The answer.... find yourself an Ethical Wedding Supplier!

Okay, so I've given you the answer to the question... but what is the question?!?!?

Last week English Wedding posted a Blog entitled "Weddings Have Spiralled Out of Control. Who's fault is it?" which sparked discussion and interest across the Wedding "Tweeter" world. The article is great... it's to the point and thought provoking... take a look here.

At the end of the day, the cost of a wedding is entirely at the discretion of the couple getting married... the amount they want to spend is entirely their own decision... Admittedly, it's VERY easy to get carried away by "wanting" more and more and therefore just as easy to forget what the day is actually about... BUT it's the most important day of your life, you want it to be special and talked about for years to come, don't you?

So to avoid "Spiralling out of control", give yourself an initial brief i.e. decide what's important about your day and have a clear picture of what you want to achieve (without deviating from the guidelines you set yourself). Then, possibly the more difficult & challenging part is finding the right suppliers to help you achieve this...  

BUT (here's the question) do industry suppliers really take advantage when the word "wedding" is mentioned? Sadly, yes... this is the case in some situations! I quite often hear horror stories from my own clients... and occasionally a comment which tars all industry suppliers with the same brush! It's infuriating...

... that's why you should choose an "Ethical Wedding Supplier".

I was over-the-moon to see that Claire (the face behind the blog), had decided to set up an Ethical Wedding Supplier List. To be on the list, suppliers sign the "Pledge" which does not only focus on the cost element of supplying to clients in the industry. It also includes "industry standard" type content... i.e. maintaining respect & intellectual property of other businesses which is an extremely important part of the pledge (many of us are constantly agitated by the copying of designs etc... of other inferior businesses). I didn't hesitate... I was in there like a shot, getting myself signed up and suggesting that others should do the same!

So, when you're looking for a supplier...

• consider the "Pledge" and all that it stands for...
• If your supplier is not on the list at present, dont panic... you should be able to tell if they are "worthy" of being on the list by taking the time to talk to them and question them!
• REMEMBER, just because the product or service you after is expensive it does not necessarily mean you're getting ripped off... take a good look at what's on offer... if you're after quality, you'll be paying for it!

What's the Pledge?

Who's signed the Pledge?

Thanks to Claire from English Wedding for setting a standard!

http://www.english-wedding.com/