How to Write Wedding Vendor Reviews, and Exactly What to Say

It's easy to decide to thank your pros by writing wedding vendor reviews on The Knot (and we hope you do!), but when it comes to actually doing it, you might need a little motivation and guidance. But we promise, it's not as hard as you think. A good strategy is to set a reasonable goal for yourself. Maybe try to accomplish two or three a night, or take a few days to crank them all out. Whatever your game plan, follow these five important guidelines below to make writing your vendor reviews a breeze.

In this article:

• How to Write Wedding Vendor Reviews
• Wedding Vendor Review Examples
• Fill-in-the-Blank Wedding Vendor Review Templates
• Benefits of Writing Wedding Vendor Reviews

How to Write Wedding Vendor Reviews

When it comes to writing wedding vendor reviews on The Knot or another review site, writer's block is common. But by following these simple steps, you'll have all of your reviews finished in no time.

1. Be Timely

We know it's hard, but after your wedding, don't wait forever to start writing your vendor reviews. (You can think of them as your thank-you notes to your vendors.) Try your best to post evaluations as soon as possible as a courtesy to the pros who made your day happen. Plus, the earlier you do it, the sooner engaged couples searching for vendors will benefit. It's also a courtesy to yourself: Sit down and get them done while the details are fresh in your mind—that way, you can include as much information as possible (and finally check this task off your to-do list).

2. Be Fair

If you have a concern about your experience working with a particular vendor, try to work it out in the moment, and don't save it all for the review. If a vendor isn't aware of your complaint, they certainly can't try to resolve it. For example, if you're finding that a vendor is hard to reach in the weeks leading up to your wedding, ask for the best method of communication. Or if a vendor's mockup isn't aligned with your vision, ask if it can be tweaked. If the issues persist even after you've mentioned them, or if new problems arise on your wedding day, you can share them in your review.

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3. Be Specific

When it comes to reviews, citing details will benefit both vendors and future customers alike. "This DJ was great," isn't very helpful on its own, but it takes no more than a minute to elaborate: "This DJ was on time, professional, full of energy and made our reception a blast. She played the perfect songs at the right times so the dance floor was never empty! We would absolutely recommend this DJ to anyone." And the same goes for negative reviews. If you logically explain exactly what your issues were, the vendor in question will know what they need to fix, and potential clients can reevaluate their choices accordingly.

4. Be Thoughtful

An extension of being specific, this is a reminder to put real thought into your comments. Your pros worked hard to make your wedding incredible, so you owe it to them to put some effort into reviews. Keep in mind that client reviews are some vendors' main or only method of marketing. Considerate, positive feedback can be invaluable to their business. And remember, whatever you post online will be public, so you'll be happy you took a few extra minutes to be thoughtful and thorough.

5. Be Concise

This tip will be music to your ears: Thoughtfulness shouldn't be mistaken for wordiness. If you make sure to touch on the main points, your reviews don't have to be that long. Offer your praise (or express disapproval), provide solid examples or succinct anecdotes, and explain why you would or wouldn't recommend your vendor. If you have a list of 25 reasons why your caterer was a total rock star, by all means, share the love. But leave a novel-length review, including irrelevant details or groundless complaints, and most readers will check out early.

6. Be Honest

Honesty is key—otherwise, what's the point of writing reviews at all? Nothing beats a glowing review that's 100 percent genuine. On the other hand, if your photographer dashed out three hours early because they failed to mention a double booking, don't pretend it didn't happen. Your dissatisfaction is important and other couples deserve to know. Just remember to be level-headed when voicing your frustrations. And always tell the truth (while being specific, thoughtful and concise, of course).

Photo: Terri Baskin

Wedding Vendor Review Examples

While your wedding vendor reviews should be unique to your personal experience, it's often helpful to have some inspo. These real wedding vendor reviews from The Knot can be a great jumping off point as you start your own—we've included reviews for a variety of different vendors, from photographers to florists and more!

Wedding Photographer Review Example

"Lynn was our engagement and wedding photographer. She is creative, thorough, gives strong direction, and has the best eye. She carries multiple kinds of cameras to always capture the perfect shot, and wow, does she know her way around light! We had the absolute best experience working with Lynn. She made us look beautiful and feel comfortable, and she captured all the sweet, loving, fun and silly moments of each day as well as the most gorgeous detail shots. Lynn also was responsive to emails in the months leading up to the wedding, and she got us back a sneak peek of last weekend's wedding within days, even with her very busy schedule. Her work is impeccable, and she's a pleasure to be around to boot. If you're considering working with Lynn, don't hesitate to reach out to her. I can't say enough amazing things."

Wedding Venue Review Example

"Weeks later, we're still absolutely gushing over the Orange Hotel; it was the perfect venue for our wedding. They had it all, from phenomenal staff to incredible food to luxurious facilities, not to mention the stunning views. We could not have asked for better! They truly make you feel like a VIP throughout the weekend and their top notch events team helps ensure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. We hosted our ceremony on the rooftop, cocktail hour was down on the 1st floor in the Blue Room, then the reception was back upstairs at the Top. Guests were in awe of the view (we also lucked out with absolutely perfect weather), how fantastic the food was (my picky grandmother said the ginger-glazed Chilean sea bass was the best fish she's ever had!), and how every detail was perfectly executed. We could not recommend the Orange Hotel enough, and can't wait to return for future celebrations. It's definitely well-worth the investment for a beautiful, love-filled weekend!"

Wedding Planner Review Example

"We just got married at the Blue Garden in NYC, and Janine, our wedding coordinator, was an absolute dream! From the moment we met Janine, it was clear that she knew the ins and outs of the Blue Garden like the back of her hand. Her connection with the venue staff and all of our other vendors was simply amazing. It's like they all spoke a secret language that kept everything running as smooth as butter! She was always available, promptly assisting us with any questions or concerns we had. She had a cool, calm, and collected vibe that made us feel at ease during the entire planning process. On the big day, Janine kept everything on track, and managed to make it all look so easy. She and her team were everywhere at once, making sure that every detail was perfect and that we were having the best day of our lives! If you're getting married at the Blue Garden (or anywhere, really) we highly recommend Janine! She's a wedding superstar, and we can't thank her enough for making our day absolutely perfect!"

Wedding DJ Review Example

"Bobby DJ'ed our wedding and we can not recommend him enough! From the very beginning he was so helpful, offering suggestions and recommendations, and was easy to get a hold of any time I had a question. During the reception he played great music and kept the dance floor packed the whole night. He took requests and even played some (probably not easy to find) Turkish music we asked for. We've had several guests mention to us, when talking about the wedding, how good the music was and how FUN it was! We owe a lot of that to DJ Bobby. He was also a great MC, the flow of events (intros, bouquet/garter toss, cake cutting, etc) went so smoothly. Overall, we couldn't have been happier with our DJ choice, and I would give more stars if I could!"

Wedding Officiant Review Example

"Our wedding ceremony was hands down, the best one we've ever attended, and we've been to a lot! Elizabeth was recommended to us by our wedding planner and she was simply amazing. She had an initial video call with us and just had this amazing positive energy that just drew us in. And she will give you all the tools you will ever need for anything ceremony related! We had plenty of styles, quotes, short readings, ceremony ideas, ring ceremony wording ideas, and vows to read though. We sifted through them all and chose what spoke to us and sent it back and she created the most beautiful ceremony for us…She has all the information you'd ever need on obtaining your marriage license, name changes, and all the tips for everything in between. She really does love her job! She is so invested in her couples and is the ray of sunshine guiding you to the *most* important part of your wedding day. We've kept in touch with her and will continue to do so as the years pass by. She truly is a gem in this world of revolving door interactions & you will not be disappointed!"

Wedding Hair Stylist Review Example

"Rachel did the hair for my wedding a couple weeks ago and she was absolutely amazing. She is beyond talented. I have extreme hair anxiety because with a touch of humidity, my hair typically becomes a complete frizzy mess. I feel prettiest with my long hair all down and flowing, but that was simply not an option for my partially-outdoors, humid summer wedding in Virginia. I expressed these concerns to Rachel, telling her that due to heat/sweating purposes I needed my hair off my shoulders and face, but I still wanted a soft, feminine look—and that's exactly what she produced…My bridesmaids (also hair-anxious people) also looked fantastic and were beyond pleased with her work. And she is just a sweet, energetic, warm, positive personality to boot, the exact kind of person you want to spend time with on what is a very overwhelming day! Would highly recommend her to anyone—she had my full trust from the moment I met her at my hair trial, and she did not let me down."

Wedding Florist Review Example

"My wedding was two weeks ago and I'm still so happy thinking about the flower arrangements and bouquets designed and provided by Hillary. Everything at the wedding was gorgeous. I received so many compliments on the chuppah, the bouquets, the flower arrangements, and even the boutonnieres…Hillary was a delight to work with. She asked a lot of good questions and spent a long time with me and my mom going through pictures of flowers to help her figure out what kind of flowers I wanted at the wedding. She's friendly, nice and takes a lot of interest in getting to know her couples. She even called me a few days before the wedding to say hello and just make sure everything was going well! She was also very attentive to sticking to our budget."

Fill-in-the-Blank Wedding Vendor Review Templates

Ready to start writing? We've got a couple of fill-in-the-blank wedding vendor review templates to help make the process a breeze.

• We used [vendor name] for our wedding on [date] and were [adjective] with our experience. From the first moment we met, [vendor name] was [adjectives to describe vendor's working style, personality, etc.]. [Share a specific example or anecdote of what it was like to work with the vendor during the planning process and/or on the wedding day.] Overall, we [would/would not] recommend [vendor name].
• [Vendor name] was our [role] at our wedding on [date], and working with [him/her/them] was [adjective]. Before our wedding, [provide a rundown of the vendor's services and what the working relationship was like, sharing as many specific details as possible.] On the wedding day, [share an anecdote that describes your experience with the vendor]. If you hire [vendor name], [it's the best decision you'll make, you won't be disappointed, etc.].

Benefits of Writing Wedding Vendor Reviews

Writing a wedding vendor review on a site like The Knot isn't just a nice gesture, it can be extremely meaningful to your pros and their business (and win you their everlasting appreciation!). Here's a quick rundown of why writing a wedding vendor review is super important.

You're Helping Engaged Couples

Remember what it was like to start your vendor search (come on, it wasn't all that long ago!) and how much reading reviews helped you during the planning process? Think of writing reviews as a way to pay it forward to couples who genuinely need your help.

You're Supporting Small Businesses

Most wedding vendors are small business owners, so writing a review on a public site is free (and valuable) marketing. The more reviews a vendor has, the more potential customers they'll reach.

You're Making a Connection for Future Events

You never know when your path may cross with one of your vendors again. Whether it's needing a photographer to shoot family photos or looking for a caterer to help with a party you're planning, developing strong relationships with these pros can only help in the long run.

Kim Forrest contributed reporting to this article.