Here is my list of the top five ways to research Seattle wedding vendors. Brides these days have more ways than ever to gather info about prospective vendors. Whether you are looking for a cake baker or a photographer here are my top 5 ways to find the perfect fit.
1. WeddingWire
Wedding wire is a great resource for gathering reviews on local vendors. It is a third party site which wedding vendors sign up for. Vendors can pay to have their ads in premium spots( ie. first page of listing, banner ads etc.) This service is free however so you may find some excellent choices deeper down the list. These vendors may not have the advertising budget to pay for a premium listing but that doesn’t mean they are not talented. Reviews on here are pretty legit as the vendor cannot pay to have the review removed or changed. Here is my WeddingWire listing.
2. Wedding Planners
A good wedding planner will keep a very detailed list of wedding vendors that are preferred. Make sure to ask the planner if they are receiving a referral fee for their referral, this in my opinion is less of a good referral. However many vendors, including myself, offer discounts to the couples of many wedding planners. Wedding planners are in the thick of it all day and will usually have the best pulse on who is up to snuff. Click here to see my own personal referral list.
3. Google
The all powerful Google is of course most people’s first stop for research. Google is in my opinion not necessarily the best gauge for talent more as it is a gauge of a particular vendors SEO prowess. I know several photographers who purposefully took themselves off the first page of Google because it was drawing the wrong crowd and in the wrong numbers. Most business will be taking advantage of Google’s free to use Google+ Places. A companies page will usually have more reviews to wade through. Here is my personal Google page
4. Pinterest
Pinterest is a great resource when done right. The reason is that you can usual track back to the original poster’s blog or website. Love someone’s work? Follow the links back to their site. You can create your own wedding vendor board and narrow it down from there. Follow me on Pinterest.
5. Instagram
Can you see why so many wedding vendors are a little overwhelmed with social media 🙂 Instagram, and its hash-tagging mania, is a great way to search for vendors in your area. Some people combine their personal and business into one account, which can give you a fun view into what vendors do when they’re not working. Follow me @johcro
*Bonus*
6. Referrals
Can’t mention this enough. A raving bride is a happy bride. Sometimes we can get overloaded with choices (as there are way too many of them) and a good friend referral is all you need.