Choosing your wedding vendors is such an important part of the wedding planning process. After all, this is the team that will be working with you on one of the biggest days of your life. So it’s important to take your time and get to know potential vendors and their businesses so that you can make the right decisions. Ideally, interviewing wedding vendors face-to-face is a great way to see if you connect. But that may not be an option if you’re social distancing or planning a destination wedding. Enter technology, the modern bride or groom’s best friend! Virtual consultations via Skype, Zoom, and even FaceTime are fabulous ways to e-meet your potential vendors, and you can do it from your living room! And don’t discount a good phone call either!
But how do you make sure these calls go well? Here are my top tips for interviewing wedding vendors remotely.
Agree on the expectations beforehand. Video calls tend to run a lot more smoothly when both parties know what to expect. Agree on which online platform you will use and who will make the call, as well as whether it will be an audio or video call. Log in a few minutes early so you’re not in a rush. Remember that if you’ve been asked to use the vendor’s platform, it’s okay to ask for instructions if you’re unfamiliar.
Be prepared. A lot of time-consuming technical failures can be avoided if you make sure everything is working properly beforehand. Check your computer camera, microphone, and wifi connection, and charge your phone, laptop, or tablet. There’s nothing worse than running out of battery halfway through a call! It’s also a good idea to have your login information on hand, especially if you don’t use the chosen video conferencing platform regularly.
Have a backup plan. Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, the platform you had planned to use doesn’t work on the day, or there’s an issue with wifi connection or bandwidth. Be sure to have the vendor’s email and phone number available so that you can still connect.
Do your research. Before any vendor meeting, it’s important to do your research by checking out reviews, their online portfolio, and social media. It’s also a good idea to prepare a set of questions to ask, so you know you have all your bases covered. And of course, have an idea of your budget and guest count before you begin. You don’t want to waste time – yours or theirs!
Be aware of body language. Successful vendor relationships are based on making a personal connection. This can be harder to do virtually, so it’s important to pay attention to a potential vendor’s facial expressions, tone of voice, and body cues. This will give you a better sense of their demeanor. You should also pay attention to your own body language and be sure to look into the camera when speaking or asking a question.
Maintain a sense of humor. Video calls can be awkward. There may be odd silences and people can mistakenly talk over one another. Try to keep things light by injecting a bit of humor into the situation. And don’t forget to smile!
Ultimately, some wedding planning tasks can’t be accomplished virtually. But interviewing wedding vendors remotely is a great place to start. By embracing technology, you don’t have to put your wedding planning on hold.
xoxo,
Mindy
