If I asked you…”do you like having choices” what would you say? My guess is “yes!” While options are great in creating the freedom to select what you exactly want…they’re also problematic if you’re indecisive or easily overwhelmed with options. Think about it, have you ever been asked “what do you want to do for dinner?” If so, how did you respond? Did you ever say, “oh I don’t care…I’m good with anything…you decide” ? If so, with something as simple as dinner, why were you indecisive? Now, such an example is not a big decision, but what about if it had to do with your wedding? Everything from picking out the date, attire, accessories, venue, entertainment, music, and even guests & the wedding party involves a great variety of choices. How do you pick what you truly want? And, how do you assure that you stay within an affordable budget?
Planning a wedding is not easy. With all the possible combinations available, one can easily feel overwhelmed and outright frustrated when dealing with wedding vendors. While you may know it’s the right decision when you see it, how do you know when you see it? By all means, most vendors are not mind readers, but I bet for the amount of money you’re paying…you wish they were. So what do you do?
- Create a wish list! Start looking through wedding magazines, books, sites, pictures, etc…and gather all the ideas you like and don’t like. Place the images of your ideal wedding on a board or in a binder.
- Rank it! Establish which aspects of your wish list are most important. Consider ordering (from most important to least) what you need to include in your dream wedding and what you would like to include. At the same time, make sure to rank what you absolutely don’t want at your wedding.
- Set a budget! Why jump into a new chapter of your life with excessive debt? Look at your finances and how much you’re able to apply towards your wedding. Then allocate your budget accordingly to what you’ve ranked as the most important aspects.
- Meet with wedding vendors! Ask around, look for reviews, and don’t be afraid to interview them. Find vendors that you’ll feel comfortable to communicate with.
- Present your wish list! When communicating with vendors, present your wish list. Let them know exactly what you want so that they’ll focus on your list as opposed to offering options that you have no interest in.
Think of it as a shopping list. What would happen if you go to the grocery store without a list? Most likely you’ll end up spending more money purchasing items you don’t need as opposed to those you do. When shopping around for your wedding it’s important to be prepared and know exactly what you want. Not only will this save you money, but you’ll be able to communicate exactly what you want with vendors.
When a vendor has a visual of what you need (i.e. via your wish list), the vendor will be able to offer you options that meet exactly your needs, as opposed to present, upsell, and cross-sell items that aren’t what you’re looking for. Not only will this prevent confusion between you and the vendor…but why waste your time, budget, and energy looking through things you don’t really want? As mentioned earlier, planning a wedding is not easy. But trying to communicate what you want, without a wish list, doesn’t make it any easier.
