Vendors that Halls Recommend Using

Maybe this is a really ignorant question (I have no clue about this which is why I'm asking) BUT Does it really make a difference if your RH recommends a DJ/Band, photog, florist, etc?

I know it matters for insurance purposes in some ways but I'm asking more about the QUALITY of work. I wonder b/c I get a lot of people asking me 'Does FF recommend them??' when I tell them who I'm using for different services. Then I wonder, does it make a diff? Is FF going to sue them if they screw me over and my flowers are wilted or if I have bad luck and my pics don't come out good??

This might be a very dumb ? but I'm just wondering. I also hear a lot of people saying 'Oh go with 'so and so' for your DJ/Band, they were recommended by my hall so that's why I went with them'... If someone could enlighten me about this... thanks ladies so much!!!

I think it's just about scratching each other's backs if you know what I mean. Some vendors also give a small discount due to you coming from the catering hall.

I am sure their house photographers know the layout of the facility and the best places to take pictures but my feeling on it is if your a good photographer you will maximize the space no matter what.

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Posted by STBMrsDaniRella

right, that's what i was wondering: is this all about money? lol b/c if it is then people telling me, oh you didn't go with a recommended vendor? or saying 'i went w/ them, they were recommended by my RH' is, to be blunt, just a bunch of nonsense basically. b/c it seemed to me all along that it was just about money and just b/c they are recommended doesn't mean they are good and also it doesn't mean that you have ANY recourse whatsoever if they $uck the day of your wedding. hmmmm...

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You are pretty much correct, but remember, a vendor won't $uck if they are being recommended by your RH, or they wouldn't recommend them anymore. The RHs do realize they are only as good as the people they recommend.....

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Posted by chrissyandvin

My opinion... The hall might get a kick back if they refer them.. also.. their plates are less expensive. Some halls don't charge you for their plates or half price for them!

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yeah they must-- so basically, the only people really benefitting from using the recommended vendors are the vendors and the hall-- besides of course, if they give you a discount for the vendor if it's one of their vendors-- or like you mentioned, with the meals. but it's interesting to me how people act like the house vendors are 'better' or do more quality work-- or 'you don't have to worry if you use a house vendor' -- like, what does that mean?? so if my flowers are dead and i use a house vendor vs an outside vendor-- does that make them any less dead or do i get anything back from that?? there's no difference! lol, very interesting-- thanks ladies

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Posted by mrsh2b

From what I understand, the vendor has to do decent work in order for a RH to recommend them. However, they do get kickbacks from the vendors. I know my RH gets $150 if a bride books one of their recommended photographers.

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and from visiting 2 rec. vendors, i've seen better 'deals' for us as well.

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Posted by curliegirl

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Posted by STBMrsDaniRella

right, that's what i was wondering: is this all about money? lol b/c if it is then people telling me, oh you didn't go with a recommended vendor? or saying 'i went w/ them, they were recommended by my RH' is, to be blunt, just a bunch of nonsense basically. b/c it seemed to me all along that it was just about money and just b/c they are recommended doesn't mean they are good and also it doesn't mean that you have ANY recourse whatsoever if they $uck the day of your wedding. hmmmm...

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You are pretty much correct, but remember, a vendor won't $uck if they are being recommended by your RH, or they wouldn't recommend them anymore. The RHs do realize they are only as good as the people they recommend.....

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yeah, one would hope so-- but at the same time, i look at FF's recommended vendors, and i'm not going to name names-- but some of the vendors on there have SERIOUS complaints on LIW and i've heard bad reviews in general, besides just BBB... so i wonder about that? good point tho.

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Posted by CLMon7906

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Posted by mrsh2b

From what I understand, the vendor has to do decent work in order for a RH to recommend them. However, they do get kickbacks from the vendors. I know my RH gets $150 if a bride books one of their recommended photographers.

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and from visiting 2 rec. vendors, i've seen better 'deals' for us as well.

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yeah there is no doubt that they 'make it worth your while' to go with them-- but i'm wondering why people ask me if i'm using the house vendor like if i'm not i'd better worry-- or if i do, and something happens that's bad-- there is no difference. so when people say, i booked XXX photography b/c the watermill recommends them it's like but why?? (besides the deals etc.)... what difference does it make in terms of quality?

interesting tho, thank you

It's just an agreement between the vendor and the RH. It doesn't necessarily mean they are great or they s u c k..the vendor will pay the RH a fee for their recommendation.

You may get more discounts for feeding them. But any talented photographer can take amazing shots and any DJ and Band worth their salt will do a good job. They all have their own reputiations to consider. It's in their best interests to do a good job..

after all, word of mouth is probably the number one marketing tool for all of the vendors.

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Posted by Blu-ize

It's just an agreement between the vendor and the RH. It doesn't necessarily mean they are great or they s u c k..the vendor will pay the RH a fee for their recommendation.

You may get more discounts for feeding them. But any talented photographer can take amazing shots and any DJ and Band worth their salt will do a good job. They all have their own reputiations to consider. It's in their best interests to do a good job..

after all, word of mouth is probably the number one marketing tool for all of the vendors.

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wow, well said

I didn't even look at the list of 'preferred' vendors that my RH gave me. I did end up using some of them in the end, but purely by accident. Like everything else in the wedding industry, money talks...I actually found out that one of my RH's vendors had multiple unresolved complaints against them with the BBB.

I know that my RH gives a very small discount if you use their vendors, but it wasn't worth it because you had to use so may of them in order to qualify for the discount.

Think of it this way; your RH needs to work with whichever vendor you pick because it's their job...I doubt they would $crew you over for not using their vendors because it will just end up hurting their reputation...HTH!

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Posted by STBMrsDaniRella

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Posted by Blu-ize

It's just an agreement between the vendor and the RH. It doesn't necessarily mean they are great or they s u c k..the vendor will pay the RH a fee for their recommendation.

You may get more discounts for feeding them. But any talented photographer can take amazing shots and any DJ and Band worth their salt will do a good job. They all have their own reputiations to consider. It's in their best interests to do a good job..

after all, word of mouth is probably the number one marketing tool for all of the vendors.

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wow, well said

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Posted by curliegirl

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Posted by STBMrsDaniRella

right, that's what i was wondering: is this all about money? lol b/c if it is then people telling me, oh you didn't go with a recommended vendor? or saying 'i went w/ them, they were recommended by my RH' is, to be blunt, just a bunch of nonsense basically. b/c it seemed to me all along that it was just about money and just b/c they are recommended doesn't mean they are good and also it doesn't mean that you have ANY recourse whatsoever if they $uck the day of your wedding. hmmmm...

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You are pretty much correct, but remember, a vendor won't $uck if they are being recommended by your RH, or they wouldn't recommend them anymore. The RHs do realize they are only as good as the people they recommend.....

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I don't know... one of the photographers recommended by my hall has a LOT of complaints against him on the Better Business Bureau, and was apparently kicked off of this site. So... you never know. When I realized that, I decided it probably was more a sign of who is paying them to be on the recommended list than of real quality of service.