Visiting wedding vendor websites is an effective way to learn the basics and compare each company’s general information and professionalism.   You can usually tell right away if a company impresses you, offers what you’re looking for and seems like a good fit at first glance.  That’s when you’ll send an initial email or place a call to get more information and find out the cost.  If 2 vendors give exactly the same price… the one with more years of experience and a verifiable reputation for higher quality is usually the better choice.  The biggest mistake most consumers make is assuming that a lower price from one is a better deal, without meeting with both those vendors.  A lower price may mean an inferior product or service.  Unless you live out of state, it is not in your best interest to shop wedding vendors by price alone for the most important day of your life.  Without a face-to-face meeting with the actual vendors who will be a part of your special day, the price quoted is only a blind amount… with no guarantee of a vendor who matches your actual needs or who will work with you to help create your wedding vision.  This means scheduling a consultation appointment with all promising vendors who pass the first contact “test”.  What is that, you ask?

Did they respond promptly and in a professional manner or did they wait a few days and offer a lame excuse?  Chances are, that’s an indication of what you can expect from each one… once you hire them.  Did they ask questions as to exactly what you were looking for or did they simply rattle off a quote and ask for the sale?

Remember, you want your wedding day to be a personal one that reflects both you and your fiance’s preferences and style. Any vendor that simply quotes you their usual price without seeking any details or offering ways to personalize their service or product to better match your vision is clearly “cookie cutter” (the same thing for everybody), and will probably not be flexible when you decide to change something to reflect your preferences.

You can’t learn this when you send out emails and simply gather prices.  There’s usually a reason why one service costs a bit more or a lot less than the competition. Email, when used as the only means of contact, hides these finer distinctions.