What a supplier meeting is for
Not to be sold to. A supplier meeting exists to turn a quote into something comparable with another quote, and to find out what is not in the price.
Ask every supplier these
| Question | What you are actually establishing |
|---|---|
| What exactly is included in this price? | The scope, written down, so you can price the same scope elsewhere |
| What is not included that most couples end up adding? | The best question on this list. Suppliers answer it honestly and it surfaces the real total |
| Is the price fixed, or can it change before the day? | Whether you are looking at a price or an estimate |
| What is the deposit, the balance and the exact due date? | Feeds the payment calendar and the cash-flow check |
| What are the cancellation terms, yours and ours? | The clause most often missing is what happens if they cancel |
| What happens if you cannot attend? | A named backup, a network, or a refund — one of the three |
| How many other bookings do you take on the same day? | Relevant for florists, caterers, hair and makeup and DJs |
| Have you worked at our venue? | Useful, not essential — but it changes the setup conversation |
| Do you have public liability insurance? | Your venue will require it anyway |
| What do you need from us, and by when? | Turns their deadlines into your calendar |
Write the answers down in the meeting
Three suppliers a fortnight apart blur completely. Take the same ten questions to each and record the answers in the same place, and the comparison writes itself. Trying to reconstruct it from memory is how couples end up comparing on price, because price is the only number they can remember.
After the meeting
Send a short email summarising what you understood to be included. This does two things: it catches misunderstandings while they are still free to fix, and it creates a written record of what was promised in a conversation. A supplier who corrects your summary is being helpful; one who does not has confirmed it.
Put every supplier on the same sheet
Same questions, same columns, then compare.
Common questions
What questions should you ask a wedding vendor?
What exactly is included, what most couples end up adding, whether the price is fixed, the deposit and balance with exact due dates, both cancellation clauses, what happens if they cannot attend, and what they need from you and by when.
What is the best question to ask a wedding supplier?
"What is not included that most couples end up adding?" Suppliers answer it honestly, and it surfaces the real total better than any other question.
Should you email a supplier after a meeting?
Yes — a short summary of what you understood to be included. It catches misunderstandings while they are free to fix, and it puts a conversation on the record.
How do you compare wedding suppliers fairly?
Ask all of them the same questions and record the answers in the same place. Reconstructing three meetings from memory means comparing on price, because price is the only figure that sticks.