Wedding Vendors?

Question

If you are currently engaged or planning on getting married what makes you choose one banquet facility over another, or band or disc jockey over another? Price?

Answer 1

Choosing my DJ was easy enough, he is a friend of the family. He did my Mom's wedding and did a great job.
I haven't made a 'final decision' on my reception hall yet, (basically haven't made a depostt yet) but I have decided where I am going to have it. There were a few factors:
1. Gazebo, pond, fountain, and gardens. I want to have an outdoor ceremony, weather permitting, and they will provide, and set up, seating for up to 100 people.
2. I won't have to go anywhere for pictures.
3. Price. Full premium open bar for 5 hours, wine served at dinner, champagne toast, and frozen drinks served during 'social hour'. A great menu to choose from, with lots of variety, and I know people who have been, and heard great things about their food. Not to mention, the wedding cake is included, along with centerpieces for the head table and family's table.

I should be going in for an official tour in two weeks. As long as everything goes smoothly (which it should, I have heard awesome stuff about this place) this is the hall I will get married at.

So, yes, price is a big part, but quality is also a part of it, as well. I found other places that were cheaper, but they weren't as pretty, didn't offer nearly as much as I will get for a few dollars more, and this place has a great reputation.

Answer 2

First, congrats on your engagement. At least that's what every vendor we called said when we first inquired about wedding-related stuff.

Now, your question. I think it's got to be a combination of meeting whatever your particular criteria are, and your comfort level with them.

The criteria could be anything from geography (one side of town vs. another), price (you surely have some sense of your budget, and as long as it's realistic you should find many choices in the range), or even very, very specific things. For venues, we wanted a place that wouldn't try to fit our square peg of an idea about our reception into a round hole.

Some of the hotels we talked with started the conversation not with "Tell us what you're planning on doing" but rather "You have the ceremony here, the cocktail hour here, the sit-down dinner here. And the bar goes here, the dance floor here, the cake here..." We didn't want to do our event the way every other couple did/does/will do.

Band-wise, we had specific kinds of music we wanted to see/hear them do well. If their demos didn't show standards, we assumed they did a crappy job at it and moved on.

And so it went with every vendor. Before we even put them in the mix, there were tests to pass.

Once we talked to/visited/met with them, the second part kicked in... the comfort factor.

That's the tougher thing to judge -- you can't do it on a spreadsheet. It's more about how you feel after meeting with the vendor or their staff. If they just rub you the wrong way, run! If you feel like they "get" you and you think you'd enjoy having them as a part of your wedding, then maybe you have a keeper.

You just can't do it on any one criterion. I say trust your gut, check their proposal, and go from there.

Hope that helps...

Answer 3

Assuming they would all be available for your date, it comes down to a matter of:

Price
Reputation
Previous Customer's feedback
Menu Selection (Banquet Facility)
Music Selection (Band/DJ)
Your gut instinct
Recommendations from friends

There is a list of factors and each one has their own unique ones depending on the vendor but those are the basic, common ones. It is important to listen to your gut instinct - it will tell you if something isn't right before you have an even bigger mess to clean up after the wedding.

Answer 4

I think there are alot of different factors that enter into this. Budget being the biggest. What you'd like to have versus what you can afford.

My son held their reception at a country club, complete with dance floor, servers, a balcony overlooking the beautiful wooded grounds. And it was considerably less than alot of the regular "wedding" places.

You need to be careful with your clergy, too. Some will not perform the ceremony if there is to be drinking or dancing at the reception. Make sure you discuss all this with your wedding minister/officiant.

Answer 5

Professionalism
This is your big night in life and you want service that fits your every need.
You can totally inject yourself in every part of the proceedings or you can get a good wedding involved to and greater or a lessor degree. Some people that we work with want us to do everything. Others want help with certain projects and aspects.
countrydaycastle.com
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Answer 6

I choose by other testimonials, what is in the budget for that specific category, the customer service satisfaction they've had, hours willing to be there, how accommodating they are, etc.