Why are wedding suppliers so expensive?

Weddings are tailored to you

People often say 'You add the word "wedding" in front of something and it's suddenly more money.'

Well... wedding services cost more because the service provided is individual to you. You may have a consultation about your specific requirements, maybe a trial (if hair, makeup, or food), the supplier may need to travel directly to you on a weekend or at a specific time, so on and so forth.

Suppliers are there with you every step of the way. Their service isn't just 'off the shelf' and it goes far beyond just doing a few things or putting a few things together. It is entirely personal to you, and that's what makes it so special!

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You're paying for their experience

Wedding suppliers vary in price hugely - and that's okay, I am not here to bash anyone! The fact is, there are lots of us out there, and as a consumer, there will be someone to fit your budget and your needs. However, you must book your suppliers with due diligence.

Wedding suppliers charge what they do because of the experience and knowledge they have. This comes with time. You also often pay a higher rate at the time of booking, because if your wedding is, say, a year away, they will have another year of experience under their belt, or prices for ingredients and products may have increased by the time of you get married.

Someone starting out in their profession will be cheaper than someone who has been doing their job for many, many years. When choosing a supplier, ensure you are aware of this, and that you have seen enough of their portfolio to be happy with your decision.

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Weddings are time consuming

Many forget that what you see on the day of the wedding is actually only a fraction of the work that has gone into, or will go into, that particular supplier providing their service.

Take wedding photography for example. On the day you see the photographer zipping around taking images. An easy days work, you might think! But there is so much work that goes into this, from the consultation, emails, pre wedding shoot, the day itself, travel, culling, editing, uploading... so on and so forth. This is the same for every supplier you choose.

Suppliers put a ton of work into what they do both prior and post wedding. It's not 'just a days work.' It is usually so much more!

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Suppliers know what they're doing

Sure, your aunt could bake a wedding cake for you, or your uncle could take your wedding day photos... But just because they're handy at baking or have a DSLR, doesn't mean they might like to work on your entire wedding. (Who wants to turn down a free reception prosecco, after all?! Well, we suppliers usually have to!)

Suppliers know what they're doing. They are professionals.

Sure, sometimes saving money on these things makes sense, especially if you're particularly crafty! But you must weigh up what is important to you, and what you spend your hard earned money on. If you've spent lots of money on everything else but not on your photos, do you want to risk them not turning out and having no documentation of everything you paid for and experienced?! This is a once-in-a-lifetime day for most people, choose carefully!

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It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience

Wedding days are pressured, that's for sure! Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we know the gravity of this day and what it means to our clients. It's not just a big ole' party!

Luckily, wedding suppliers have learned how to work under pressure, and still get things done on time and professionally. Internally, we have lots to think about, and the day can be fast-paced, but it's what we live for, and what we are used to.

This isn't a day you can just 'redo'. It's now or never.

For us photographers that means being unobtrusive and potentially organising lots of people. for caterers that means preparing food for often 100+ people. For hair and makeup artists it means timetabling everyone in so that you're all ready in time. Weddings take a team of highly trained suppliers.

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We pour our hearts into what we do

You may be surprised to know that for many wedding suppliers (if not in fact all that I know!), weddings are not 'just a job'.

We don't sit here complaining about our clients or say things like 'great, I have another wedding this weekend!'

We love what we do, and we put everything into what we do. Most wedding businesses are made up of self employed people. It's not a 9-5, for most it's far more than that. Every couple that we work with leaves with a little piece of us. We care so much about our clients that we genuinely want them to have the best day ever, and this is evident in the experience we provide.

Many of my couples have become friends, which goes to show how much we truly do care for each of you!

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We quote the fairest price we can

It can be easy to compare suppliers like for like based simply on the exacting service they provide. But you're not just paying for the service itself, you're paying for the experience they offer.

The likelihood is you're going to be spending a lot of time with your wedding suppliers in some way, so not only is it important that you get along well, but that they really 'get' you and the vision you have for your day. Don't choose someone just based on price, really get to know them!

Wedding suppliers will always charge a fair price based on their own experience and the experience they have to offer. They may be more expensive than other people in their field, or even in their area, but if they're right for you, you'll know it!

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Good suppliers save you stress and money

Wedding suppliers might seem like an expensive outlay, but good wedding suppliers will actually save you money - and alleviate your stress too! For example, I often not only take photos, but help keep clients on schedule, whilst still making sure they have time to breathe.

But what if something were to go wrong? Well, professional suppliers know what they're doing... and if something does happen to go wrong on the day, they are usually able to fix it - often without you even knowing (we are magical like that!)

Good suppliers save you stress and money, because they are experienced and knowledgable. They've done this all before, and they do their upmost to prevent things unexpectedly happening, allowing you to enjoy your day and make the most of it!

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