How to make your wedding business better

By Simone Sant-Ghuran, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TrinidadWeddings.com 

As the first wedding planning resource established in Trinidad and Tobago almost 20 years ago, we are privileged to hear from both brides and grooms and from the vendors/partners.

One of the things we seek to do at www.trinidadweddings.com, is bridge the gap between both groups and ultimately make the local wedding industry better.

Although the pandemic has been declared over, Covid impacted several event businesses over the past three years, both negatively and positively. Here is a look at some of the ways forward, based on feedback we have received from couples and vendors alike:

1. Re-look the force majeure clause in your contract – As event/wedding planners, the term ‘force majeure’ is not new to most of us – we know it as covering ‘Acts of God’ and natural disasters to name a few. It’s a French term that translates to ‘superior force’, and is usually defined by those who are signing the contract. It outlines the partial termination of a contract as well as termination of performance. In the future, event and wedding planners must show that Covid-19 falls within the list of unforeseen items under the force majeure clause and that it can impact the event in such a way as to make it commercially impracticable or frustrate its purpose. It must be noted that each event contract is different, and an attorney’s advice is strongly recommended for this aspect.
2. A need for transparency – There is an increased need for couples to know the exact prices of your services. They want transparency; and in the first instance, will hunt for what they want via an internet search. The majority of couples gather their own research by emailing multiple vendors, to create their own list of prices and pecking order. Then, they narrow down their choices by best pricing and best reviews. A major complaint is that prices are not listed or are stated as “custom.” Whilst we can certainly understand the latter, it may be helpful to give couples a base point – for instance – our custom packages start at TT$5000. Being more straight-forward with your prices, will ultimately lead to more qualified prospects coming to you and an overall more successful approach.
3. Lack of communication – This is one of the biggest frustrations we hear from couples – that they’ve emailed or called, and no one has replied or if they have, the response is lukewarm, at best. Couples often complain of having to “run after” wedding vendors to get basic information. We know this will not apply to all vendors, but sadly we know a guilty few! A quick response time is what the couples are craving and even if you can’t get to them immediately, a warm and friendly autoresponder giving some website links to further information or a FAQ list, may just do the trick!
4. System for developing quick quotations – After couples call, email or meet with you, it is more than likely they will request a quotation. Many couples are annoyed at the time this takes to get to them; and so, in the meantime, many will continue the search for other vendors in your category! Developing a template or system for churning out faster quotations, may make the difference between getting the sale or not.

If you’re a motivated event/wedding vendor who is frustrated at where you are at right now but determined to push forward, grow your business, and improve your quality of life, you can access our TW Luxe service  – where we offer business consulting for discerning wedding and event vendors. For further information, email: contactus@trinidadweddings.com

Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash