🍽️ Chapter 4: Choosing and Managing Suppliers

☑ Photos / videos received and saved. caterer (who takes up half the day at the table), the stylist ☑ Time together planned before going back to daily life. photographer (guardian of your memories) and the DJ slow-down moment coordinate with one another on the big day, following on from the venue chosen in chapter 3.

🎯 Chapter goal: working with the four key suppliers

Learn to choose, negotiate and collaborate ✅ The chapter 2 “Budget & Countdown Schedule”.

4.1 – The Caterer: the backbone of the evening

4.1.1 – What sets a good caterer apart

• Integrated logistics : furniture, tableware, linen, glassware, service teams, prep kitchen, hot/cold equipment . No equipment = possible additional hires.
• Adapting to the venue : lorry access, work space, electricity, water, distance between prep kitchen and hall, weather plan B.
• A coherent menu : season, weather, service style (seated/mixed cocktail), special diets.
• Smooth service : an identified head waiter, dish/entertainment timing, coordination with the DJ and photographer.

4.1.2 – Specific questions to ask

• « Will you come in person or send a team? »
• « How many staff for my guest count?” Usual benchmarks (plated meal): . Buffet/cocktail: different needs.
• « Billing per guest (adjustable up to D-15)?”
• « Children’s / suppliers’ menus (price, content)?”
• « Drinks : corkage, glassware, service, water/soft drinks, coffee?”
• « Setting up the room (laying the tables) and cleaning included?”
• « Tasting before signing or after the deposit?”

4.1.3 – Clauses to insist on in the quote/contract

• Hours of service + rate scale for overtime.
• List of equipment included (tableware, tablecloths, glassware, prep kitchen, fridges)
• Team ratios (waiting staff/head waiter/kitchen)
• Special menus : children, vegetarians, allergen-free (procedure)
• Staff meals (DJ, photographer, coordination), quantity/time
• Waste management, sorting, restoring the prep kitchen to order
• Quantities of food( per piece qty, unlimited…)

4.1.4 – Common pitfalls (and how to counter them)

• Understaffed service → a slow evening. The fix: clarify the ratios and the hours.
• Vague drinks arrangements → extra costs. The fix: target quantities, corkage, glasses, freely available water/soft drinks.
• No prep kitchen → delays. The fix: technical site visit with the caterer + layout plan.

4.2 – The Stylist: the overall experience

4.2.1 – What they should bring

• An overall vision : venue/style consistency, palette, materials, light (atmosphere > piling up objects).
• “Turnkey” capability : flowers, furniture, signage, stationery, mood lighting .
• Budget realism : clever alternatives (seasonal varieties, reuse, focal zones vs simple zones).
• An authentic portfolio : real weddings (not just generated/editorial images).

4.2.2 – Specific questions to ask

• « Do you handle everything or only part of it (flowers, furniture, stationery, lights)?”
• « Alternative proposals to my initial idea to optimise budget and logistics?”
• « Lead times for ordering the flowers, weather plan B (fixings, ballast, wind/rain)?”
• « Adjusting quantities by a cut-off date (tablecloths, chairs, centrepieces)?”

4.2.3 – Clauses to insist on

• A precise list of the items supplied (quantities, colours, sizes) + schedule for setup/takedown
• Responsibilities (breakage, late collection, storage)
• Safety constraints (candles, hanging installations, exits, standards)

4.3 – The Photographer: guardian of your memories

4.3.1 – Look beyond the price

• Style : bright, documentary, high-contrast, fine art… a vision compatible with yours.
• Full galleries : insist on 1–2 complete weddings (not just a best-of).
• Human connection : this is the person closest to you all day long.

4.3.2 – Points to lock down

Item	Question	Why
Contract	Number of hours, times, locations covered?	Avoids billed overruns.
Delivery	Photo turnaround time, number of edited shots?	Sets expectations and the scale of the deliverables.
Image rights	Publication on social media/portfolio allowed?	To be set out in writing.
Second shooter	Included/optional? Required for large guest counts?	Coverage of simultaneous moments.
Editing	Natural or artistic?	Ensures consistency with your taste.

Pro tip: plan a brief (key moments, important people, no-gos) and a quick scout of the venue.

4.4 – The DJ: the energy of the evening

4.4.1 – Criteria that matter

• Wedding experience (pacing, transitions, reading the room).
• Professional equipment : suitable speakers, wireless microphones, mood/structural lighting.
• Coordination : timing the key moments with the caterer/photographer.

4.4.2 – DJ clauses to watch

Item	To check	Risk if missing
Hours included	End of service and overtime rates.	Late-night extra costs.
Setup/takedown	Day-before access / venue hours	Stress, rushed installation.
Sound level	Legal limit / curfew	Forced shutdown.
Music brief	Requested/banned playlists	The wrong atmosphere.
Staff meals	Included in the contract	Strained relations on the night itself.
Replacement	Unavailability clause	Cancellation with no solution.

4.5 – Coordinating the four pillars

• A shared schedule (arrivals, set-up, sound/light checks, meal timings).
• A point of contact (witnesses / coordinator) to make the calls on the big day.
• A joint technical visit one month out: caterer, DJ, photographer, decorator, venue .
• Contact sheets (mobile, arrival time, technical needs, location).

4.5.1 — Coordinating suppliers on the ground

Quoting your wedding (strategic order of sign-off)

To avoid extra costs and protect your budget, sign-offs must follow a logical order. Each choice shapes the next.

Recommended order:

• 1. Venue : availability, capacity, timings, technical constraints, outdoor/indoor spaces.
• 2. Caterer : menus, kitchen logistics, equipment needs, service timing.
• 3. Furniture & tableware : tables, chairs, linens, buffets, poseur tables, glassware.
• 4. Decoration : floral structure, ambience, seating charts, accessories, signage.
• 5. Photographer / Videographer : lighting constraints, key moments, creative brief.
• 6. Additional suppliers : DJ, celebrant, children, entertainment, transport, bar, etc.

This order protects the budget: you avoid buying or hiring too early what will ultimately have to be adapted to the venue or the caterer.

Sign-off in order (overall coordination)

Once the suppliers are booked, you map out who does what, when and where.

Essential steps:

• Creating a supplier timeline (separate from the guest timeline).
• A clear brief for each contributor: arrival, set-up, departure, requirements.
• Calls at D–7 and D–2 to confirm timings, access, weather, plan B.
• A central contact (you or someone close to you) to avoid multiple points of contact.
• A printable version of the schedule + contacts + venue map for each supplier.

On-site set-up (technical order of assembly)

Set-up must follow a precise order, to avoid having to move or undo something already in place.

Professional set-up order:

• Opening the venue : access, safety, parking, permitted areas.
• 1. Lighting & technical : hanging installations, string lights, spotlights, cabling. Nothing should be installed underneath until this stage is complete.
• 2. Furniture : tables, chairs, buffets, cocktail areas.
• 3. Linens & tableware : tablecloths, table runners, placemats, glasses.
• 4. Floral decoration : centrepieces, arch, bouquets, small details. Flowers come after the linens to avoid any unnecessary handling.
• 5. Décor & ambience : place cards, menus, signs, candles, decorative objects.
• 6. Lighting & DJ checks : final ambience + adjustments.

This order guarantees efficiency, safety and a flawless look with no time wasted.

On-site collection (take-down order)

Take-down must also follow a logical order to avoid clashes between suppliers and ensure equipment is returned properly.

Professional take-down order:

• Opening the venue (the next day or at the end of the evening, depending on the contract).
• 1. Decoration & fragile items : candles, small objects, stationery, signage.
• 2. Caterer & furniture : removing tables, chairs, buffets, tableware.
• 3. Lighting & technical : string lights, spotlights, cables, control desk. The technical kit leaves last so the lighting can serve the rest of the take-down.
• 4. Outdoor areas : waste, accessories, light bollards, weather-related items.
• 5. Final check : inventory, condition report, return of deposits.

Good coordination avoids needless back-and-forth and surprises, and ensures a clean, swift take-down.

4.6 – Green / red flags (feedback from the field)

• Green : precise quotes, prompt written replies, a genuine portfolio, clear clauses (timings, replacement), attentiveness to your DNA.
• Red : vague promises, no contract, “we’ll see” on timings, no plan B or proof of insurance.

💡 Essential reminders (all suppliers)

• Favour professionalism over “a bargain”. Registered companies, signed contracts, traceable payments.
• Always put everything in writing (a confirmed recap email).
• No fixed prices here : every figure depends on the venue, the season, the equipment and the timings.

In summary: your roadmap for your suppliers

• ✅ At least two comparative quotes per key category
• ✅ All the signed contracts spell out: overtime, weather conditions, ancillary costs, cancellation
• ✅ A coordination meeting caterer + decorator + DJ + photographer scheduled 1 month ahead
• ✅ A detailed schedule B → rain/wind stress.
• ✅ The Witness/coordinator roles written and shared? of your suppliers passed on to your venue

Sound curfew known and respected? expertise, clear contracts and feeling💬 No. Aim for

The chapter 5 “Decoration and equipment hire” delves into the staging side: furniture, flowers, tableware, lighting — areas where Iliade Création has been supporting couples across Provence from Carqueiranne, with a physical showroom and an in-house floral service. There you will find the keys to turning your décor into an emotional signature.