What are approved vendor lists?

Commonly used by venues and planners, approved vendor lists (also called “preferred vendor lists”) suggest vendors who a venue or planner recommends their clients work with. They can include everything from photographers to cake designers to florists, caterers, DJs, and more, and policies widely vary in levels of contractual obligations. Venues and planners use approved vendor lists for a variety of reasons, but they’re often developed based on professionals with whom they've built a rapport and are known to provide a quality level of service.  

Why are they used in the wedding industry?

Approved vendor lists help couples build their vendor team, but they’re also beneficial to the venues or vendors who create them.  Venues want excellent professionals to work with on the wedding day to ensure a great event experience for everyone involved. For example, if a couple hires their own catering company and the caterer provides terrible food or unprofessional servers, that experience can reflect very negatively on the venue. The same goes for a floral designer who provides lackluster arrangements or a DJ who shows up three hours late. This can leave a bad impression with the couple, as well as their guests, resulting in an unfortunate situation all around. Approved vendor lists can be a venue’s way of protecting themselves and their clients by suggesting only vendors they know and trust.

However, it’s also worth noting that approved vendor lists can include financial incentives when wedding pros are charged to be added. Unfortunately, some approved vendor lists aren’t created in the best interest of couples and instead include less-than-stellar vendors simply because they paid a particular fee.

Am I required to only hire vendors on the list?

Depending on the venue, approved vendors lists might just be recommendations of highly-regarded professionals, or they can be more exclusive lists of the only vendors allowed to work on-site. Regulations of approved vendors vary greatly, which is why it’s essential for couples to carefully read their contract before signing the dotted line.

What are some benefits of approved vendor lists?

There are many incredible benefits to using approved vendors lists, including the amount of time and energy it can save when hiring your vendors. Rather than add to the decision fatigue, many couples find it helpful to choose from a vetted list that’s come straight from their venue. Additionally, approved vendors lists often include professionals who all work great together as a team so you can rest assured your vendors will mesh well on the day-of. Finally, when vendor lists are diverse and inclusive, they can make couples feel comfortable and safe. Just by looking at the approved vendor list, couples know that there are people who understand where they're coming from, which helps build trust.

 

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