Member Article

Finding your suppliers

Billy Crystal gets to deliver some of the best lines about love;

“True love is the greatest thing in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe.”

So, that quote from The Princess Bride is a personal favourite of mine, but perhaps slightly more well known, and more appropriate lies at the heart of ‘When Harry Met Sally.’

“When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

You’ve got the rock, you’ve set the date and you can’t wait for the big day but now you reached the hard part; actually planning the wedding. It’s a daunting prospect, and with the magnitude of the job, where in the world do you start?

It’s fair to say that when it comes to the big day, we may not realise it, but we all know exactly what we want and whether you have years or months to plan, you want everything to be perfect. We look back on weddings we’ve attended, go to fayres and endlessly browse the Internet for inspiration. Then once the ideas are cemented in our brains we try and find a local supplier within budget. But even for just one element of your day the list of suppliers can be vast; how are you meant to know how to narrow it down?

With all the technology we have access to, word of mouth is still as valuable a tool now as it ever as been. At a certain point you hit that age where it seems everyone is getting married and so friends who have been through it all before are not hard to find. They can be an absolute godsend, an invaluable resource when it comes to choosing who to go with. No doubt they’ll have opinions on everyone they chose and also ones they met with but decided against and even if you are the first in your group to attempt a trip to the altar, there are still forums available to help. Just log on to Facebook or Twitter and you can seek opinions from other brides in your area, speak to them about their experiences and gain advice.

Though the opinions of others are extremely valuable, ultimately it’s your opinion and that of your partner that hold the most weight. I am a firm believer in going with your gut; if something is the right fit, you know it right away. And of course, the same goes for the wrong fit! That being said, it is important to get a proper feel for your suppliers. Question them at length to make sure that they can provide exactly what you’re looking for, see how long they’ve being going for and check out their client testimonials. It’s also important that you know where you stand; so thoroughly read the contract, don’t be afraid to ask about anything you’re unsure about and if they don’t actually have a contract… run! Run away as fast as you can! You may get a gut feeling that a supplier is right for you but don’t let that rush your decision, take your time to think about who you want, remember another brilliant line delivered by Billy;

“You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Absolute Media Weddings .