Unresponsive vendors

You may want to loom for vebdors on thumbtack.com or just call it a day and get married in the courthouse.

It can be frustrating when you're planning and waiting for vendor responses! How much time has passed between you contacting them and now?

Keep in mind that it is the holiday season, so some vendors may not respond back as quickly as you would expect. Another thing to remember is that many couples are having to postpone and move their wedding around, so that could be a factor as to why vendors are slow on response time right now! Also, if you're emailing them, check your spam folder! A couple of vendors I reached out to had replied back to me, but their email was sent to my junk folder.

That being said, I have had a few vendors that I've contacted weeks ago with no response lol. My advice is that if it goes that long...move on and find another vendor that will be more responsive!

Good luck!

That is definitely frustrating! Keep reaching out to different vendors, you'll get responses from at least a few. How are you reaching out to them? Through their own website/email? Or through Wedding Wire? Maybe try sending a message through a different method, or even try calling them.

View Quoted Comment Also I completely agree with Shelly! Response times may be slow, given COVID confusion/postponing and also the holiday season. I'd give vendors up to a week to reply before moving on.

View Quoted Comment Some of them it’s been a few weeks. Some of them I’m messaging on Facebook and I can see they’ve opened the message but just haven’t taken the time to respond. I didn’t think about holiday’s and covid though, thank you for bringing that perspective to light. ☺️

View Quoted Comment I would be fine with a week but some are going on 2+ weeks and I know things are booking faster this year so I just want everything to be done... I guess I’m having a bridzilla moment and need to chill out for a bit 😂

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If it's a few weeks and they haven't responded at all to you inquiring, then def. move on and get some backup vendors just in case! Facebook can also be really finicky and I usually don't advise getting vendors that only work through a social media platform. Personally I think having a website or work email is more professional, but I know there are great vendors out there that you can find through social media!

With the ones that you're messaging on FB, maybe send them a message if it's been a few days/a week after your latest response. You could say something along the lines of, "Just checking in to confirm that we are on the same page...*insert whatever you want to say here*".

Sometimes people open messages on FB and either forget to respond (like a text), or send it but FB glitches and you don't receive it!

View Quoted Comment 2+ weeks is excessive! I don't think you're being a bridezilla. If you're still interested in booking that vendor, you could send a follow-up email to see if they'll respond, and also mention your concern about the lack of response. Otherwise, I would move on and find a vendor who is more responsive.

Just be mindful that many people are working from home or are not working at all due to both Covid and it being close to the holidays. I would continue to reach out to different vendors though, someone will get back to you!

May I ask what type of wedding are you having? I ask because I was having an elopement and some venues I reached out to did not respond and I wondered if it was because they knew that they would not benefit financially from my ceremony or some times maybe your emails went to junk boxes? I had some vendors respond much later after I had already booked another vendo. Honestly, do not let it frustrate you because they are probably showing you their communication skills already. I feel like I am not going to chase someone to give them money so if they do not respond, onto the next. I feel everything happens for a reason so if someone wants your business they will communicate.

I have all of my vendors booked now but back when I was on the hunt I reached out to a few vendors that I never heard back from. At all. I really just think a lot of businesses in the wedding industry really got hurt by covid, especially smaller ones, so a lot of places just aren't or can't do the work. I've also had a vendor who had amazing reviews but always got back to me kind of slow. So I followed up to see if there was an easier/more convenient way to contact them and since then it's been a breeze. That is an option as well. But for the people who responded to give me details then never responded again? I just moved on. The only people who should be working your wedding are the ones who want to be in it as much as you want them to be. Period. So if they don't seem thrilled to do business with you, find someone else.

While some vendors may be flakes and cons, not at all of them are. We are still in a pandemic which is stressful for them because many have had to downsize their labor teams and working from home so you have one person doing the work of 10. Add the holidays upon us which are stressful in good times.


Also, emails frequently get lost in the spam folders.
If that vendor doesn't work for you, move to the next one.

I was vendor searching when unemployment was like $1,500 per week in some states, so I was receiving quite a few messages saying vendors are no longer accepting messages. They are allowed to collect unemployment so I think a few of them are doing just that. I had one vendor tell me they don’t plan on doing any gigs other than cash (I prefer card with purchases over $1,000) so they can keep collecting unemployment. And then for the others, they might be scrambling. Who knows, but it is frustrating when you’re trying to plan.

Ive been emailing and leaving my cell. If they want your business they will response sooner.

I saw that your wedding is October 2021. With so many weddings postponed from this year to next year, many vendors booked up way sooner than they have in the past since they are trying to fit in both 2020 and 2021 weddings into 2021. With less than a year out, this could very well be why they aren’t responding.