As wedding vendors, we (should) understand more than anyone that weddings are a delicate and intricate dance. This dance isn’t one that is in the middle of a dance floor for everyone to see. It is behind the glitz and the glamor of our clients day, but no less important and no less public. We have been entrusted to make this day, often the biggest, happiest, and most exciting day of our clients life, just that. Not only are we to do our jobs well, but we NEED to allow ALL vendors to do their jobs well. The client has paid each of us for our expertise, not just one or the other. None of us are more important than the other and that is why if one of us doesn’t know the steps or chooses to do a totally different routine, it reflects on the entire dance. We are all on the same team and that team has ONE COLLECTIVE JOB: To make the client happy!
I am a photographer. Everyone knows that. However, if I do my job well it makes the client happy AND can benefit all the other vendors who I work with as well. Of course the majority of the images I take are of the bride, the groom, the wedding party, the parents, the family, and the guests. This is what makes the client happy. If I can not get those shots, the client is not happy and it doesn’t paint me in the best light. However, I also take photos that include other vendors work. The florist, the cake decorator, the venue, the coordinator, the DJ, and the list goes on. I do my best to make every one’s work look JUST as good as mine. I take the time to make these vendors look good, because they are making ME look good at the same time. If the bride is holding a beautiful bouquet in her photos, I will get amazing photos of those flowers and the florist will get the same amazing photos of their work, result: A happy client! If the venue takes the time to create and set up the brides vision, it makes the bride happy, it makes the photos look better, it makes the video look great, it gives the cake an elegant stage, and it all comes back to making the CLIENT happy. When the photographer AND the videographer work TOGETHER, not against each other the client gets their memories (ALL OF THEM) captured and they can now enjoy those memories for a life time! Then the ball starts rolling again, the flowers, as well as the cake, the venue, the DJ, look good in the video AND the photos. I can go on and on about how everything ties together but I think you get the idea.
If we ALL do our jobs correctly, professionally, and as a TEAM we will complete not only the main goal of making our clients happy, but we will grow OUR businesses!! We all know how much this business is based on referrals, and if you show yourself in the best light to the client you should do the same to other vendors. I get asked ALL THE TIME, for vendor referrals from brides and I am sure other vendors do too. Why do brides ask us? Because we are at weddings more than they are and we see it all. We know who works well, who is professional, who isn’t, who shows up on time, who is a flake, and who ultimately is going to work well with the “Vendor Team.”
Now that the 2011 wedding season is winding down, Let’s all make a promise to ourselves and our clients for the 2012 and future wedding seasons. Let’s all work as a team. Let’s dance that intricate dance together, not against each other. Let’s do our job right and do it well so that we ALL make the client happy!
Sincerely,
Christopher Cooke
Christopher Cooke Photography
