The more weddings you go to, the more of a wedding expert you become. If you’re a wedding photographer, you likely have much more wedding knowledge experience than your bride and groom and therefore can (and should) help them navigate the waters.

Creating a list of other wedding vendors that you highly recommend is a free way to help your brides and grooms with planning!

Soon after the bride and groom book you, you can give them your preferred vendor list. And really, everyone wins! You get to provide a better service to your clients & work with other vendors you like. Your clients get connected with awesome vendors that will serve them well. The other vendors get business & the compliment of your referral.

But don’t just include anyone and everyone on your preferred vendor list… Do your research to find the best of the best.

Vendors cannot pay money to be included on this list. Everyone on this list needs to earn inclusion because you only want to refer vendors that will make your clients happy. You should care about your bride and groom’s best interest. Additionally, it reflects poorly on you if you give a bad recommendation and ultimately cause your clients stress.

Your preferred vendors not only need amazing work and align with your style, but they also to be kind and reliable and professional. Vet them. Is their social media appealing? What does their website look like? Do they have good reviews? I recommend you meet in person, preferably multiple times, to really make sure this is someone you can stand behind.

At that point, ask people if they’re okay with you recommending them on a preferred vendor list to all your clients. It’s very unlikely people will say no.

Categories of Wedding Vendors

• Venues
• Videographers
• Planners
• Hair & Makeup artist
• Florists
• Rentals
• Stationary
• DJ/Bands
• Wedding dress stores
• Other photographers

I recommend only including 1-2 vendors for each category. Too many choices can be overwhelming!