SO YOU’VE CHOSEN A DESTINATION WEDDING
Wild Floral Wedding at Historic La Badia di Orvieto in Umbria, Italy- courtesy of Pinterest
Here’s how to choose vendors for your international wedding.
If you have ever dreamed of a destination wedding in an international location, but are confused about how to pick the vendors to execute your vision, you're not alone. This task prompts a lot of questions: Should you work with local vendors who can be reached in the same time zone, but who might not have an intimate knowledge of your chosen location? Or should you consider vendors who are local to your destination, despite a few barrier like different time zones or even languages?
Here we’ll explain the steps you need to take to select the best vendors for your international celebration.
Hiring Local vs. International Vendors
This is the great wedding planner debate. It's so helpful to be able to work with vendors you know inside and out—the ones that will bend over backwards for you because of your relationship. On the other hand, they may not know the venue or the destination—and they may not be armed with the same resources and knowledge that a vendor who works at that destination has.
Couples planning a wedding on their own without the help of a planner need to decide how important it is to be able to meet with their vendors face-to-face.
Understand Your Communication Method
If planning a destination wedding virtually—through online meetings or phone conversations—is not a concern, you can consider vendors located at the destination. It can be comforting for you to pick vendors at that destination, since they themselves are far away and may be glad to have a representative there to support them. However, being able to choose someone close gives you more comfort. In other words, there are pros and cons on each side—and you need to decide what works best for you as a couple and your guests.
Ask for Vendor Referrals
That being said, if you opt to hire vendors local to your destination, start your search by reviewing which professionals have worked at your chosen venue. If a vendor has experience at that venue, they might be one step ahead of their competition. You can do your own research, but a less time-consuming method is to ask the venue directly for vendor referrals. Using vendors that the venue has faith in gives you a reassurance so that you can have faith in them, too.
Another way to find international vendors, is to find associations in the area and choose vendors that are members in good standing with those groups.
Read Reviews
No matter how you find your vendors, we encourages couples to read reviews before booking them. Websites that provide reviews might not be as prevalent in other countries as they are in Australia, but with a little ingenuity, you can find the answers to your questions.
Set Up Virtual Meetings
After identifying vendors with the right experience and positive reviews, we suggest having a virtual meeting with your top choices—these days, virtually everyone is comfortable on Zoom. If you can see their face, ask them questions, and can gauge their reaction, they'll be able to complete the puzzler you. If the vendor takes a genuine interest in your needs, listens carefully to what you are saying, and offers reassuring words that jive with what you as a couple are about, you have a definite winner.
Once you have proof that a vendor has a positive reputation and establish a relationship virtually, you can rest assured that you have made the right choice.
If you’re a couple who have chosen our beautiful Hunter Valley as your destination wedding you can find out more information by submitting your enquiry HERE.
So bon voyage and cheers to a magical destination wedding
Until next time
