how to be a dream client

White Pepper PDX preparing a plated meal at Leach Botanical Gardens. Photo by Jonas Seaman

While weddings are beautiful and magical and fun, the behind-the-scenes can often be stressful, overwhelming, and go a bit haywire if not everyone is on the same page. Communication is key for life in general, but especially for huge events like your wedding. More often than not, you’re hiring multiple vendors who all play different roles in making your day as close to perfect as possible and keeping everyone up to date can be a level 10 task to juggle. That said, I wanted to offer tips and wisdom straight from a vendor’s mouth so you can work together with your own in total harmony!

Hire a Full Service Caterer

 It’s tempting to sign on a wedding caterer who just sort of shows up, sets it, and forgets it, but if it’s feasible for you, consider hiring a full service caterer. They offer so much more in terms of guest experience such as fully bussing tables, providing tableside beverage service so your guests don’t have to constantly crowd the bar, and accommodating special requests (because there’s always some Aunt who has several). Most helpful, though, they do wonders with keeping the timing of things in check!

Remember: Vendors are People, Too

 Although we work hard and can often be mistaken for robots on auto-pilot, I assure you we’re anything but. By the time you arrive the day of your wedding, vendors have more than likely already put in a solid eight hours of work and often in 90º+ heat! All we want for you is to have a perfect day that goes off without a hitch, but please keep in mind that we’re just everyday people doing the very best we can. Keeping this top of mind will do wonders for your relationship with vendors, I promise.

Vendors are Not Mind Readers

 Shocking, I know. It’s not for lack of trying, either. However, after many attempts, we’ve realized that we’re just incapable of ESP. This is where communication is critical. In fact, being overly communicative will go miles in this situation. Anything you, your partner, or your family deem as a priority re: your wedding day has to be communicated to the appropriate vendor way ahead of time. We’re down to give whatever you need special attention, but we can only do that if we know about it. So please remember—there’s no such thing as too much communication with your vendors!

Vendors Get Hungry

 Sounds like a cute subhead but it’s quite literal. Like I said before, we aren’t robots who live off oil, gas, or bytes. We need real fuel to keep us on our feet and full of energy, so vendor meals should be served at a specific time that all parties have agreed on prior to the wedding day. Please don’t make us wait to eat until the end of the night or whenever the caterer “feels like it.” I promise we eat fast and furiously—we just need to eat!

The last thing I’ll say on behalf of all vendors is that the more you cut costs or try to save on things like delivery charges, catering, etc., the more falls on both your venue and your wedding planner to fill in the gaps on top of everything else they’re providing. Keep this in mind when you’re beginning the planning process and remember that sometimes spending that little bit extra is what will ultimately help keep your wedding day running smoothly!