Bargaining Tips From Fellow Brides

 I can’t bargain to save my life, and I usually get suckered in at the slightest mention of a “discount” or “sale.” So, I am pretty easily sold—not a good thing when I should be negotiating better prices with my wedding vendors. Luckily, many of my close friends and family members have tied the knot recently and they’ve provided me with tons of useful information. They know most of the local vendors can give great referrals and one of my friends even created her own wedding planning book that I am free to use!

So, definitely don’t forget to use your friends and family members for referrals—there’s no better testimonial than that of a friend or relative. By far, the best wedding advice I’ve received has been from my inner circle Here are just a few pieces of advice I’ve found so valuable and wanted to share with you:

Look for variety and quality.
“This may seem obvious, but look at a vendor’s past work. I knew I hit a homerun with my florist and my makeup artist because I saw each one of their portfolios, which were filled with beautiful and varied styles. The reason why variety is so crucial is because it shows that a vendor can accommodate different tastes and styles. The red flags should have gone up when I was dealing with my entertainment company—they did not have a single video clip of the DJ they assigned to my wedding—and lo and behold, my DJ sucked! So, look for proof of quality before signing on!”

Jennifer K., Kentucky, 26

Make sure to schedule a trial run.
“Always, always do a makeup and a hair trial before your big day. You want to make sure you know exactly who and what you’re working with and if you don’t like something during your trial, you can make sure to correct it ahead of time. Your wedding day is no time for surprises!”

Know who and what you’re getting.
“Make sure the person you booked is the one who actually shows up at your wedding. I personally dealt with a shady photographer who had outsourced my wedding to someone that I hadn’t met prior to my wedding day! Talk about aggravating.”

Sumaiya Z. K., California, 23

Give references.
“If the vendor was referred to you, make sure you tell them that! Companies often offer great discounts if you’re a friend or family member of one of their previous clients. If possible, find out how much your friend or relative was charged and use that as a bargaining tool.”

Nancy T., New York, 29

Give yourself choices.
“I would recommend seeing at least three vendors per category but no more than five. You might fall in love with the first one you visit, but after meeting the second and third vendor you might realize that the first one was overpriced and mediocre, or the opposite might happen. You don’t want to see more than five vendors in a category because:

1. It’s a waste of time.
2. You will have too many choices, making it harder to figure out what you want.

The second thing I would recommend is seeing all the vendors for each category on the same day so that comparisons are fresh in your mind.”

Bibi B., Queens, NY, 24

Check your enthusiasm.
“Try not to show how much you love a particular vendor until the contract is signed. There is always room to bargain, so you don’t want them to think they have it in the bag. Make sure to tell vendors that they are one of many you are looking in to and that you are shopping around for the best price. Even if you do like what the vendor has to offer, come back in a week or two with an example of a better offer. I am sure your favorite vendor will make an effort to match that price!”

Find someone you “click” with.
“What was most important to me while planning my wedding was to get along with my vendors. If I found a vendor was full of his or her own ideas and completely disregarded mine, then I knew I was headed for trouble. So make sure your wedding service provider is really listening to you!”

Raisa A., Michigan, 27