Should Wedding Planners Force Clients Into Using Certain Vendors?

This has been a sensitive topic for me to talk about. For one reason, I am a wedding planner and I wouldn't want to put other planners on blast. After much thought, I have decided to damn the consequences.

If you didn't know, the same way clients have expectations is the same way planners have expectations. I have talked about Client's Budget VS Client's Expectation. Today, I will be talking about Planners Expectations VS Client's Budget. 

Every planner wants that jaw dropping moment for every event they plan but not all clients can afford these jaw dropping moments. Some clients just want to get married and get it over with, while the planner has a different game plan for the event and end up forcing their clients to use their preferred vendor to create the jaw dropping moment they so much desire. And this may cost a fortune.

Recently, the stories I hear from clients and vendors are quite heartbreaking. So before brides start to think that all planners are the same way, it would be safe to talk about this and express my disapproval of this new method of planning adopted by some planners.

A planner is meant to ease off your stress; not just mental and physical stress but also financial stress. A planner should not make you incur more debt. 

A client called me recently and told me she was cancelling her contract with another planner she had already contracted her wedding to. Her reason was that, the planner was forcing expensive vendors on her and also charging her 10% service fee and 5% vat on each of these expensive vendors. This planner also asked her to increase her budget to N10 million from N6.5 million which was her initial wedding budget (for 600 guests minus the hall expenses). 

She went further to say that she no longer reads her emails because it meant more money and she was already feeling pressurized and she did not like it.

This is unacceptable. As a planner, you cannot force a particular vendor on a client, just because you want perfect pictures for social media pages or because of the 10% you demand from these vendors.

Different planners have different terms of service that work for them and we cannot question it or say what you charge for your services is unreasonable but please do NOT force your preferred vendors on your clients. Your main aim is to make your client happy and stress free on their wedding day. You can make suggestions and allow your client decide on what she wants.

Please brides-to-be, do not get carried away by the pictures you see; feel free to say NO when you are being forced against your will. You have the right to say no, after all it is your money here and not theirs.

A good planner should be able to work with any vendor irrespective of their class or 'status' in the events industry and should help their client save money and not incur more wedding cost.

More so, any planner that demands 10% from vendors, can only achieve one or two things. One, the vendor would most likely compromise in service delivery and two, the vendor will only charge higher, so as not to run at a loss after paying the kickback. This simply shoots the wedding budget up and incurs more cost for the client. Imagine collecting 10% from a small-chops vendor. 

Brides out there, please do not allow yourself to be forced into doing what you cannot afford. And dear planners, do NOT force your clients to use your preferred vendor just because... (whatever your reason is). 

Olamide ~ The Heiress

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It is NOT OKAY to Owe Your Weddding Vendors

I have decided to talk on the issue of owing vendors after their services have been delivered because I have personally been a victim of this.

It is sad to know that some clients feel owing vendors is the right way to go. Like I always advise, plan according to your budget. Don't plan your wedding thinking that one uncle or aunty somewhere will foot the bills or give you some money. 

There are disadvantages of owing vendors:

-  By owing vendors, you give them a reason not to deliver fully on your wedding day. For instance, you hire a decorator, she charges you N400,000 and you pay her N200,000. She will probably rent all that she needs, pay her workers and transport these items to the venue... Now, if she is supposed to rent stuffs worth of N250,000 to make your venue look extra nice and you have paid her only N200,000, what she is likely to do is rent stuffs worth of N100,000 and manage it. 

Now, this can only mean one thing, your venue won't look as fab as it should have and two, the decorator will still get her balance. But she is trying to play safe by not running into debt.

- The client also stands the chance of getting disappointed. I have worked with vendors who won't show up until their balances have been paid; can you blame them? The answer is NO. Some vendors won't even set up if they don't get their balances.

I, for one, have learnt to stop all activities once the client does not abide by the rules of my contract. Once bitten they say, twice shy.

It is wrong to owe vendors, and it is a struggle to get balances after the wedding; the couple most times, just go into hiding. They stop picking calls, stop liking or commenting on pictures on social media, even when you mention them. They stop reading your messages, both text and WhatsApp messages... The list is endless really.

And to crown it all, you won't even know how or when to call them. You call too much, you are pestering them. You don't call, then you are ready to forfeit your balance. 

It is just plain cruelty. If you cannot afford a particular vendor, there are many others who are equally good and are ready to work within your budget. 

Please and please always try to balance your vendors before the day. If you are using an event planner or a coordinator, always make sure that the vendors' balances have been handed over to the planner before the event and he or she can disburse after the event. We wouldn't like to start pestering you with calls after your wedding day to ask for balances.

Let's help our vendors grow by not owing them. Thank you.

Olamide~ The Heiress

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