nitty gritty. I'm still waiting for a response back from a vendor we had previously booked but she's chosen to ignore my email. Our decorator takes weeks to respond so we've decided to go with another as she's completely unreliable.

I went with the quick responders like Becky did. I STILL haven't heard back from a couple of venues that I contacted, and I found my venue in July 2017! The ones we went with responded within a day or so, and who subsequently responded to further questions within a 1-2 day period.

You want someone who cares about providing good service and not just getting a pile of cash from you. Especially photographers and DJs, as they will essentially be guests, as well as the venue, and all will be key players. I wouldn't stress about vendors like the cake Baker or florist as much. Those are services that can be more last minute if something goes wrong. My sister-in-law's florist never showed up (nightmare scenario!), but with the help of her friends and the local grocery store, they still managed to have a bouquet and beautiful centre pieces for a reception of 240 people It's never too early to be prepared though so keep trying!!

View quoted message

Thanks Becky!! It's been frustrating...

I had the same issue with people taking few months to respond or don’t at all. Everyone who I ended up going with responded very quickly. If they can’t respond now I don’t want to rely on them to respond when it’s important. The only one I had to go with who was slower responding was the venue due to the lack of in the area. They were also an older couple. The ones who didn’t respond I called and they just ended up not realizing they had emails