in vendors we trust

So now we're down to 7 months and most of my vendors have already been booked.  Some of them, like the hall and the photographers, were hired quite early while others, like the florist, were recently contracted.  All of them, however, required some sort of a deposit at the time we booked them.  On average, I would say each vendor asked for at least 25% of the total cost in order to reserve the date.

Now that my wedding is getting closer, I'm considering whether or not I should be paying off more of that wedding night balance.

On one hand, if I pay off little by little each month, it won't feel like such a financial dent in my wallet.  I've been pacing myself with all of my other wedding purchases and I really think it's what's helped me stay relatively calm about spending so much money.  Fifty dollars here and $100 there doesn't hurt as much because it's spread out.  It also means that on the night of the wedding, I won't need the Best Man or Matron of Honor (yes, Lyndsey, you will be a MATRON) to be worrying about all that cash they'll be carrying.

On the other hand, I am quite paranoid about prepaying for a vendor who may bail on me last minute or not end up providing the services they promised.  I've heard so many horror stories of vendors who take your money and run. 

One example I posted in a previous entry was around Enzo Bridal who unexpectedly closed its doors and left brides without dresses.  Depending on the cost of your dress, a bride may have left thousands of dollars down as a deposit only to have to deal with a lawsuit right before her wedding in order to get it back.

Another example is Celebration Studios, who took thousands of dollars from couples and then ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2008.  I can't even imagine knowing that I will never get to keep the only lasting memories of my wedding day!

So how can we protect ourselves?  Here's what I've been doing so far.

1. Check out their reviews on Wedding Wire.  Not only can it legitimize the vendor by providing other brides who have used this vendor, but it can let you know if there were any problems or issues.
2. Search for the vendor on Better Business Bureau.  Smaller and more local vendors may not be accredited by the BBB but it can at least provide ratings for those who are.
3. Ask for referrals!  Even though I absolutely adore Papillio Photography now, I was still a skeptical bride when I met them so I asked them for references of past brides.  I was assuaged of my fears when a former bride emailed me and answered all of my questions. 

Considering I'm still new to this whole wedding business, is there anything else that you married ladies can suggest?  I'm sure my fellow brides would appreciate the advice!