Unexpected Costs from Suppliers?

Are you incurring additional costs from wedding supplier expenses?

When you’re considering your suppliers for your wedding, one of the big factors in your decision making will probably be the cost.

And if you want suppliers who don’t live locally the costs could well be higher than similar local suppliers.

It may seem obvious but suppliers who live further away might charge you more than their usual fee to cover their travel time and costs.

All suppliers will have a distance or time that they are happy to cover within their usual price.  So make sure you ask about this before you get too far down the line.

Choose Local?

To avoid incurring any extra costs, it may prove wise to only look for and book local suppliers.

However, there are times when you just have to have that band or photographer etc etc.  If this happens, and they are not local, then you need to be prepared to cover their costs.

Accommodation?

All wedding suppliers work hard, but photographers and planners typically work especially long hours on wedding days.  So to then expect them to do a 3 hour drive home in the early hours of the morning isn’t really very fair or safe is it?

They may be happy to do this.   But realistically you should expect to need to pay for their hotel as well as their petrol costs and possibly travel time too.

Remember if they’re staying overnight for your wedding, this may mean they have to turn down another booking the following day.  They might, therefore, include an additional charge to cover their lost earning potential.

Contracts

Always make sure you have these conversations during the negotiation stage so you don’t get hit with an unexpected cost later on.

This should go without saying but always read the suppliers quote and contract carefully to make sure you know what you’re paying for.

How suppliers charge will vary but it’s not unreasonable to be asked to cover petrol costs, actual travel time ( at a reduced hourly rate), food and accommodation.

Please Feed People!

And remember to make arrangements to feed your suppliers.  Most will bring some food & drinks with them.  However,  if they’re with you all day, keeping a sandwich cool for later in the day can be a challenge.

And I know myself, from often being on the go for 14 hours at weddings, that even a 20 minute break to sit down to a hot meal is a god send.

Typically suppliers will eat during your wedding breakfast.  While they won’t expect to eat with you, you need to make sure your caterer knows how many suppliers they need to feed at what point in the day.

Think about how you would perform at work without a break.   Most people are at their best if they are fed and watered and have had chance to rest their feet for a little while.

Whilst suppliers (should) always remain professional, you may not receive their best efforts if they’re absolutely knackered and their tummy is rumbling loudly!

If you’re struggling to find the right suppliers for your wedding, I can help you with this through my supplier search service. Get in touch if you’d like to know more about this service.

Louise