Vendorzilla Part 2
November 8th, 2007 @ 1:18 pm by Mrs. Flamingo
As we all know, planning a wedding can be a mess, especially when you’re planning way ahead. When I mean a mess, I’m talking about the percentage of not-so-nice wedding vendors out there. After the response to my first Vendorzilla post, I thought it was time for part 2. I still can’t believe how many of you had stories to share.
So without further ado, here is vendorzilla part 2. (oh how cute, it rhymes)
Video/Photo Combo (#1):
I contacted a video/photo company that was referred by a girl on a local wedding forum. She kept telling me that they were really kind, and that their prices were unbeatable. So I decided to email the company, and being an organized bride-to-be, I already had an email template with all my questions. I admit, I had a lot… but hopefully it showed that I knew what I was talking about.
Now to put this into context, I’m a graphic designer and my emails have a signature with my website. Not long after I sent my email, I got this answer back: “I think this is for commercial reasons, I found your online portfolio when I google-ed you!!! Call me for re-seller information.”
I was really wondering what he was accusing me of exactly! Graphic designers can’t get married and want to hire a photographer and videographer? I was really offended so I called. (Ya I know, I shouldn’t have.)
I explained to him that I was indeed getting married and looking to hire someone. He replied by saying, “Well, you’re asking for many options, quite demanding I see… this will be expensive - Combo $5000.”
I couldn’t believe it. These questions were previously sent to other companies, and they quoted me 1/3 of that amount. I wasn’t shy to tell him, and of course he wanted to know the names of those companies. Then he said, “I have the best prices in town, I don’t understand how there could be such a difference in price… but I can do it for you for $2000.”
In a matter a 2 minutes he went down 3K! I told him no thank you and hung up.
Later that night he emailed me again and left me a message on my cell phone. I never called back obviously!
Like they say in French “Jamais deux sans trois” (never 2 without 3 which means when it rains it pours) so I thought I would continue my vendorzilla stories with a final chapter of this saga. Mr. Flamingo would be so proud of me for making this a trilogy - he’s a movie freak!!! 
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5 Responses to “Vendorzilla Part 2”
This didn’t happen to me, but another bride I helped. She found a day of coordinator through a local online ad. The coordinator was building her portfolio so was giving out her services in exchange for pictures and a review. The venue was a two hour drive from the coordinator and the bride made sure that was okay. They agreed and had several good exchanges over email and phone. When they went to meet at the venue two weeks before the wedding, the person didn’t show. The bride and groom waited for almost two hours and couldn’t get a hold of her. After a week of trying to get find out what happened, they gave up and had to try to find someone else with a week to go. Turns out that the person relisted their ad a few weeks later and was asking for more than in the original ad.
She was so stressed. Would it have killed the coordinator (I use that term loosely here) to call and cancel saying that the drive wouldn’t work after all or something came up? Nope, just dropped off the face of the earth and left them hanging.
That “coordinator” is a disgrace to wedding planners! As a wedding planner myself, I cannot stand coward vendors. This is why all agreements with vendors should always be IN WRITING, no matter how informal the hiring process was. This, of course, was of no fault of the bride and groom: the so-called professional should have insisted upon a contract of some sort. I am also new in the industry, and would never do that to anyone, much less a client.
I know; I was completely shocked. And yeah, she really gave coordinators a bad name. I had to overcome a slight barrier (not huge, but I could feel it) from one of the bridesmaids because of that bad experience.
Good luck with your wedding business, Danielle!
Mrs. Flamingo, Montreal, Canada
Age and Occupation: 25, Graphic Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Nursing Student
Engagement Date: December 2004
Wedding Date: June 21, 2008
Venue: Imperia Hotel (modern chic hotel)
About Me: I am a passionate designer who loves anything pretty. I heart all paper products (eco-friendly of course). My passion revolves around anything considered glamour; vintage and modern. In my free time, I love reading Martha mags, designing jewelry and making a pit-stop at Starbucks for a chai latte. I'm also a chocoholic at heart and my family drools over my homemade truffles.
Good for you! That photographer had some nerve!
I’ve always learned in Customer Service to NEVER over or under estimate your customer. A customer is a customer. You need to get all the facts *before* you attempt to determine the situation.
What a putz!