A good wedding is fun and celebratory and comes off without a hitch. A great wedding opens hearts and leaves a lasting impression on your guests and is remembered for the rest of their days.

Vendors are one of the biggest factors that go into creating an amazing wedding.Your caterer, the band or DJ, the flowers, Decor, and your wedding coordinator will all have a huge impact on the cohesion and ambiance of your Big Day.

Most vendors are busy all season long. They are attending and working wedding after wedding. How can you make yourself shine in your vendors eyes, insuring their loyalty and top quality services? Here are my best tips for encouraging vendors and creating a cohesive team with one goal: pulling off the best wedding ever!

1. Choose Your Vendors CAREFULLY...

This is where planning ahead is invaluable. The shorter amount of time you leave yourself to plan your wedding, the more limited your choices of vendors and venues are. The best vendors have spent time building their businesses and reputations and they are snatched up early.

It is very helpful to hire a wedding planner. They know which vendors are reliable and which ones don't really come through with what they promise. A good wedding planner has developed successful working relationships with local vendors that they know they can rely on. Choose a wedding planner who takes time for you, who communicates clearly with you, who is transparent in the breakdown of their fee and retainer, and who you get along with on a personal level as you will be working closely together in a high-stress situation.

2. Be Clear In Your Vision...

Spend some time getting really clear on how you want your wedding to unfold, what the key elements of your wedding will be, and what constitutes the main feelings that you want to instill in your wedding guests.

Come up with a Mission Statement for your special day and share it with your vendors and all pertinent wedding party members. The Clearer your vision is, the more accurately your vendors can fulfill your wishes.

3. Communicate With Your Vendors On A Regular Basis...

Keep the lines of communication clear and open. Do not inundate your vendors with meaningless chitchat, because they are crazy busy and chances are, so are you! But continue to keep them apprised of pertinent information.

Communicating clearly and effectively also build a trusting and cooperative relationship so that you can function as a well-oiled machine when crunch time arrives.

Show your caterer a few pinterest pictures of food that inspires you, give your DJ a small sample of your favorite music, let your florist know which are your favorite flowers and what colors you are partial to. If anything major in your wedding changes, get your vendors on board immediately.

Nowhere is this more essential than with your wedding coordinator. Often your coordinator is the mediator between you and the other vendors so communicate often and with clarity. Your wedding coordinator wants to be helpful and you can make the most out of that by including him/her in your progress, thoughts, and decisions.

4. Listen To The Professionals...

Listen to your vendors! They KNOW what they are talking about. If they tell you something is not feasible, it's not feasible. If your coordinator says you must make a decision on a venue or they will all be booked... make a decision! Your vendors have been working in the wedding industry and know intimately what works and what doesn't. If you listen to the information that they offer and are respectful of their expertise, you will reap the benefits of a successful and beautiful wedding day.

5. Lead With Your Heart...

This day is after all about love. Personalize your connection to your vendors and staff. Create your team. You can do this with simple kindness, respect, and care. People work harder and with greater attention and joy for those that they feel a caring connection to. Your vendors are hard-working, salt of the earth people and the success of your wedding rests largely in their hands. Set aside room in your budget for generously tipping the staff that has worked so diligently to keep the event running smoothly. Treat every one of them, from the dishwasher to the caterer, to the bussperson to the coordinator with an open heart and a kind attitude and watch your day blossom with goodwill and a joyful spirit.

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