Business Talk: Better Together

How is everyone doing since we last connected last week? Still on survival mode, but maybe with a little more rejuvenation with the long weekend? Hope so! And for my super hustling friends that worked the holiday, cheers to you for working so hard! I feel like this is the season in our industry that any kind of encouragement- cheesy or not, is welcomed :) 

I realize this today's post may or may not be my most popular one, but I feel there are some things that need to be said as I'm sure many other planners may feel the same way. Something that has come to my attention as we've been in full swing this spring and summer wedding season has been the opportunity to work with so many great vendors, and as we all know how I like to keep it honest here, some not so great. This has nothing to do with the talent or services offered. I strongly believe every single one of our businesses fits a certain bride's taste and needs, so we all are very valuable. It's the ability to work together with another vendor to make a wedding the most memorable event for the couple that sets you above the others. 

Let's break this down. There are several components to make a wedding truly successful: the venue, the planner, the photographer, the beauty team, the florist, the caterer, the DJ or band, the rental companies, and the list goes on depending on the extent of the event. Each of these components are moving parts on the Big Day and someone has to manage it all. Strongly hoping it isn't the bride herself, she has hired a planner or coordinator to make sure this all runs smoothly while she gets to relax. If the planner hasn't sent you a timeline of the day the week before the wedding, it might be a good idea to reach out to her and see if she has one. This is a good opportunity for you to connect as well. If she has, it is very important you do read this and make sure things match up on your end. Many times when couples meet with their vendors, different things can be said which is only natural since they probably have all sorts of things running in their minds. The main goal and point of this is to get on the same page so that when it is showtime, everyone is clear on what to do. The worst thing in my opinion that can happen at a wedding is when vendors don't work together. That is a controllable factor that the couple has paid us to do! 

Sometimes, you're not going to get to work with your other vendor friends- sorry. The couple themselves or along with their planner have done their research and hired vendors that fit their style and budget. Although I do think it is beneficial to go along with a vendor's preferred list because of the existing chemistry and trust, this is not always going to happen. This does not excuse you to only communicate with the vendors you do know and dismiss the ones you don't. Use this as an opportunity to network! There is so much value to gaining more business on the job as there are so many potential clients attending a wedding. I feel like we are all professional enough to handle this, but take this as a friendly reminder :)

An image Courtnee Murphy Photography snapped of me styling our recent shoot together. Can't wait to share the pretty! See what beauty teamwork can create? 

I think it's easy as small business owners to get comfortable in what we know and not want to venture out of our zones, (being creatives only add to the stigma!), but we have to understand that a wedding can be a huge production. It requires so many hands on deck and lots of teamwork. Keep in mind we have the same objective: to serve and deliver for our couples!