What's the most important thing to research before hiring a supplier?

What’s the most important thing to research before hiring a supplier?

Congratulations, you’re newly engaged and buzzing with the excitement of your upcoming wedding. Now it’s time to knuckle down and start searching for suppliers. But how do you find the perfect suppliers that will help make your big day magical and memorable?

Couples are focusing their vendor research efforts on a combination of recommendations and online reviews, rather than one or the other. Finding the right suppliers, from wedding cakes to photographers to hire cars, can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. With so much on offer in all wedding categories, it’s easy to go down the wrong path and end up with a supplier who you just don’t gel with on the big day. Don’t worry, it’s not just you, but that’s why we think it’s so important to find the right person BEFORE you book!

As a part of our annual wedding Insight report, we surveyed 5,600 couples to gain their insight on what they think is the most important thing to research before hiring a supplier to help with their big day.

Photo by Perla Photography. See the real wedding.

What couples think is most important to research before hiring a supplier

The list of tasks on your wedding list may seem endless in the beginning of your wedding planning, but once you dive in and start doing your research on who will supply your flowers, the best venues to host your reception and even where you can get beautiful wedding invitations, the load will start to lessen as things fall into place. Below are the most common things couples do when researching a supplier.

Photo by Trish Woodford Photography. See the real wedding.

Reviews

At 62%, over half of couples seek out reviews on a supplier before making their decision. Online reviews have become a popular way for people to form their initial opinion of a business, as the reviews come from people who have dealt with the business and wish to help others in making their decision. Easy Weddings has one the largest wedding review system in the country and is a great way to take a look at what suppliers you want for your day. Google and Facebook can also be used seek out reviews from everyday people and help you figure out if you want to use the same supplier. This method will give you a feel for how a supplier works, how they support other customers and whether they are friendly and helpful.

Photo by Rachael Emmily Photography. See the real wedding.

Photo gallery

Weddings are so full of beautiful things, such as floral arrangements, wedding cakes, venues and much more, so it’s no surprise that 19% of couples will look through a supplier’s photo gallery to get a feel for what they can do. Photos can sometimes say more than words and if you’re looking for something specific, you may find it this way. This is also the best way to look at potential photographers!

Photo by Beyond Photography. See the real wedding.

Website

One of the biggest tool’s suppliers will lean on to promote their business is their website. In fact, 13% of couples check out a supplier’s website as their first course of action. This shouldn’t come as much as a surprise since it will have all the information they will need; websites will often have package details, photos and social media links. This will also give couples a chance to contact the supplier then and there, whether through email or by phone.

Photo by Tom Hall Photography. See the real wedding.

Social Media

Social media is a massive powerhouse for businesses these days, and so think 6% of couples. It’s a great way to see the things a supplier can produce through photos, videos and text. More often than not, businesses will share behind the scenes footage and even dabble in the odd live video. This can show the personality of the business which will appeal to that tech-savvy couples and is also a great way to check out pricing, catalogues and reviews.

Photo by Ben Howland. See the real wedding.

What’s next?

After the initial research has been completed, it’s now time to get into the finer details and how that influences your decision. Price is a big player in decision making; does it fit with the wedding budget?

Supplier communication is also looked on highly – there’s nothing worse than an unresponsive supplier, and in Australia, the average response time is 4.5 hours industry-wide.

And of course, location will play a part in deciding on a supplier; online research will often lead you into a physical retail store (if they have one), so you can go and visit to understand even more about the supplier.

Photo by Millgrove Photography. See the real wedding.

Supplier traits that resonate well with couples

Couples find that suppliers that are patient, helpful and listen to them very rewarding. These are important traits, seeing as though you will be working hand in hand with some of these suppliers from day dot all the way up until your wedding day. Not only that, but you’re putting your trust into someone, and for something so important to you. You also want a supplier who will offer insights and alternatives, should something be unavailable or not right for the season.