How to Say No to a Wedding Vendor
Chances are that youāll send multiple inquiries to your wedding vendors during wedding planning. You might have fallen in love with two wedding photographers, and you want to compare prices, or you might be reaching out to multiple wedding officiants to gauge availability.
At some point, youāll have to let a vendor know politely that you have chosen not to work with them. Letting them down can feel awkward, so weāve got some simple copy-and-paste scripts that you can use. More on that later.
Ready to plan your wedding day? Explore our directory of inclusive wedding pros from around the world.
Photography by Katelyn Kristine Photography
Contents
A Few Things To Remember Before Saying āNoā To Working With A Wedding Vendor.
- Donāt get overly emotional about it.
While you might feel bad, wedding vendors are used to it. Itās expected that youāll reach out to a handful of different wedding vendors to gauge availability, pricing, or whether or not youāre a good fit for one another. The vendors who you arenāt choosing wonāt take it personally.
- Be kind.
Remember, wedding photographers, celebrants, etc. are usually one-person businesses. While you might feel like their quote is overpriced, they have sent you something that is reflective of their business costs.
- Hire a wedding planner if you feel nervous about saying no.
Aside from the wedding day, this is the part of wedding planning where your wedding planners thrive! Convey what youāre looking for clearly to your planner, then have them reach out to different vendors to get quotes. Youāll be presented with a few options and it will be up to your wedding planner to send the email that politely declines the wedding vendorās services.
So, How Do You Actually Say No To Working With A Wedding Vendor?
- Simply let them know youāve chosen another direction.
You donāt have to get into explicit details, something simple. Remember, itās business, not personal. You might find that some wedding vendors will reach out and ask why youāve chosen to go with another wedding vendor. When you reply, be honest and kind, theyāre just trying to improve their businesses.
- Thank them for their time.
Time and effort goes into creating each and every inquiry and quote. Let them know that you appreciate that.
- Donāt ghost them.
Your wedding vendors might be holding your chosen wedding date, which can impact other couples booking with that client. Theyāre real humans, with real human feelings and real human families behind their businesses.
Email Scripts To Politely Decline A Wedding Vendor
Copy and paste one of these scripts to take the guesswork out of declining a wedding vendor you have chosen not to work with.
Kind And Informative Email Script to Tell a Vendor Youāve Gone With Someone Else
āHi (Vendorās Name),
Thank you so much for taking the time to put together the proposal and taking the time to walk us through your services. Weāve decided to move forward with another (enter the type of vendor they are). For us, it boiled down to (add the reason why youāre not working with them ā budget, style, etc.).
Thanks again for your time!ā
Short And Simple Email Script to Tell a Vendor Youāre No Longer Interested
āHi (Vendorās Name),
Thanks for your time. We wanted to let you know that we have decided to work with another (enter their type of service).
Thanks again.ā
Long And Lovely Email Script to Let a Vendor Down Easy
āHi (Vendorās Name),
We are so grateful for your time and the energy you put into your quote for our wedding.
We really loved (insert a few honest sentences about something you loved about their services).
However, after careful consideration, we have decided to use another (enter their type of service) or explore alternative options.
Although we loved everything you offer, we didnāt feel it fit our wedding (insert why it wasnāt a good fit for you, eg. budget/styling/concept).
We want you to know that you were in the top businesses we considered, and we will not hesitate to recommend you to any friends and family planning a wedding in the future.
All the very best.ā