Guest Blog: Laura Wrasman of Wedding Guide Chicago
This week’s guest blog comes from Laura Wrasman, owner and publisher of Wedding Guide Chicago Magazine. Laura has been in the wedding business over two decades and has seen a lot of what works and what doesn’t for most Chicago brides. One thing she is a big proponent of is keeping yourself opted IN for emails from wedding sites. Though it seems counter intuitive, Laura lays down her expertise and explains just why you may want to keep that box checked on your account settings!
Yes, those emails from vendors can be *%$^%$&!
I do know what you mean. But I am going to share a secret. As someone who has been in the wedding business for 20+ years, I have seen many happy couples walk down the aisle. And the biggest secret is knowledge. The more you know, the more you can get for your money. You’ll also ask better questions to get exactly what you want.
In this age of information, use those “pesky” emails for all they are worth. Create a wedding-specific email address so the emails are not coming to your main personal account or your work email, such as “mattandtanya91213@gmail.com”. This way you can keep all your wedding related emails in one place and set aside a specific time to go through these emails. So, don’t hit the delete button or the unsubscribe button, they just might be worth something!
Wedding Guide Chicago says use the emails for all they are worth!
First — Helpful info
Many emails sent by wedding vendors have good information. Since this is pretty new to you (have you ever planned a party this big and special for YOU before?), use these emails as a research tool. Read them and then file them by category. For example, if it is from a photographer, file it with all your photography emails and look through them when you are ready to start researching and interviewing for photographers. This will also help you stay organized and stave off the overwhelming feeling you may begin to have!
Second — Good offers
Many of the vendors that send things out offer specials. These will also give you an idea as to what that type of service will cost and if you want it as part of your wedding budget. There are many variables in all types of services, this will help when you need to compare services.
Third — Negotiating tools
Even if you know who you are planning to use for a particular service, these offers from their competitors may provide you with information to get a better price or more product included in your package.
Good luck with your planning! Remember, many of the businesses who send you emails are small, with 1-5 employees. Their goal is to make your wedding day special for you and get a fair price for their product or service. The more you understand what you want and can convey what you want, the better that vendor will be in making and keeping you happy and satisfied.
Laura Wrasman is owner and publisher of Wedding Guide Chicago magazine and website.
