I hope you all enjoyed Christina Zazzaretti's blog post on Wednesday and are looking forward to reading her follow up post on discussing budgets with your handmade wedding vendors.

After discussing the details of the design for your handmade wedding item, review the estimated total for your project. Does it fit within your budget? If so, fantastic! If not, don't give up yet. Here are a few questions to ask your wedding vendor regarding payment, product changes, etc. Most handmade vendors are willing to work with clients to find solutions so you can still have your special pieces and so they can keep your business.

1. If you find your ideal piece(s) is not within your planned budget, ask if there are changes that can be made to help bring the cost within your reach. Often, changing the materials, size or other element could make a significant difference.
2. Can the vendor offer a discount? Some vendors will take into consideration the size of your order or the time of year and could let you know of upcoming sales or special offers. Many vendors run sales during the off-season in order to generate business. For example, samples sales can be great deals. When a vendor creates new designs for a collection, the original samples can be bought at a considerable discount in near perfect condition.
3. Be sure to always ask for the payment and return policy. Most vendors require a deposit varying from 10%-50% to begin work on your order.
4. Is there an option for a payment plan? A large quote can be quite intimidating because payment could be required all at once. If your budget becomes more flexible if worked into payments, see if your vendor will work out a schedule for you.
5. If for any reason you must cancel your order, what is the vendor's policy on refunds?
6. What measures will be taken by the vendor to insure you are satisfied with the end product?
   

Hopefully, these questions will help you feel a bit more at ease when talking to your chosen handmade vendor and give you a general idea of what information you should have handy in order to be ready to communicate. Finding the perfect items to include in your wedding can be a lot of work when searching for the right artist to create them. However, once the conversations about budget and your expectations are out of the way, it is a very exciting experience to watch your vision come to life! Good luck and have fun with planning the handcrafted accents of your wedding!

Thank you, Christina, for all your advice to our brides! It was helpful to hear the perspective of an Etsy shop owner. We look forward to more wedding advice next month!