What You Need to Know about Booking Vendors

What you need to know About booking wedding vendors

By Joanna Banks-Morgan

I recently received an e-mail from a couple we worked with in 2008. I was appalled to find out that they have been “stiffed” for the majority of their wedding photos and their album. The photographer provided them with highlight shots soon after the wedding, but since then - nada! They are in the process of taking the photographer to small claims court. Not exactly part of the happy ending our couple had planned when they were booking their wedding vendors.

This got me thinking about what couples should do to ensure they are dealing with professionals whilst planning their big day. Quick Google and Bing searches revealed that there is plenty of information regarding what questions to ask during the interview process, but most of these articles related to the big three for wedding planning - product, price, and personality. Although these are all important, they don’t ensure you are dealing with a professional vendor, so I’ve compiled a few tips for couples to consider.

The Division of Consumer Services is the clearinghouse for complaints in Florida. They forward complaints to the proper agency, and keep a record of complaints in their database even if they are not the agency which will handle it. Call 1-800-HELP FLA to check on the complaint history of a business before you commit to hiring them.

First of all, vendors should carry general liability insurance. It’s a standard insurance, but you might be surprised to find that by asking to see it you could send some vendors scurrying. Ultimately, it protects you, your venue, and your guests should anyone, say - trip over my camera tripod leg and break a toe… (Never happened, but it could!) If you have a wedding coordinator/planner chances are that the planner has already performed this task. However, it never hurts to double check! Some resorts, like Seaside, require their vendors to provide this proof of insurance before they are added to their approved vendor list.

Secondly, expect to pay sales and use tax on any service for which you receive a product. Photographers, videographers, caterers, florists, and cake designers are providing you with a service, but ultimately, they are also providing you with a product, so they should be charging you sales tax. The amount varies from county to county, but expect it to be anywhere from 6% to 8%. If you aren’t being charged sales tax for a product, this should be a BIG red flag. Professionals in this industry report to the taxman on a regular basis, hobbyists don’t.

Thirdly, in Florida, any vendor preparing or handling food should have a certified food manager certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This includes your caterers and cake designers. To determine if your caterer works out of a licensed kitchen ask for their Division of Hotels and Restaurants license number. You can then verify their license through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation at www.myfloridalicense.com.

Finally, all reputable wedding vendors will expect you to sign a contract. A contract will ensure that you and your vendors are on the same page by outlining the specific details of the services/products to be provided along with the names, dates, times, and locations. It should also detail payment plans and refund/cancellation policies.

For our 2008 couple, even a simple Google search on the photographers name would have revealed some serious complaints by previous clients. If they had just dug a little deeper, their happily ever after wouldn’t include a trip to the small claims court… A professional vendor will be running a business, and it may not be a glamorous or exciting task, but there are some basic business questions you need to ask. Think of it this way, your wedding is likely to be one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. You wouldn’t buy a stock without researching it’s performance, so why wouldn’t you perform a little due diligence with your wedding vendors?

In every issue journalist and wedding film producer Joanna Banks-Morgan gives Gulf Coast Brides like you the inside scoop on weddings. Prior to founding Diva Productions, Joanna worked in television news for the ITV Network in the United Kingdom and for CBS News here in the States. A self-proclaimed news junkie, Joanna writes for several publications, is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, and Women in Communication. In our next issue Joanna tells you “What you need to know… How to get the most out of your wedding photos and wedding video.” •

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