How to choose a vendor

This site does not recommend vendors and never will. Instead it gives you the method for evaluating any vendor yourself — which is the more durable gift. Whether it is a photographer, a caterer, a venue, a musician or anyone else, the same comparison works. The premium question sheets on the home page are the instruments for this method, category by category.

What to compare

Compare the same things for every candidate: what is actually included in the quoted price, what costs extra, how far out they book, and what their working style is like. Write the answers down. The moment you compare from memory, you are comparing impressions, not options.

What to ask for in writing

Get the price, the deposit, the payment schedule, and the cancellation terms in writing, from everyone, before you commit. A vendor who is reluctant to put terms on paper is telling you something. The same goes for what happens if something changes — a date move, an illness, a cancellation. None of this is legal advice; it is what to have written down so there are no surprises.

The two questions that reveal most

First: "What is included, and what costs extra?" A straight, complete answer signals a vendor who has thought about the work. A vague one means the extras will find you later. Second: "What have you done when things went wrong for a couple?" Everyone has had something go wrong. How they answer — with a real example and ownership, or with deflection — tells you how they will behave on your day.

The answer to watch for

"We'll sort that out later" is the answer to watch for. On a wedding day, "later" is a fixed point that cannot move. A vendor who defers the details is a vendor who will be making those decisions under pressure, with you, on the day. The schedule's vendor tasks carry their own questions so you never walk into a signing empty-handed.