here has been a lot of talk about wedding vendors and suppliers pricing recently. Actually this isn’t a new topic, it just raises it’s horrible head in waves and it seems to be peaking again.

Now where do I begin?

Firstly this isn’t a rant. It’s meant to educate and help. Brides, you are our clients and just as you would when applying for a new job, you do an interview where both parties discuss their needs and how you fit in to the whole scheme of the job. Once you like each other and are a good fit {both ways}, you talk money. When you go for a job interview you surely have a salary in mind that you know you are worth, reflects your experience and will allow you to make the money you need to live. We are exactly the same with each interview/consultation we have.

Wedding suppliers are not {as some skeptics say} ‘ripping people off’ just because you put the word “wedding’ in front of their services.

Professional wedding suppliers are just what it says on the tin. – Experts in their area of weddings and they charge what they have to charge to make a living because weddings are their living. They know the nuances of supplying for weddings. The extra care that needs to be taken, how to handle families and guests who may pull in another direction, how to manage at the venue who might feel we are in the way or want something done differently than we know that you want. We work for you and have a right, do we not, to make a living and earn money within our expertise and with our experience?

I saw one heated discussion on a wedding forum recently on the cost of table linens. The bride said she could get them from America for the same cost as one company was hiring them out and that what she was quoted would fully cover the cost of the actual linen in one single hire. She figured anything after that was pure profit and was certain she was being ripped off. Now I don’t work for any table linen company but want to use this as an example and realistically show how the costs for the linen hire company can add up.

Say this bride needed 15 table linens to use once and the cost to hire really was the same as she could buy them online.

Did she include the cost of shipping? Customs? Will they arrive on time? Is the product the same quality? After all she can’t feel them or see them up close. Is it the color she really wants? I looked into the ones online and they are polyester. I would venture to guess that the ones she was quoted for are satin or pintuck.

The company, as a supplier, will need to buy at least 40 {more like 50} of them to have on hand just in case they have an  event for 400 instead of her 150. All matching. With matching napkins and probably chair covers to have just in case. They are professionals remember and have to be prepared for any circumstance.

So after they buy them, they need to be cleaned and pressed. All of them {who is going to do that and how long will that take?} each time they are hired. They must be stored properly {where are you going to store 40 – 50 table linens where they won’t get damp or ruined}, pay the salary of the nice person on the phone who quotes you and the other 20 brides who are considering using them {and then 15 of the other brides say they are too expensive and don’t go with them at all}. They need to pay for the lighting and insurance in the shop, warehouse and office , pay tax on and insure their vans to deliver and pick the linens up the 2 hours away {add petrol costs here}, pay the driver/delivery guy, ooh and then they have extra linens as spare because your cousin Dave spilt a glass of red wine on one and no matter how much cleaning they do it’s not acceptable to give to the next event.

Linen Bride, buy them online if you think that is the best option for you.

As I said, I am not ranting, I’m trying to be realistic and really, really hope you {and Linen Bride} will be too. It is not you against us. We are in this together and we want your wedding {or event} to go off perfectly because it reflects on us also.

But please don’t dismiss the costs of something  just on the amount. Look a little deeper into the value and effort that is put in to your wedding by us. There is so much to running a business. Any business. And I don’t know ANYONE in the wedding business who is wealthy. Most of us are just like you and trying to sustain ourselves and be happy with what we do while making you happy with what we do.

One last thing that is important to note. You can spend less on your wedding. Always know that. Just like you can eat in a pub or you can dine in a Michelin star restaurant. You have the choice. Don’t be angry at us because you have a pub budget but want a Michelin star meal.

Thanks for listening.

Annie

Live, Love, Laugh and Dream!