Which would you rather buy?
Car #1: $9,000
This car looks pretty from the outside, but has four tires that are about to blow at any second. The engine of the car is in unknown condition.
Car #2: $9,000
This car has the same exterior as car #1, but only comes with three tires in brand new condition. The engine of the car is in unknown condition.
Car #3: $10,000
The same exterior as Car #1 and Car #2, but all tires are brand new AND the engine is brand new.
If everyone were to think like this when choosing their wedding vendors, we would rarely hear those crazy stories about vendors not showing up or just being perfect on paper (or online) but terrible face-to-face. Sounds like some sort of Catfish episode, huh?
So of course, we would choose Car #3. While we may be paying $1,000 more up front, the likelihood of our new car not needing repairs any time soon is far higher than that of Car #1 and Car #2.
And while Car #1 has four tires and Car #2 only has three, it is better to have to pay the extra for a brand new fourth tire, than to be nervous about all four tires blowing, having to pay for four new tires and possibly a new engine, and risk getting into a terrible car accident!
Well when choosing your wedding vendors, it's not far from this.
Price vs Value
I used to be the Catering Manager at a wedding venue and time and time again, brides would say to me "Well the venue down the street quoted me for $10,000 and you're quoting me for $12,000" so I will be going with them. Personally, I always offered to look at their quote and compare the two together.
And each and every time, the "venue down the street" was offering a lower price, but they didn't include the linens, the tables and chairs, the chair covers, and the upgraded meal.
And with that, we know that we cannot just look at the price.
What is value?
Value is what you are getting for the price you are paying. So let's put this into wedding terms:
A photographer is offering you 10 hours of coverage but she is just not a nice person to be around. Her work is beautiful and you can see yourself hanging her photos in your new home. You can definitely put up with her grumpiness because her package price is $2,500, which is lower than your budget.
The next photographer you meet with is instantly your best friend. He is offering 10 hours of coverage on the wedding day and the photos are just to die for! Like how couldn't you print and hang every single one in your home? And you've made a new friend to hang out with on the weekends! His package price is $3,500.
Eek! $1,000 is a lot of money and I like the first photographer's work, so I'll go with her.
WRONG.
Of course it all comes down to your budget, but as you can see, the price isn't always better.
So forget about the price, and look at the value. And then determine whether you can make the price work.
Are you going to enjoy being around this person on your wedding day? Are you confident they will be able to deliver what you are asking for? What kind of flowers are they offering? Will you get your photos/video back in the time frame given? Will the photos be edited instead of raw? Will the meal be upgraded?
It's all about that value.
