Just Said Yes June 2022

All-in-one Vendors?

Kim, on March 24, 2021 at 6:55 PM Posted in Wedding Reception 0 9

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Tl;dr does anyone have any experience with big all-in-one wedding vendors that do photography, videography, DJ, photo booths, and more? How were their services?

Does anyone have any experience working with a larger business that covers almost everything for the reception? I found a business that offers a package including photography, video, a DJ and an MC, and a photo booth, all with a bunch of extras as well. All for about $1000 more than what several smaller individual photographers I priced charge for comparable, and in some cases less, photography coverage alone. I'm all about supporting small businesses, but it's so much more than I ever thought I'd be able to afford if I hired each vendor individually and I would love to be able to incorporate it all!

I'm concerned though. I'm worried that hiring a business like this will feel less personal overall. I'm worried that they'll treat it like just another job and not put as much care and time into it as someone who is passionate about what they do and built their business around that.
For the most part, this big business has excellent reviews. Of course there are a small handful of negative ones that I've come across on Google and Yelp, but I feel like you'd be hard pressed to find ANY company that has all positive reviews 100% of the time.
So, anyway, I was hoping if anyone has hired or are thinking about hiring any companies like this that you'd be willing to share your experience and opinions on the matter. Should I go for it? Or should I cut out a lot and hire individual vendors that will cost more for a lot less but POSSIBLY deliver better results?
Thanks!

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9 Comments

Latest activity by Jay, on March 25, 2021 at 2:17 PM

Rockstar December 2022
Michelle · on March 24, 2021 at 7:04 PM
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If you go with all in one vendors, you're stuck with what you get. They may or may not fit your style/vision and possibly not be that skilled either. For something like a wedding that you can't do over, I would feel better supporting the individual businesses. Individual businesses are also more often upfront about pricing and services without hidden fees.
You shouldn't have to cut expenses to hire them. Let them know what you want, what you don't and negotiate a fair price from there. If they are reputable, they will accommodate you more than the all-in-one at a better price.
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Lisa · on March 24, 2021 at 7:20 PM
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From my perspective, when a venue offers all inclusive, it’s because those they work with are a known quantity, match their priorities, and everyone has the same goal in mind. Those vendors are still small business owners and they are vetted with that particular venue. That’s a good thing.
On the flip side, hiring each vendor individually offers more flexibility and customization. I personally do not think one is better than the other, rather, depending on budget and style preferences, what model best fits your needs?
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Just Said Yes June 2022
Kim · on March 24, 2021 at 7:57 PM
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I'm sorry, my explanation was unclear 😣 it's not the venue offering those additional services. It's another company that does photography, videography, DJ, and photo booths. If it were the venue, I wouldn't be nearly so hesitant in hiring them. The venue did give me a list of recommended vendors to use, that they work with regularly and can guarantee their quality. But I won't be able to afford everything this outside company offers if I hire the venue recommended vendors.
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Rockstar December 2022
Michelle · on March 24, 2021 at 8:03 PM
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Preferred vendors. That's different. Often they tend to be much more expensive and some venues require you use vendors they suggest and others are more lax. Decide if the venue is worth the expense of possibly going into debt or look for a venue that allows you to choose your vendors.
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Just Said Yes June 2022
Kim · on March 24, 2021 at 8:16 PM
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No, no, no. I'm sorry lol. I was clarifying in response to Lisa who thought I meant the venue was all-inclusive of the photography, DJ, etc. I already booked the venue. They gave me a list of preferred vendors, but I can hire whatever company I want, as long as they're insured of course.

My question is regarding third party companies that staff for everything: video, photo, DJ, and photo booth and you (Michelle) were on point with your response. While I'll still be able to choose my photographer, videographer, and DJ from their pool of employees, I am still limited to those they have on staff. Does that make sense?
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Savvy June 2021
Amy · on March 24, 2021 at 8:39 PM
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Hi,

So we hired a very similar company that offers the same options and we are using them for photography and DJ for our upcoming June wedding. We selected it due to the pricing. We did do research prior and the company had good reviews. Our venue has them on their approved vendor lists and had nothing negative to say about them. Our wedding venue has an excellent reputation so I take that as a good sign that this will be a good vendor as well. The company we went with does have a selection of people who you can select from as well. I definitely would suggest doing thorough research on the company before making a decision. Best wishes!Amy
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VIP August 2020
Katie · on March 24, 2021 at 9:29 PM
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We did interview a company like this, but found the quality was questionable and they often hired out photographers, DJs, etc. if needed. For those reasons, we decided to hire individuals whose entire job was a specialty. Hope this helps! ❤️
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Dedicated September 2021
Catherine · on March 25, 2021 at 2:06 PM
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We did an interview with a company like this and ultimately chose to go with selecting all of our own individual vendors instead. The company we talked to called themselves “a little wedding factory” and they handle pretty much everything...flowers, cake, decor, catering, DJ, photography, videography, officiant, and coordinator. Literally everything but the venue itself. They had great reviews, but it truly did feel like a factory, and I felt like a number, not a person. The pricing was also a bit suspect. We made spreadsheets comparing their one flat rate to some of the quotes we got from other individual vendors and it seemed like we could get a better deal, not to mention more customization and flexibility, by doing the legwork and booking them all individually. I don’t think going with the all inclusive is a bad thing, and it may be worth the convenience and your sanity if you want super super stress-free. It just wasn’t the right choice for us!
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Devoted September 2021
Jay · on March 25, 2021 at 2:17 PM
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If they have decent reviews, I think it’s purely a decision of convenience vs. control/personalization. I think if you have strong feelings about any of the included services then maybe it’s not a good idea.

For me, photography is a big deal & I had very specific qualities in mind. I also wanted to hire small businesses & connecting with the artist/provider was important to me. I stumbled across a few more inclusive vendors (I wouldn’t say all bc they were more limited than this) but all were big national companies, or I didn’t get along with who I spoke with, or I didn’t feel the quality matched the convenience. But that may not apply here!
I say focus on your priorities (less stress? price? whatever it is!) & use that to guide your call.
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