Hey, hey, heyyyyy! My name is Jessica (aka Wayfaring Wanderer) and I am a free-spirited photographer who loves working with couples, individuals, and families who are committed to travel, adventure, and laid-back lifestyles. I've lived in the Boone, NC area since 2005 and I'm known for capturing the spirit of the folks I photograph—the expressions, gestures, and details that are outward expressions of our innermost selves. While I'm primarily a wedding + elopement photographer, I also love working w/ individuals/couples/families that are traveling to the High Country area to getaway to the mountains. I absolutely love what I do and am so grateful to work with some of the most amazing people in one of the most beautiful places EVAR. Let’s go on an adventure!
April 22, 2016
Choosing the right wedding vendors is an important aspect of the wedding planning process that can make or break your entire experience. Without vendors, planning your wedding day can prove to be a bit of a challenge, especially if you attempted to do everything on your own…DIY-style. Good vendors will help create a memorable event while bad vendors can become your worst nightmare. I know that’s a bit dramatic, but the team you choose to work with to make your wedding dreams come true will make all the difference. There are many factors to consider when selecting the team that will carry out what you’re envisioning, but if you keep these simple tips in mind while conducting your search for wedding vendors you’ll be well on your way to making an informed decision.
The information in this post is taken from my 6-Day Wedding Planning Email Course that I offer to subscribers for FREE! This is a condensed version of Day 5. If you would like the full details & free vendor interview worksheets, please sign up for the FREE Wedding Planning Email Course. During the 6-day email course, you’ll go through 5 ways to jump start your wedding planning if you have no clue how to start planning your wedding. Below are the tips I offer for choosing the right wedding vendors that will fit your needs.
First impressions can give you a ton of insight about how future interactions will be with a certain vendor. Did they put you at ease or do you feel uncomfortable? Not all vendors will be a good fit, so allow your instincts to be your guide.
When I receive an inquiry through my website about wedding photography the first thing I do is set-up a 15-minute phone consultation to have a quick chat with the bride and/or groom. This helps me get a feel for their personalities, the type of wedding they are planning, and what they are looking for in a wedding photographer to ensure we’re a good match. I believe that you can tell a lot about how well you will work together from a short conversation and it’s a great opportunity to share your story with the wedding vendor.
This might not be something that all vendors do because they prefer to keep communication strictly through email, but I like to get to know my couples and this is a great way to do so without setting up an in-person meeting. Most of the folks I work with are planning destination weddings here in the mountains so we don’t always get to meet each other before their wedding day since we’re in different cities or states.
TAKEAWAY: See about setting up a quick call with a vendor that you’re thinking about using to discuss details with them further. I know that you’re probably busy and this wedding planning stuff is hard work but emails aren’t able to convey the same information that good ol‘ phone conversation can accomplish!
Do your due diligence by researching options before you get in touch with a wedding vendor and price out services. Visit their websites to see if any of the questions you have may already be answered. Some wedding vendors will have a lot of details already available while others will only have the bare minimum. Chances are, you’ll have to contact them to get all of your questions answered. It’s natural to want to shop around. In fact, you should be contacting multiple vendors for each service unless you already have someone that you absolutely want to work with and they have your wedding date available.
TAKEAWAY: My advice would be to find a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 wedding vendors (depending on the service) to start with and narrow down your options from there. Just be sure to follow up with the vendors you choose not to work with as a courtesy. It’s appreciated when you let them know that you’re going in another direction.
Choosing The Right Wedding Vendors
Not all vendors price their services in the same way, in fact, they don’t always offer the same exact services in most cases. Instead of immediately basing your decision solely on price, be sure to look at whether the service provider will best suit your needs. Consider your budget, of course, but also take into consideration the vendor’s experience and quality of service before making a decision.
TAKEAWAY: Compatibility is another important factor to keep in mind when choosing the right wedding vendors. There are no right or wrong vendors, really, it’s all about what will fit your needs.
RELATED LINK: How to Start Planning Your Wedding
Wedding vendors love hearing about your big plans because we’re a passionate bunch of wedding professionals that genuinely enjoy what we do! The more information the vendors have, the easier it is for them to determine how to best help you. If you just contact them and simply ask for their pricing without offering any details about your event, that doesn’t tell them what they need to know in order to assist you. Not sure what you want? That’s ok, too. Just share what you can!
TAKEAWAY: Don’t hold back when you contact them. Give the wedding vendors some background information about what you have in mind for your wedding day so they know what you’re looking for.
You may find the perfect vendor that can carry out all your ideas, but they may be slightly outside of your budget. While I do recommend that you follow the estimate that you have in place, sometimes you can inquire about a payment plan to make this more manageable or get a customized quote to fit your needs if you share your budget with the wedding vendor. I’ve been known to get creative with payment plans and special packages to help fit the needs of clients that really want to book me to be their wedding photographer.
TAKEAWAY: It doesn’t hurt to ask!
My name is Jessica and I’m a wedding, engagement and lifestyle photographer based in Boone, NC. I’m known for capturing the spirit of the folks I photograph–the expressions, gestures, and details that are outward expressions of our innermost selves. I love working with couples, individuals and families who are committed to travel, adventure, and laid-back lifestyles. If you think we might be kindreds, I invite you to connect with me!
*ALL questions require an answer before submitting.
Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me. I'm truly grateful to do what I love and I appreciate your time and consideration in advance! My response time is 24-hours for all wedding, engagement, and family photography inquiries. I look forward to connecting with you soon! In the meantime, let's be friends on Instagram. I love sharing a behind-the-scenes look at life in Boone, NC as a wedding photographer!
call or text 828.773.8764 | email: wayfaringwanderer@gmail.com | get in touch
call or text 828.773.8764
email: wayfaringwanderer@gmail.com
PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS