𝟏. 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - If you have vendors consistently taking more than a week to respond to emails or phone calls - they are not treating you like a top priority. Poor communication before your big day, could be a sign of more underwhelming customer service to come. Sometimes life gets busy and people go on vacation, but if you are constantly having a hard time getting in touch with a vendor, it's not a good sign.
𝟐. 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 - Now this may seem obvious, but having no reviews is going to be better than having negative reviews. Reviews can be hard to obtain - especially when every vendor is asking for them. However, if a vendor has multiple negative reviews, don't expect things to be different for your big day.
𝟑. 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 - There is no longer an excuse to not be online. If your vendors aren't keeping pace with the changing times, then they may also be providing out-of-date services. Likewise, if their website looks like it's stuck in 1992, this could be a sign that they are no longer investing in good quality services or equipment. It’s important that you are seeing their latest work as their style may have changed since they last updated their site.
𝟒. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 - Now there is nothing wrong with hiring a new-to-industry vendor, who may be pricing their services according to their experience. But if they seem to be an experienced vendor and their rates are significantly lower than others, this may be a cause for concern. The big question is why? Are their services not as good, or do they not see value in their work? These are all things to consider. Again, there is nothing wrong with a good deal, but just be aware of what you're signing up for.
𝟓. 𝐆𝐮𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 - This will always be the best way to gauge your vendors. If something seems off to you, it most likely is. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to stick up for your big day! After all, whether your budget is $2,000 or $20,000 you're spending a lot of money on a day that should be an incredible experience!