Unhelpful/unwilling/suppliers that turn down your business?

I've had a few not get back to me and a few non-committal " I'm not sure if I'll be free that weekend this far in advance" from MUA's. The man in Moss laughed at us going in a year before the big day and said to come back next March with 6 weeks to go... needless to say we walked round the corner to Greenwoods who were happy to take our booking.

To be honest, I think it's better that they're open with you and turn you down if they won't be able to do a proper job, than being persuaded into something when they know they'll be busy and might not provide a service that was up to scratch.

As an ex-chorister, Christmas is the busiest time of year, lots of services to sing and pieces to rehearse. If (like most choirs) they're amateurs, finding extra time, which may well include time off work, for more rehearsals and getting enough people together for a decent performance might just not be possible.

So far I haven't experienced this....

but, when I first married, 25 years ago, I had several suppliers let me down, even after they had taken full payment...(and no, we didn't get the money back )

my approach with the wedding, and anything that matters to me, is if the supplier is indifferent, I don't bother with them

I organise events for part of my job, and I've learnt to trust my gut, if they don't want my money, and they aren't enthusiastic about what I am trying to achieve, then there is a far better supplier out there, even if I haven't a clue who they are yet!

I have to say I found certain wedding suppliers took ages to reply to initial enquiries when it came to cakes and flowers, until we found our perfect cake and florist suppliers that is.

eg, I emailed loads of florists and gave them our considerable budget of £1-1500 (although it went up quite a bit in the end) and had quite a few turn their nose up me for my budget being low. I even got one saying to me along the lines of "well obviously it won't be as stunning as if you were spending more" and florists screwing their face up a bit at my budget, as if I told them I want to spend a max of £150 or something....

I even had one who came back to me 2 weeks before the wedding in response to my initial enquiry about 3 months before.

But all the suppliers we went with in the end were ones who were efficient, fast and helpful from the initial enquiry and just felt right which included the main things - the photographers, the flowers, the cake toppers, the cake people, photobooth company, etc

I hear my name !!

Thankyou for your vote of support.But for me to maintain my quality and for that matter my personal enjoyment I do limit how many weddings that I photograph, for instance I do not like booking Fr/Sat/Sun - now I might if I have not got a wedding for 2 weeks after. So if Sat and Sun are booked and I also have one the next Sat then for me I would not want to shoot another on the Friday with the Sat and Sun, but then I might if I love the venue. So it could well be that all that thought process could come across as indifferent.I do not chase every single wedding that I can cram in and earn as much as possible as im sure that no one would want a supplier to do. I turn down just as many as I book for one reason or another. And I also will book 2 years in advance if people want and because I do not know what I will be charging then I keep todays price for them.I know I will never be a millionare like that but it not always about money.

Last year I had a December 23rd wedding and Ive shot new years eve so for me its not the date as such just rather if I feel Im too busy to fit any more in.

Fortunately every supplier we contacted was great (even the ones we didn't book)

I appreciate that suppliers can be double booked etc, that is understandable.

But I am genuinely lost by shops who turn down the sale of a veil worth £300 or whatever because I did not buy my dress there?

Or who will not help a bride spend £1,500 on flowers?

This I do not get.

I should also add that I have massive girl-crushes on my florist and my cake lady who are incredible. Everyone I have booked is lovely or I wouldn't have booked them, but this thing with the veil did rub me up the wrong way this week.

I take letting down a customer as personally as they do, we hate to fail for our customers. If I cannot fulfil a request, I will be honest with my customer. I will always go the extra mile to source someone who can help them. I have imported from USA and taken losses on items to ensure my customer has been looked after. Not the best way to do business I suppose but it isn't always about money, reputation means a lot too and I hate letting people down. Treat people as you wish to be treated is what I have always been taught!

Argh sorry some of you are having a rubbish time with some suppliers. Not good but I believe in fate so you will only end up with the most attentive suppliers for your day ?

Email is one of things that are very important in my opinion as that is the only regular contact you have with us really. Any of my brides will tell you I'm a bit of a psycho on the email side of things and usually get back to you within five minutes an hour ? #nolife

Sometimes suppliers have to say no (choirs are fairly busy at Christmas). The important thing is to be definite. To commit and stick with it.

Saying "I'll get back to you" and never doing it it not acceptable.

guy

Woohoo! I got a mention! Teehee! I will be shooting on the 21st Dec so that's pretty close to Christmas! I can understand though that some people might have families and kids and have plans made with them already. I have no social life ?

A lot of people don't realise that fresh flowers can be a problem at Christmas time. This isn't due to the florist not wanting your business necessarily but the fact that supplies are limited over the Christmas period especially the week before and after Christmas/New Year.

Wholesalers start to wind their stock down the week before the hols because they don't want stock left over on Christmas Eve as this would all have to be thrown away as it won't be fit to sell after the Xmas holidays. They can't really guarantee stocks of particular flowers, especially wedding flowers, because the auctions where wholesalers buy the flowers from are also doing the same so florists are entirely at their mercy. So you can understand the reluctance of florists wanting to take on orders for weddings when they have no idea what stock will or won't be available during this time.

Wholesalers tend to stick to everyday 'run of the mill' flowers such as chrysanths, carnations, standard grade roses leading up to Christmas because they know that they can get these whenever. Like all businesses, wholesalers will stock what sells best at certain times of the year and at Christmas time, the emphasis is on door wreaths, ready-made bunches and pot plants rather than wedding flowers - so you can see why most florists won't take on wedding bookings at this time as it's not fair to promise something and then have to let customers down due to lack of stock.

I often get panic phone calls from Brides in December who have booked for fresh flowers only to be told at the last minute that their florist has decided to close for Christmas or that they can't get hold of what they asked for.

I have planned my wedding twice in 5 years, with the same guy lol...it's just the first what in the end we cancelled due to unexpected surprise being me pregnant...

anyway the first time I had a free budget, I could spend what I wanted and anything I wanted...without me sounding like a brat...so for this example when we were looking for flowers we had a massive church to fill and then a manor house to fill... And we needed flowers...lots of flowers...and I would say at the time our budget was 1000k-2000k I wouldn't have battered a eyelid...but...like poster above florists were not so forth coming...

in later years I have found this is because and I'm not just saying this is a florist thing either, but some parties feel nervous with orders like that. They are anxious that if someone is having that much money spent if it goes wrong heads will roll...which I find strange as you would think they would love all that money.i think it's a risk companies take if they do big orders maybe in this day and age.

now fast forward 5 years...

i have up my city job, moved to the sticks and now my budget seems more realistic since having children...

my budget is now about 250 and I have found nothing but helpfulness and positive suppliers , strange as now a very small budget seems more inviting to some suppliers then a unlimited do what you want fund...

and also another factor is that that a lot of florists just wouldn't have the staff to cope with an order of that size. To fill a church and a manor house as in your case with flowers would need 4 qualified florists minimum probably so that creates a problem of who would mind the shop and do the other orders..? Lots of shops work with just the owner plus one other and possibly a driver if they're really lucky LOL!

I can see reasons for choirs, DJ's, florists but must admit I'm struggling about the veil shop!!

Yeah the veil shop threw me ...bit too clicky

Yeah the veil shop threw me ...bit too clicky

I have had this so far, MUA never emailed details through about price list, so I never tried to get anything more from her, but now have found a wonderful women via my hairdresser for the day.

Also have had a wedding dress store owner not turn up for my appointment, i waited 15 minutes and went home, never got a call to say sorry would you like to rebook. I bought my dress from her rivals in the next village over!

Also have enquired right up to the point of ordering on a few gift ideas for BM gifts and all contact then stopped....

I know I maybe doing things early for our december wedding but my work will take over in the next week for 3 months so can't plan much then! The way i see it is if they are acting like this before the are getting business you really don't want this service when they do have your money.

Thank you! I got a mention too and it made my day!

A bride is a bride is a bride and everyone one of them is incredibly important whether they purchased their gown from me or not. I had a bride last Sunday, who had bought her dress from another shop, come in and try it on with veil, accessories and shoes. She spent over £400 which is very good business for a Sunday morning, she looked stunning and was very happy with what she purchased and my seamstress will be doing her alterations because she didnt feel comfortable with the shop she purchased her dress from.

I really dont understand

I contacted a venue at the begininng of our search and received an email back quite quickly.

Only problem was it started :

"Dear Miss Goldfish"

Erm.... it's Goldsmith.....

Imagine the ceremony!!

To be fair we recieved a letter from our actual venue this week addressed to 'Nikki and Mick'. Sent them an email straight away to inform them unless they knew something I didn't I intend to be marrying a man call Nick!

How can people be so careless!!

X

The amount of times people address me as Giles instead of Chris is astonishing. Even though I'm Chris Giles Photography and it's on the bottom of each email after I've already said 'Regards, Chris' they still often reply calling me Giles.

Shocking.

I started to take it personally when the first five hairdressers I contacted declined my booking and two others were quite awkward to make arrangements with. Three of them were away for the weekend (my OH joked that perhaps there is some hairdressing convention taking place on the weekend of our wedding) one didn't feel experienced enough to take on a wedding (she was a family friend and the only one I actually knew) and another one said she thought she might be too busy. Now that I have found someone else I realise that the five that couldn't do it did have genuine reasons and the other two just weren't a good fit for me but there was a time when 'no' messages kept rolling in and I was getting really disheartened.

I've found two suppliers since chatting on here - Nathalie from Buttercup Bus who is lovely and is going to provide our transport and Guy Wade the Toastmaster who we've not met yet but that's due to me and the OH being awkward with available dates (ironically because I'm so busy with wedding dance bookings in the evenings at the moment) but they have both been very prompt and helpful.

As a supplier myself, albeit one that is not involved in an 'on the day' service I know that sometimes I simply can't accommodate everyone and I hate to have to turn down business. If I am fully booked or they are out of my area etc I always try and suggest an alternative so that they don't feel I was unhelpful or that their business wasn't wanted. I'm sure it was a lucky escape from the veil shop - why would you want to give money to people like that anyway, I say!

This is the email exchange with the wedding dress shop that doesnt want to sell me a veil: Names have been changed to protect the GUILTY!!!!

Hi xxxxx,

Unfortunately we only supply veils to our brides that have purchased their dresses with our store. Have you had a look at the veils from the bridal store in which you ordered the dress, perhaps they will have something perfect for that style.

Oooooo Ouch!!

hi

I am racking my brain for a sensible excuse for them to do this, and I don't have one!

It's poor business sense, of they didn't supply your dress, but I presume they still make a margin on all the other things they sell, so veils, tiaras, jewellery, shoes...ANYTHING!!!

The Accountant in me wants to ring them and ask how their business model can work when they turn away legitimate revenue!!!

have to say though, is they do have poor business sense, its so much better that you don't buy from them, think of the hassles you could have if you did!

xx

I know - I wouldn't mind but mine is a £1,400 dress. I just checked what they stock - mainly Pronovias - very beautiful but surely the same price bracket as my gorgeous Justin Alexander?

And to think - I contacted Rainbow Club as I was looking for a bespoke veil and they recommended this shop as they carry the Rainbow Club bespoke veil brand! I am tempted to tell Rainbow Club not to send brides there!

Nasty shop. :-(

xxx

Maybe they only open their doors for high ticket items or are only interested in selling dresses with all their veils / shoes etc there as a loss leader to nail a dress sale.

Like 'We can give you this veil inclusive etc'.

Sounds like they weren't a walk in dress shop?

We went to a wedding fair a while ago and I really wanted to talk to some people who had a mobile bar business. They point blank ignored me for about ten minutes while I tried to get their attention, and then when I tried to ask about sizes of bars / where they were based / costs etc. the woman shoved a leaflet in my hand and turned her back on me. I was genuinely bewildered as to why a supplier would come to a wedding fair and be so rude to a potential customer - fair enough if I was just swigging all the free samples but I really wanted to get some information!

I think I would tell Rainbow club - not much point in them directing brides to that store if they won't serve them. It's ridiculous. I'd have been fuming if I received that email.

Hope you find somewhere else that will sort out one for you. Someone mentioned a site called "wedding veils direct" in another thread earlier this week. They do bespoke veils but only problem is you wouldn't be able to try it on before ordering. Seems you can order a sample of the material though.

Also you could try Ann of Crowning Glory Silk Veils. She also does bespoke veils and is a HIB on here.

I've lost track of the amount of correspondence we get referring to my other half as Justine. My H2B is most certainly male.

Hey welcome to the fish club as Haddon often becomes Hadock, I just ignor it now and cant be bothered to correct it and just say yes, for non inportant stuff.

I quite often get sales calls asking for Mrs Bumblebee. First of all, I'm not a Mrs, and secondly, how hard can it be to pronounce Brambley?