I always tell couples to read the reviews first. Not just the star rating — the actual content. And if a vendor doesn’t have a lot of reviews, that’s not necessarily a red flag. Just make sure the ones they do have are specific, genuine, and positive.

But reviews are only one layer of what to look for. Here are the other signals I pay attention to — and that I teach every couple I work with to watch for.

Slow or vague response time

If a vendor takes five or more days to respond to an initial inquiry — or gives you a vague non-answer to a specific question — pay attention. Communication during the inquiry stage is almost always a preview of communication during planning. It doesn’t get faster after you’ve signed.

If you ask a specific question and get a non-answer, push. Ask again. How they handle a follow-up question tells you a lot about how they handle the harder conversations that come up during planning.

No clear timeline or process

Every professional vendor should be able to tell you: here’s what working with me looks like from the time you sign to the wedding day. Here are the milestones, the check-ins, the deliverables, and when you’ll hear from me.

A planner who doesn’t explain onboarding, a photographer who can’t tell you your gallery timeline, a caterer who is vague about the final count deadline — these gaps in process translate directly to gaps in execution.

They don’t ask questions about you

A vendor who quotes you before asking about your wedding — your date, your guest count, your venue, your vision — is not giving you an accurate quote. They’re giving you a generic one.

The best vendors I’ve worked alongside ask as many questions as they answer. A vendor who doesn’t seem curious about your wedding is a vendor who isn’t thinking about your specific needs.

Something feels off after the consultation

Trust your gut. If you leave a vendor meeting feeling less confident than when you walked in, that’s data. If something felt rushed, dismissive, overly salesy, or simply not right for you — listen to that.

You are hiring people to be present on one of the most significant days of your life. You don’t owe any vendor your business — and the right vendors will make you feel that their goal is to be the right fit, not just to close the booking.

Not sure how to evaluate the vendors in front of you? Legacy Events Iowa is here to help you ask the right questions. legacyeventsiowa.com