5 Ways to Find Wedding Vendors in your City or Destination

In a sea of Google searches and endless wedding websites, how do you find a creative team that’s perfect for your day?

…’cause we all know, this ain’t no easy task!

I’m serious when I say the creative team you curate for your day should be a collection of people who you ‘click’ with! They’ll be people you trust, and who have a great reputation behind their name.

But…how do you even find them??

In today’s Friday Five series, we’re chatting about 5 ways you can find local wedding vendors, in order to find the perfect creative team for your big day! x

Finding a friend who can vouch for a florist/planner/photographer/caterer should hold more weight than the curated reviews you read on their website…*makes sense, right*?…but it’s also about getting peace of mind, and knowing that these vendors have a reputation for fully delivering on their promises. So, reach out to your married friends; most brides are happy to share!

Consider this for a moment: vendors – like your photographer, videographer and planner – are all interacting with products from different vendors every weekend. We meet a lot of industry peers and – over time – get a great perspective on what it’s like to work with these teams.

Not only that, we learn fairly quickly who we trust and work well with: a florist who shows up late can throw off a planner’s entire timeline; or a videographer and photographer who don’t mesh well (eg. they’re constantly in the background of each other’s shots), could mean compromised coverage on a wedding day. Your wedding vendors want to work with other amazing wedding vendors, who they also trust, and we’re happy to recommend those people to you!

Are you active on Instagram? Consider checking out some of the local hashtags, to get a quick glimpse into the vendors in your area.

Local to ottawa? Check out: #ottawabride #ottawavendrors #613bride

And if you find a vendor you love, see if they have their own personal hashtag! You can find mine here: #amypinderbride

I was introduced to these ‘buy and sell’ groups by a past bride, who raved about the great tips and tricks she learned from brides in the area. I quickly learned that these groups were more than just a good place to sell back your used wedding decor (though it’s great for that too!); it’s also a safe place to ask questions and leave reviews about your experiences with wedding vendors.

Almost every major city has one of these groups: Ottawa ‘Ottawa Wedding Items for Sale‘ + ‘Wedding – Ottawa area buy and sell‘; Kingston ‘QW, Kingston, Coburg buy and sell‘; Barrie ‘Barrie Wedding Buy and Sell‘.

I’ll lead this point with a note of caution: wedding shows can be overwhelming for a newly engaged bride, and not all vendors will consider participating in a wedding show…Even still, this is a great place to swing by and meet some creatives in the industry, without any feelings of commitment.

And if you’re newly-engaged in Ottawa and looking for something a bit more personal, consider stopping by the Tie the Knot Wedding Show or WedCycle, which tend to take place in more intimate venues with less foot traffic.

Now friends, promise me you won’t let this stage of wedding planning overwhelm you! Reach out to those people around you who want to help (friends, family, vendors), and let’s work together to find the perfect team for your day! x