At Verve Event Co., we understand the significance of curating the perfect vendor team for your wedding day. After all, it's one of the big things our couples count on us for! While wedding directory sites like The Knot are popular we wish more couples knew that it wasn't always the BEST place to find wedding vendors. In fact, we had a reel go viral on the topic! If you love a hot take and a look behind the scenes, you're going to love today's episode. But even if you aren't here for the drama, we're going to be sharing some practical ways to find wedding vendors today too.
If you appreciate the value of a solid vendor team and are just unsure of where to get started and where to look, you are in the right place. Oh, and while you're reaching out to vendors, guess what? I've got something that'll make it super easy! Any questions? Just send us a DM on Instagram or learn more about working with us here!
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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Where to Find Wedding Vendors (It's NOT The Knot)
To fast-forward to a specific part of the podcast episode, check out the timestamps below:
- Why I HATE the Knot
- Lack of Vendor Vetted Process [04:15]
- Inaccurate Pricing Information [07:48]
- The Knot's Business Practices [11:04]
- They REFUSE TO TAKE ME OFF THEIR PLATFORM [13:10]
- Better ways to find vendors
- Your Wedding Planner or Other Trusted Vendors [15:15]
- Social media [16:09]
- Local and regional wedding blogs [17:05]
- Bridal shows and expos [17:55]
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!
- Visit the ASK THE PLANNER Wedding Planning Templates Shop – Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off!
- Are you a fellow wedding planner? Learn more about our coaching program here!
Where to Find Wedding Vendors: Why Wedding Directories Like The Knot May Not Be The Best Choice
I'll backtrack for a moment to explain why I hate the Knot. For the sake of brevity, I'll briefly highlight my main issues, which can be grouped into three categories. After addressing these concerns, I'll provide you with alternative sources to find your wedding vendors. You know we'd never leave you with a problem without a solution!
1. Lack of Vendor Vetted Process
Another issue with The Knot is their lack of transparency in vetting vendors. As a couple, you should know that any wedding vendors you find on the Knot (and sites like it) are paying to be there. That's the only qualification – so someone with 10 years experience or two days experience can pay for the same “top listing” as long as they swipe their credit card.
As a result, vendors are listed on The Knot based on their ability to pay rather than their skill or quality of service. This can be misleading for couples, who may assume that vendors listed on The Knot are trustworthy and reputable. The Knot also charges extra for vendors to be listed in specific geographic locations, which doesn't benefit either the couples or the vendors. For example, I'm based in Rochester, NY but I could advertise as a Hawaii wedding planner if I was willing to pay for the spot!
In most cases, vendors don't even write their bios on the platform. The Knot hires professional copywriters (or at least, they have in the past) to write and rewrite the bios and descriptions of each company, solely for their SEO benefit. I remember that I once logged on and found my bio completely rewritten, and it wasn't accurate to what we do or in our company's voice. It was frustrating.
2. Inaccurate Pricing Information
I touched on this above, but in my experience, the sample wedding budgets they provide couples trying to plan their wedding can be incredibly misleading. It's not what the weddings you envision from Instagram or Pinterest cost. This can create unrealistic expectations and potentially lead to disappointment or conflict when the actual costs deviate from what was listed.
And while we are talking about budgeting – planning a wedding can be chaotic and expensive. Keeping track of numerous vendor expenses and payments can be overwhelming. It's enough to make you want to elope to Vegas.
When planning a wedding, it's easy to end up spending hundreds of dollars on unnecessary items like favors or a cake stand that will ultimately go unused or be thrown away. This is not a good experience for anyone involved. If you're newly engaged and want to avoid this feeling, check out our wedding budget bundle in the Template Shop.
Our wedding budget bundle is a comprehensive and user-friendly solution that will help you keep your wedding expenses in check. With TWO spreadsheets, you can easily track and allocate your funds per category and keep tabs on your vendor payments. If you want to take control of your wedding budget and have peace of mind knowing where your money is going, use coupon code PODCAST10 for 10% off!
3. The Knot's Business Practices
I used to pay for a listing on The Knot, but the rates kept increasing every year. If The Knot truly wants to support couples and vendors, it would be great if they could explore a different approach that doesn't require such a significant upfront investment. The current system tends to favor vendors with deep pockets, rather than those who are the perfect fit for couples.
This is especially true in the luxury market, where most of us work with a limited number of couples per year so it's less advantageous to us to try to book hundreds of inquiries just for ease of reaching out.
As a wedding planner, it's disheartening that we are encouraged to advertise on platforms like the Knot, but often not included in the sample budget provided to couples. This lack of recognition and transparency raises concerns for both wedding planners and stationers who are also asked to advertise on the Knot, even though the Knot has its own stationary line. It would be beneficial to have more transparency from the Knot and other vendors regarding their revenue sources and target audience.
Trying to Remove My Listing on the Knot
Finally, I feel like I'm spilling the tea on this one, so listen up.
Last year, when my reel about why I dislike The Knot went viral, I attempted to remove my listing from their website. I didn't want to seem like a hypocrite by still being on their platform. Although I had stopped paying for years before the reel went viral, they continued to keep my listing up. This was frustrating because I would receive inquiries from people who assumed I was still on The Knot. I would kindly redirect them to my website, explaining that I no longer used The Knot and preferred communication through my website. However, I would often discover a month later that I had missed an inquiry, which made me feel guilty. I genuinely want people to engage with our website, as we have a thorough process in place to ensure this never happens!
Despite my efforts, The Knot refused to remove my listing. They claimed they wanted to maintain an accurate representation of vendors on their platform, but this is not true. The reality is that they simply want to make their directory appear more extensive and supportive than it is.
Alternative (Better!) Ways to Find Wedding Vendors
You know we wouldn't leave you with bad news without offering an alternative, right? Now that I've discussed why wedding directories like The Knot might not be your top choice for finding wedding vendors let's explore other ways to discover high-quality wedding vendors.
Before we move on to the topic of finding vendors, I'd like to address a caveat. It's important to note that not all vendors on the Knot are untrustworthy or terrible. Depending on the business, some genuinely exceptional vendors choose to advertise on the Knot. However, I recommend exploring other sources as well to ensure thorough vetting and to find reliable and trustworthy professionals for your needs.
1. Your Wedding Planner or Other Trusted Vendors
You probably knew this was coming! Your wedding planner or other vendors you have already booked, like your venue or photographer, can be a great resource for finding other reliable vendors. They may have relationships with other vendors and can recommend someone who fits your style and budget. As wedding planners especially, it's our job to play matchmaker for our couples and curate the perfect vendor team. With that in mind, we take relationship-building and vetting vendors very seriously.
2. Social Media
Social media is another great way to find vendors near you. Be sure to use specific location-based hashtags; you'll find photo samples and other posts shared by potential vendors. Just remember, while social media can be a great starting place, it's easy to “fake it until you make it” so make sure to read reviews and ask questions before you book your vendors!
3. Local and Regional Wedding Blogs
While glamorous bridal magazines are lovely, city-focused wedding blogs can also be a great resource. While they are not as common as the big wedding sites, they are worth the effort to find as they will usually feature the work of fabulous vendors who are local to you, which can take away a lot of the guesswork.
4. Bridal Shows and Expos
Attending bridal shows and expos is a great way to meet vendors face-to-face and get a good look at their work. This type of event provides a unique opportunity to meet with vendors of all types, from photographers and florists to caterers and cake decorators. It's the perfect way to compare and contrast vendors in one place and get a feel for their services, pricing, and style. It can also be incredibly helpful to receive personal advice and recommendations from experienced vendors.
Just a reminder, take the time to carefully choose and vet any vendor you book from a show or expo. While not everyone at a show is dishonest, there have been instances where couples were scammed by vendors they booked. I recall a case where a videographer took the couple's money, had an impressive website at the show, and then disappeared without responding to their calls, texts, or emails. If you'd like more information on this wedding scam, you can check out episode 60 of the podcast with my guest, Alan Adam Levin. We discuss wedding scams, romance scams, and hackers.
Where to Find Wedding Vendors That Perfectly Match Your Unique Vision
I hope you found this article helpful in your search for finding and booking wedding vendors. If you need additional assistance with your wedding planning, feel free to give me a call. We can schedule a 90-minute clarity call to discuss any specific issues or questions you may have. I'm here to help!
If you're ready to plan your wedding, be sure to look at my Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist, available in the Wedding Planning Templates Shop. It's a fan favorite, and for good reason!
THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!
- Wedding Planning template shop Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off!
- 1-on-1 Wedding Planner Coaching
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, DM me on Instagram at @asktheplannerpodcast, call the wedding planning hotline at 585-210-3467, or drop it in your review on Apple Podcasts.
Also, don’t forget to check out the Wedding Planning template shop, including my new Wedding Day Master Organizer which includes the same spreadsheets we use in our day-of production books.
And for all my planners out there, check out my new wedding planner coaching service! Whether you’re in the first 1-2 years of your business and you don’t know how to increase your prices, build a team, attract your ideal clients, find your brand’s voice, or you’re a little further in your career and you want to take it to the next level with a digital product, start a podcast, or something else, I would love to help you build the dream wedding business you deserve!
Learn more and schedule a call with me to see if this is what your business needs at verveeventco.com/coach.
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