6 Strategies to Negotiate with your Wedding Vendors
By now, you probably have experienced the triangle that is quality, service and price, but are you factoring that into negotiating with your wedding vendors? How much can you negotiate costs with your wedding vendor?
We’ll start off by saying this: There is a vendor out there for everyone, but be realistic about your budget. You cannot get a large floral centerpiece brimming with orchids for $100. It’s just not going to happen. Take for example eating at Outback versus going to Del Frisco’s Steak House. They both have french fries and steaks on their menus, but it is obvious that you are getting higher quality food and exceptional service for a higher price as a result. There will always be a vendor that provides the Indian wedding service that you need for a lower cost, but do you want it to be a lower quality and service?
What’s important to know is that these 3 things go hand in hand. Quality, service and price. If you negotiate down the price, you will bring down the others- the wedding vendors need to make a small profit.
You have to trust that the Indian wedding vendors will give you a fair price for the level of service and quality that they provide. Their rates are competitive with the market and while you can certainly try to negotiate down a bit from their rates and you may succeed, you will need to stop at a certain point. If you keep pushing, they will have to cut their quality and service to match the price that you need.
All that being said, let’s chat about how you can successfully negotiate a lower cost with your vendors.
- Know your wedding budget inside and out. What are you willing to spend before you start to negotiate? Find the vendors that work within your budget and reach out to them, you will not be able to get a vendor to go from $15,000 to $5,000.
- Book them as soon as possible. If you book 1 year out from your wedding, you have the best scenario for having them bring down the cost a bit. The closer to the date, the probability that a) they will be available and b) that they will give you a fantastic rate are slim.
- If you can afford a wedding planner — hire a planner who has a great reputation. How do you find out their reputation? Do some Facebook stalking and reach out to the brides that they have worked with. Planners are able to help you find ways to decrease costs on your vendors. They can’t always necessarily get you discounts, but they will get you more bang for your buck! Vendors who work consistently with the same wedding planners are always more comfortable giving more to their preferred planners as they are a continued source of work for them.
- Do not pit vendors against each other to start a bidding war. Wedding vendors are a group of friendly colleagues who take pride in working for you on the most important day of your life. Reach out and get different pricing and make a choice without pitting them against each other.
- When you are comparing different packages from vendors, be sure you’re comparing apples to apples. For example, one package may include an album, while others may not.
- Maintain a good relationship with your vendors. You want them to be as excited to work with you as you are with them. So be sure that your negotiations are handled as calmly and politely as possible. If your vendor is already providing you a reasonable deal, don’t ask for more. “You may be able to get a small discount, 10 percent for example, but don’t expect a huge bargain,” says San Francisco wedding planner Amy Nichols. “Be respectful of the vendor—it would be insulting if you asked them for 50 percent off, especially if they’re already working with you to fit in your budget.”
We hope you found these 6 Ways to Negotiate with Your Wedding Vendors helpful, please leave a comment and let us know what worked for you! Thanks for visiting our South Asian Wedding Site.
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