If you have spent any time trying to plan a wedding you have learned that the fastest way to find vendors is the internet. There are so many wedding websites out there (WellWed,  MyWedding.com, Martha Stuart Wedding… the list never stops)!  On top of the wedding websites you have search engines like Google and Bing where you can search for specific vendors.  Then there are the social networking sites like facebook and twitter.  Finally you start visiting individual vendors websites and there are 100s of those per vendor category; how do you sift through the madness of online wedding planning?

Any bride will quickly tell you that while the fastest way to find a vendor is online, it is definitely not an easy process (nor does it guarantee the best results).  Use the web to do your initial research but do not rely on it as your main decision maker. I recommend the following process; first use the web to create a list of possible vendors, second ask your friends that recently got married who they recommend, and third meet with your list of possible vendors to make your final decision.  For the purpose of this article I will go into detail on using the web to create a list of possible vendors.
Using the web to create a list of possible vendors.

The internet is so vast that rather then just looking for all the vendors in your area you should first narrow your focus before you start. Sit down with your fiancee and decide what is really important to you in regard to each vendor category.  For example with regard to videography are you looking for the latest and greatest video or do you simply want something better then Uncle Bob and his handy cam?  Are you looking for DVD or Blu-Ray?  Do you want your entire wedding day covered or just the ceremony?  And finally what is your budget?  If you start with what you are looking for you will find it easer to narrow down your vendor search.

After you have an idea of what you are looking for in your vendor, open up your web browser and start your search! If you are looking for a wedding website to find all your vendors, there are many to choose from.  You will quickly find that each website focuses on a specific type of bride.  Some websites focus on the higher-end bride while others focus on the budget bride. You can also do a google search for a vendor category in your area.  When you find a good resource that seems to do well for you, use that.

The next step is actually looking over a specific vendors’ website to decide if you are going to contact them or not.  There are a great many things to look for but the bottom line is does it feel right? Go with your gut, if you get a good vibe from the website it is probably worth contacting the vendor.  For those brides looking for a list of specific things to keep an eye out for then here ya go:

1. How up to date is their content? (Was their last blog post in 2011 or 2009?)
2. Are you able to see samples of their work on the site?  (Do you like what you see?)
3. Do they list their prices and if so are they within your budget?  (sometimes going a little over your budget will reap dramatic differences in quality)
4. Are they part of any organizations or associations?  (Are they involved in their community?)
5. Do they have any certifications or awards for their work?  (do they try to stay at the forefront of their industry?)
6. Do they list other vendors they prefer to work with (if so are any of them already on your list as possibilities?)
7. Do they have any recent testimonials? (Do they correspond to an actual blog post?  This is a fun little trick to see if the testimonial is real, do a search on their blog using the names from the testimonial, if no name matches the blog post then hopefully they just forgot to blog about that one wedding?!?)
8. Do they have a facebook page for their business and does it have relevant content?  (Does it have a following?)
9. Finally, the most important, do you get a good vibe from the site?

If you feel good about the website then write it down as a possibility.  If they have a request for prices or further information I would recommend filling that out and see if they actually respond.  Then its on to the next vendor’s website!

The next step in the process brings us to the end of this article and to the start of another; meeting with your vendors. Hope this article was helpful for you. If you have any questions please feel free to give us a call 518.290.0816 or drop an email to info@davebigler.com,

Thanks!
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