Oh, where do I start?

We’re both trying to do something awesome here, but sometimes I feel like you’re making it a little too hard.

Not that wedding planning is easy. I don’t expect it to be a walk in the park, but when I’m trying to make the big decisions about where we’re going to have this big ol’ party of ours, having to search high and low, click through half a dozen tabs to find the information I need or, worse, email you for a quote only to find you only discuss these things over the phone? It makes me not want to work with you.

And let’s not even start on the emails that get no response.

I’ve seen gorgeous photos of your location, I know a wedding there could be wonderful, but if there’s no way you fit into our budget, why should we both waste our time trying to make a 16″ square cake fit onto a 16″ diameter round plate? (Hint: the edges will fall off. That’s not how we want to start our day, is it?)

Granted, I may have played coy in my request for information. Maybe it would have helped to tell you that an all-in-one location has to come in at or under $3K to work for us, or a venue-alone needs to be under $1K–I’ll work on that! But I did tell you when and how many people we’d need to accommodate. And when you start off your reply by telling me that date in 2012 is already booked (when the date I sent you was in 2013), you’re telling me that you’re not really listening.

I need to feel like you’re paying attention to me.

Yes, there’s a website url in the signature of my emails and, apparently, some folks think I might just be fishing for rates. This is the era of the plugged-in bride. Give me the benefit of the doubt and realize that I might be one of those blogger brides you’ve heard whispered about at the Bridal Shows, the ones that share the process with anyone who’s curious. I’ve admitted I’m casting a wide net–as any bride-to-be on a budget should–but this is a net (and Net) you want to be in, not escape, if you have any hope of getting my business.

If you can’t trust me at first glance, at least click on the link to see that, yes, I’m a real person planning a real wedding. Let’s talk about that, shall we?

Finally, I may ask a lot of questions if there’s something that’s unclear on your website or list two alternative plans on my RFP (request for proposal)–I’m not trying to make more work for you, we’re just trying to make your location work for us! I don’t want a cookie-cutter wedding, I don’t want to use your template, plug in our colors and menu selection and just show up on the day, I want to be involved.

An involved bride can make your job easier, if you’ll let her.

So the next time, Dear Vendors, you get a request from me or any other bride that wants more information about giving you a bunch of money for products or services, please return her email, answer her questions, and have a little faith.

Because if you don’t, you’re not likely to be on that list of great vendor reviews she gives once everything is said and done.

Sincerely,

Miss Road Trip

What would you put in your own open letter to vendors?