First impressions are important in real life and virtually alike. Research shows that the first few seconds of meeting someone impacts the way you perceive whether they would be someone that can connect with you, emotionally, physically, intellectually.

Of course, things may change overtime as you get to know that person on a deeper level. And of course, there have been many success stories of people who started as friends that later flourish as married couples.

There are many, many talented people that, at a glance, do similar work, so it’s important that we approach finding vendors that are a good fit for us, with purpose.

The two important things to consider are first impressions and connection to help you make an informed decision on who will be an important part of your day.

You can instantly tell a vendor’s artistic approach by looking at what they curate to share and the emotions you feel when reading what they’ve written. With the wedding industry being so saturated, MANY people create beautiful work. Therefore, if you love the photos they share, I suggest diving into the captions they write and consider – Is it thoughtful? What is their personality like? How deeply do I connect with what they write? Close your eyes – can I envision them to be a part of my wedding day?

Those questions would help you gain more clarity on 2-3 vendors to reach out to in each category rather than reaching out just because their work is pretty. Beautiful work is important, but we’re really looking for high quality work AND a profound connection.

Having designed my website, I can tell you A LOT of thought goes into what we share there. Thoroughly look through these areas to get a better sense of who the person behind a brand is and whether you feel like they would be a good fit for you:

• Blog/Journal: a lot more stories on their couples’ wedding days, tidbits from their personal life and inner thoughts
• Portfolio: work that sets them apart – sometimes, we assume what someone posts on social media/shares on their website represents ALL the work that they have done rather than thinking of it as a snapshot of what the experience is like. As a wedding planner, our services range from coordinating (without designing) to partial to full service planning + design. Therefore, to get a better picture of what working with a planner would look like, the key things to look for are photos of their design work, behind the scenes, client reviews, and unposed photos (during the day AND night). If you see couples having a great time in their photos, it’s likely that they are enjoying their day, carefree and fully present.
• About: what’s important to them personally and professionally
• Full Reviews: get a glimpse of client experiences
• What they write in transitional spaces between the major sections

I’ve been guilty on skimming certain things myself, but if you feel a genuine connection while reading their social media posts, it’s a great idea to slow down and take time to read their website to really solidify your decision.

When talking to couples, all vendors are also looking for the same things – effortless connection that will make working together a truly lovely experience!

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