Negotiating your wedding…
There are two different types of negotiations that go on for a wedding…Negotiation with your family and negotiation with vendors- we are talking about $$$ here, family negotiations could be an entire book.
There is NO REASON you should not try to negotiate everything about your wedding. Not only will it decrease your cost but it may also increase what is being offered too you…
Economics 101- the market is in the toilet, the wedding market included. While people are still getting married no doubt about that the trend is for smaller or less extravagant weddings. It’s a fact of life in 2010, people aren’t spending as much as they did, and believe me the vendors can feel it…
Venue-
« Discuss pricing before you go, how much are you willing to pay for the venue and food (a rough figure of course).
« Sit down with the coordinator and give them the rough amount of people your having including a rough idea of types of food.
« Generally they are going to give you a folder of menus with prices… these are not the set prices my friends!!! Negotiate the prices. Get as low as you possibly can, then once they will not go any lower, ask them to throw in something: an extra station, more apps during cocktail hour, your cake, or Viennese table.
« Also, a way to get the price down it to marry on a Friday or Sunday, venues would be thrilled to have more than one wedding a weekend if they only have one room.
« Negotiation= lower price +more perks
Photographer-
« You can negotiate here too.
« Do your homework.
o If you know people who used that photographer ask what they paid or around what they paid.
« Ask the photographer if they will not budge on the budget to throw in engagement shots or an extra album.
« It is also important you request the proofs, some may charge extra for this, get them to include it in your negotiation. *stay tuned for my photographer tip post.
Flowers-
« If you are giving free reign to the florist make sure you give them a budget.
« Negotiate here by saying you are going to get your linens or lighting through the venue (they generally have a package). Florists get a commission for linens and lighting through you. So by threatening to take it on yourself they will likely cave and decrease the price they are giving you. Poker Bluff lesson of the day.
Dress-
« You can negotiate the dress even if you are in a fancy store. Stick to what you had in mind for your budget and work from there.
« Try to get them to throw in the veil if they will not budge.
« A good shopping tip if your dress is over the budget- ask to by the sample and negotiate on that price.
o Check out www.oncewed.com I just discovered the site and they have used dresses for sale including high end ones like Vera Wang and Monique llhulier
Bands-
« Bands generally aren’t going to negotiate the price.
« What you can do is get them to throw in the DJ.
« Also, if your band doesn’t generally play the cocktail hour try to get that thrown in when you discuss the contract.
Paying in Cash
If you can maybe offer cold hard cash…
« Why cash: tax tutorial 101 if someone is paid in cash they don’t have to report the entire amount so if your paying 5k in cash they can report 2500 and you save them tax money…
« If you are Tony Soprano offer cash for every vendor, you will probably have the sickest wedding in town at a reasonable price.
Rule for the day
NEGOTIATION WORKS FOR YOU
LOWER PRICE GREATER PERKS!
LOWER PRICE GREATER PERKS!
Look at prices of the competitors of each vendor. When you tell them that their biggest competitor charges less and you might use them, it can convince your vendor to give you break. Also think about getting married in the winter- you get deals on everything!!!
ReplyDeletegood suggestions! i also forgot the good line to all vendors- "im the first of my friends getting married"...your wedding is their advertising! so bs even if its not true but remember in the end it will all be worth it.
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