_{What can you expect from your suppliers?}

Is not as easy as you think

 

 

 

Professionalism On Every Level:

That doesn’t mean they don’t get to have a sense of humour. In fact, we prefer it if they do but professional conduct speaks volumes.

Clear Communication:

Prior to, and on the day.

Respectable Dress Standards:

Smart casual to semi-formal dress standards are advised. There is a slight exception to the rule if they are physically active throughout the day and need to move around the venue comfortably.  These guys and girls are mingling with your guests. When guests are present, an acceptable dress standard is a must.  Just as you wouldn’t expect your guests to wear jeans to your wedding, so too, should those rules apply to any attendees.

Common Courtesy:

In all aspects of communication throughout the day. This includes keeping track of time to ensure that the couple are introduced into the room on time, introduced correctly and informed of any delays throughout the night. The venue will work closely with the MC to ensure that any delays are being addressed.

 Insurance & Clear Terms and Conditions:

All professional wedding suppliers should have no issue meeting these requirements.

Supplier Back Up Plan:

If they are unable to attend your event on the day due to illness, what’s the back up plan?

Code of Conduct:

Whilst being paid for a professional service we don’t believe that it’s ethical for suppliers to be drinking on the job. This, however, is completely up to you. There is no harm in sharing a beer with your photographer at the end of the night but your MC or any paid professional who has access to a microphone should definitely abstain from alcohol and therefore allow themselves a clear head to get through the formalities.

Premium Service:

If you are paying a professional supplier, like any other purchase, you would expect a premium service. This would be expected even if a discount applies.   A premium service should include a promise to deliver all aspects of your event without issue. Goods should be delivered on time and equipment should be collected promptly.  Hire companies are expected to provide adequate staff to fulfil their obligations in a timely manner. We always advise that you discuss your expectations with them, and vice versa.

Patience:

Not all weddings run to plan. In fact, 99% of weddings run off-schedule. We prefer to work as a team. The venue staff will do everything within their power to work with your suppliers but in many cases, patience and understanding is a big ask! Teamwork is essential to the running of any event.  If the wedding gets underway a half hour late, let’s just roll with that and make it work.

_{Suppliers should also expect a level of courtesy from their clients. For that very reason we have provided some advice for working with your wedding crew:}

 

Clear communicationthroughout the planning process is vital.

If the time changes, if you are bumping timelines back or forth, if you plan on arriving late, if you are experiencing any type of difficulty within the family or the wedding party, communicate this through to your venue and your suppliers. With a clear understanding of issues that may arise, we can offer you some unbiased support and ensure that those issues are addressed and/or handled discreetly without having an affect on your day.

Cross referenceyour supplier list and share it –

let them know who they will be working with. Include anyone who may be playing some part in delivering your event. That includes the hire company who delivered the arch or the invite co who printed your place cards. Melbourne wedding suppliers love to band together and not only is this a great support document but it is also ideal for social media credits.

Share your wedding day timelines.

From the morning, right through to the evening, make sure that we are all on the same page and allow room for movement.

Don’t  email your suppliers on the morning of the wedding–

Not all companies can access their work emails remotely so the only way to ensure that last minute changes are relayed is to call them or message them from your phone.

Get the questions out of the way early.

Talk to your suppliers and let them know that you would prefer to address questions as early as possible, where possible. Delegate a trusted family member to look after any last-minute concerns from vendors. Make it very clear to family members and suppliers that you do not want to be barraged with phone calls on the morning of the wedding. It can cause a great deal of unnecessary stress.

Nominate an emergency contact for the day.

Provide a secondary number to all of your suppliers. That person should be capable of making the best decisions on your behalf. If the cake has fallen apart, let them deal with it because there is nothing you can (physically) do to fix that situation.

If they are working throughout the reception,

ask them how many of the crew will be staying on and if they need to advise the venue of any dietary requests.

Provide clear delivery instructions

for set up and take down times (otherwise known as bump in and bump out). If the questions are vast, refer them to the venue. They can offer precise instructions for delivery and collection procedures.

Don’t let a supplier bulldoze you!

We have some strong personalities in this industry but this is your day. You are going to need their guidance but that doesn’t mean you have to drag your gown in the mud for the sake of an “insta-worthy” rainy-day shot.

Working with great suppliers should be an enjoyable experiencefor everyone involved.

When things go wrong.

It is possible to have some sort of personality clash, possibly even a culture clash. That’s ok. If you are unable to overcome your obstacles we recommend (a) agree to disagree and move on, or (b) bow out of your agreement and seek out a supplier that you are more comfortable working with. We also recommend that any issues are resolved amicably. It wouldn’t be ethical for either party to act in an unfavourable way. Such behaviour would only put a dark cloud over your entire day and nobody wants that.

Bottom line (literally):

Take your time choosing all of your suppliers (the major player and the minor contributors), spend that little extra if it means you are getting a valued supplier and finally, give in to them in those final few days. Allow yourself to trust the suppliers that you have hired and allow them to carry out their duties with ease.