Why you need to be wary of 'recommended suppliers' for your wedding venue.

I have been playing piano for 15 years now for weddings and private functions in Hertfordshire and London and like to feel I have a good working relationship with many of the venues.

This is why I would like to make it clear that this isn't a criticism towards any wedding venue in particular! It is just with the rebranding that I have recently done, I have been making contact with loads of venues, new and old, to ask if I could be put on their wedding suppliers list.

I realise for the new ones it is hard to recommend someone who they may never have met/seen/heard before but a lot of them said that they would be willing to add me - for a fee...

This isn't unusual, the vast majority of wedding venues work in this way, but I think it is a shame, and in all honestly a bit misleading for couples who use recommended 'suppliers lists' as trusted sources for guidance.

As a prospective couple hoping to get married you assume those listed amongst their approved suppliers have been tried and tested (sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't) and that they are there because the services that they offer are exceptional compared to the local competition. The sad truth is that all too often a venue has never met the supplier requesting to be added to their list, nor has the supplier ever provided their services for their venue before. They've just paid to be on there.

What does this mean for you if you are getting married at a venue with an 'approved suppliers' list?

Ultimately, I think it means you have to trust your own judgement. If you feel a supplier, be it a florist, caterer, or in my case, someone that provides music, looks like they have expertise, or that you feel after searching extensively that they are the best you have seen, go with them!

Don't be too swayed towards an alternative supplier purely because they are listed on your wedding venue's 'approved supplier' list, assuming that they must have more experience with your chosen venue. It may well not be the case!

#approved #suppliers #weddingpianist #Hertfordshire #London