The vast majority of wedding venues recommend suppliers with the very best of intentions. I think it’s a great way of finding reliable and high quality suppliers for your wedding, from florists to stationers, toastmasters and bands.
But – always ask your venue how they choose which suppliers to recommend.
Why?
A great wedding venue will have experienced and devoted staff. They’ll have a network of contacts in the local wedding market, florists who’ve come to decorate the venue and photographers who they’ve built up a genuine relationship with. It’s a brilliant way to find suppliers who you can trust and who are well known in your area.
A few wedding venues compile a list of recommended suppliers which they may hand out in a brochure when you book the venue for your wedding. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I’d advise you to ask your venue’s co-ordinator if the suppliers have paid to be in there.
I’ve had calls from a couple of venues local to me, they’ve seen my website and thought it was nice (blah, blah), they’re putting together a list of recommended suppliers and would I like to be in it – for £200. The one I remember was Shrigley Hall – I don’t know if they still do it. I said no: it doesn’t feel right that these recommendations are paid for. (Feel free to use the comment form below if you disagree, I’d be interested to hear what you think about this.)
