Wedding Wednesdays Q&A: Bad Wedding Vendors

Our time in Japan is coming to a close and with it some fun, some strange and some interesting experiences.  One thing I’ve learned with travel and with weddings is that no matter how much you plan, you can’t always plan for everything, which leads me to this week’s Wedding Wednesdays Q&A.  Our topic this week is about bad wedding vendors.

Q: I hired this florist that I really liked that came to me through a friend.  I checked her out and when we met I thought we clicked and were on the same page.  I was happy with her.  But, since we’ve signed the contract, it’s been hard to work with her.  When I call or email I get no response or an excuse that she’s busy but will get back to me.  She never gets back to me and I feel like she thinks we’re not important.  What do I do?

This is a hard situation that unfortunately happens even to the best of us (yes, I’ll be honest, it’s happened to me as well).  You can get a referral, do your research, ask the right questions, meet with them and even if everything looks good, sometimes it just doesn’t work out.  First of all, you have to know that this is not your fault!  Don’t put more stress on yourself by thinking of that and what you could have done differently.  What you need to focus on instead is how to fix the situation and where to go from here.

I don’t know how far out your wedding is and if you are at your wits end, but I would suggest that you try to get the florist on the phone.  I know it’s been hard to reach her, but nail her down (go to her studio in person if necessary) and ask her what is going on.  Let her know how you feel, tell her what you need from her and ask her when she can deliver.  This gives her one more chance.  You never know, but sometimes there are serious personal situations going on.  It’s still not how you should be treated, but in some cases, it’s forgivable.  We’re all human and life happens.  So, talk to her and if she can deliver and follows through, this is a good sign that she’s coming around.  If she can’t deliver or doesn’t follow through, depending on your situation it might be time to sever the relationship.  You may lose a deposit, but sometimes it’s worth it in order to get what you want and be able to work with someone who can take care of you.  So, when is the right time to sever a relationship?  It depends on how close to the wedding you are, whether you can find another florist in time and how much of a deposit you’ll lose.  But, what it really depends on is if it will make your life easier and happier.  If the answer is

If she can’t deliver or doesn’t follow through, depending on your situation it might be time to sever the relationship.  You may lose a deposit, but sometimes it’s worth it in order to get what you want and be able to work with someone who can take care of you.  So, when is the right time to sever a relationship?  It depends on how close to the wedding you are, whether you can find another florist in time and how much of a deposit you’ll lose.  But, what it really depends on is if it will make your life easier and happier.  If the answer that immediately comes to mind is yes with no hesitation, then it’s time.  If not, you might want to give it another shot.  The number of chances you give really depends on you, but at some point, you don’t want to waste time and have to move on.

Every now and again we come across some bad apples and while you can scrutinize what you did or didn’t do or should have done, we can’t change the past.  It’s about rectifying the situation now so that there is a solution and a way forward.  I know it’s hard, but look forward and you’ll get through it, I promise.

Are you battling a wedding planning problem and need some help?  Send us your question and we’ll help fight it for you!