.jpg "Corey Ann at work")
Brides, Grooms and all people involved with planning and/or paying for a wedding. I have a PSA that you may find enlightening.
Preferred Vendor Lists are often a list the vendors PAY to be on!
Recently I was approached by not one but TWO different local venues that are working on brochures promoting their business through Hawthorn Publications. At first, I was extremely flattered as one of these venues had gone as far as to get a list of photos together of mine they wanted to feature and have a mock up done of the brochure utilizing images from weddings at the said venue. It was flattering and an awesome sight to see. Confession: it was a huge stroke to my ego. I may have even done a happy (chair) dance when I read the email. However that balloon was quickly deflated when I received a follow up email that told me to be included in said brochure, I would have to pay upwards of $800 to have an ad and be included in the brochure as a preferred vendor. Without the money, they couldn’t feature my work. I was so sad because I really was so flattered AND excited to be featured on this venues brochure and to be on their list but eventually I decided that wasn’t the kind of game I wanted to play. When I got ANOTHER call a few weeks later from Hawthorne, urging me to reconsider and showing me other venues featuring such beautiful places such as the New York Public Library with Christian Oth’s famous work I still wasn’t wooed, despite their efforts. It made it easier to turn down the next venue that approached me weeks later with the same deal.
This also isn’t a practice that is limited to venues and brochures. Last year I had a wedding coordinator that reached out to me wanting to know my availability for a client they had and thought I would be perfect for. I was elated! The wedding sounded amazing and it was a date I was available for. I sent over my information and eagerly awaited the reply. After receiving my brochure, the coordinator replied and said that everything was great… except they wanted me to know one “small” thing. They charge a 10% fee to refer clients to me. If I wanted to build it into the pricing so their clients got pricing that included the charge (hidden, of course) then they’d be happy to send the different list or I could pay it out of pocket if not. I was completely flabbergasted! I told them promptly thanks-but-NO-thanks and nipped that one in the bud. This sadly isn’t just a one-vendor-exception thing, this is happening with many coordinators all over the world.
I’m not writing this blog post to piss local vendors off (but I’m sure that may happen… oops) but I’m writing this to educate my clients and OTHER photographers. The more we put up with this kind of shit, the more that it is going to happen. I urge ALL of my fellow photographers to take a stand and say NO to kickbacks and paying-to-play. Clients, I want you to be informed that sometimes (NOT always) those lists you get from vendors of “preferred” vendors are not always based on merit but on money. If you see that the brochure is from Hawthorn Publications, you can be certain that those vendors paid to be listed. I think that is HUGELY important to know! When I was planning my wedding, I asked vendors I hired for recommendations for vendors I hadn’t hired and hired based on their advice. I know that the referrals I got were solid ones and they made my wedding that much more amazing. I can’t imagine what kind of disasters would have happend had my vendors NOT been the best to be recommended but the ones that had paid to be! Don’t even get me started on the idea of what I would have done if I had paid more so that my coordinator could have got referral fees!!! JUST SAY NO!
I never, ever want to have a referral based on money, not on merit.
I may never be a preferred vendor but at least you know when you hire me that I’m not charging you any hidden fees to have me photograph your most important day.
- The Christy House Wedding with Ashley and Stephon - March 11, 2024
- Peninsula Wedding with Colleen and Eric - March 10, 2024
- Winter Inn Walden Wedding with Julia and Walter - February 29, 2024
So good to hear honesty and for photographers to know that the cards are stacked.
Thanks Ray! I know this post may put me in some hot water but it's getting kind of ridiculous. Hopefully if more photographers say NO then this will quit happening!
Great post by a photographer about vendor referrals – or cash for credit as I like to call it.
Thanks Mike!!!!!!
Great article Corey! We get approached by many New Orleans and Baton Rouge venues that want us to pay to be on their preferred vendor list. I agree- preferred vendors should earn that title, not buy it.
Thanks for commenting Mark!!! I agree, the title needs to be earned, not bought.
Hawthorn contacted me last week with the same deal. No thanks
So good to hear honesty and for photographers to know that the cards are stacked.
Great post by a photographer about vendor referrals – or cash for credit as I like to call it.
Great article Corey! We get approached by many New Orleans and Baton Rouge venues that want us to pay to be on their preferred vendor list. I agree- preferred vendors should earn that title, not buy it.
I LOVE how you give it straight! I've been approached too and turned it down. My work is good enough to stand on it's own. I have a feeling the people offended by this the most are the culprits ;-).
Thanks Andrea!!!
Great article on a very good topic! I was once contacted by David’s Bridal. They wanted to fee just to place my brochure on their counter. At the time, I was amazed at their audacity. In very clear terms I told them no, and expressed my disappointment. Now, I’m not surprised at all that this happens. It’s just sad that these vendors would put money above client care.
I LOVE how you give it straight! I’ve been approached too and turned it down. My work is good enough to stand on it’s own. I have a feeling the people offended by this the most are the culprits ;-).
Phenomenal article Corey – you hit it on the nose. Paid vendor lists are awful – for everyone involved (except for the promoter of the list I suppose?).
Thanks for posting this. I saw (as a second shooter) a guy I used to shoot for offering "$200 cash" to a banquet manager at a hotel, in exchange for each referral. The manager looked him up and down and said "I do not take bribes"….. and I wanted to cheer for him saying that. If you're referring someone based only on getting paid for it, how much of the referral is about the quality your client will get?
Thanks for posting this. I saw (as a second shooter) a guy I used to shoot for offering “$200 cash” to a banquet manager at a hotel, in exchange for each referral. The manager looked him up and down and said “I do not take bribes”….. and I wanted to cheer for him saying that. If you’re referring someone based only on getting paid for it, how much of the referral is about the quality your client will get?
Corey, I deliberately waited to read your post until I’d blogged but I agree 100%. I have no problem with people advertising/paying to get on lists (I don’t personally) as long as it’s transparent to couples planning their weddings. It’s the implication/misleading power of the word “preferred” that bothers me.
On my DJ Forum, we have this same discussion being debated. There are various facets to this Scenario. Here are a few:
1. Venues who want payment to be on their Preferred List.
2. Venues who feel comfortable with certain Vendors who they deem as professional and want to work with only them (No money involved).
3. Venues who want the DJs to work under their umbrella. In other words they pay the DJ a flat fee and mark up that price in an all inclusive Package.
There is nothing wrong with all the above. Those vendors on that preferred list will enjoy a bounty because of the Venue’s status. However it should be disclosed. The Client should also have an option to pass on the offers.
What is wrong is when the Venue tries to exclude a vendor from doing business in that Venue on behalf of their mutual client. To me at that time it becomes a Monopoly and opens the door to Anti Trust issues. The preferred Vendors should only be paying to be referred but not paying for a Guarantee of performance or service. The Client is simply renting the Facilities and with the exception of the Catering (Unless the Venue is simply a rental Hall), should be free to hire whoever they want. They should not be coerced into accepting the Venue’s Choice.
On another note. Somebody posted that they were upset that a Bridal Shop wanted to charge them for placing Brochures in their establishment. Unless the two entities had an agreement to bring business for each other I don’t see a problem. That Bridal Shop has overhead and why should they allow just anyone to come in a place their Advertising materials for free? That is like expecting a Billboard Company to allow you to post Billboards for free.
There is nothing wrong with paying a fee/commission to someone who brings you a steady stream of business. That person is then WORKING for your benefit and should be duly compensated. I am a DJ and have been using an Entertainment Agency for over 20 years. They get me high paying Gigs I probably could not have gotten on my own so I have no problem paying them 20% of each contract. That is the business in which they are engaged.
These kinds of Blogs, Articles etc are great so that the public can be informed but some of the Clients are so giddy headed and excited about their event like a Wedding etc that they only exercise Tunnel Vision. It also depends on their priorities. A Florist be be high on someone’s list while the Entertainment is not a concern and vice versa. They often under budget and run out of money so the remaining Vendors are supposed to deep discount their service.
Public discourse is great as it keeps everyone informed.
Hawthorne Publications is a company that puts together brochures for venues, it is more advertising for each vendor in there. The Vendor List that venues have on their own you should never pay for, it is based on who has worked well on the property. I have worked at many hotels and have never asked for payment to be on my vendor list, I would only put people on there who I would truly believe are talented and deserve it. The publications is a whole seperate entity, that is truly all advertisements..
I hate venues vendor lists who gives a shit who the venue prefer the next time some venue asshole trys to convince my cutomer not to hire me and hire some other DJ who is thier buddy or is paying them commission I may take it out on thier hide. Venues mind your own buisiness you have no right. I do not try to convince my customers to switch to another venue. Venue lists are for overpriced mediocore suck up vendors and have no valure for the customer and in many cases are a disservice.
Thank you so much for such useful information. We are emerging to wedding photography as well and had similar experience. What about vendor websites who charge pretty large amount of money to be featured as a vendor, and if you pay less than premium account they put similar vendor (your competitor!) on YOUR OWN page saying “maybe you want to consider this one too”… Non-sense!
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I totally agree. I didnt understand why if my work was good enough people were using other photographers well now I get it.