Send DVDs to vendors?
 

How many of you make extra DVDs of the weddings that you do and send them to the other vendors that worked with you? (i.e. the photographer, DJ, reception hall, church).

Has it paid off? Do you find that you get more (any) referrals from them?

I'm planning on trying this out, hoping I can get some "free" leads down the road by building more of a network with my local (and sometimes not so local) vendors.

Ryan

I don't know if that is a great thing to do where you pass out dvds to everyone at the wedding, I would suggest making a dynamic demo reel and having a few copies on hand and handing them clipped with a business card to the other vendors you are working with. or maybe get their email contact info and send a link to the highlights once it's done.

I don't know though maybe lots of people do something like that and it's working out for them so I'll shut my mouth now. :)

While a demo featuring short clips of many different weddings is fine, I don't like the "full DVD" idea for a couple of reasons:

1. If I were the B&G, I would not appreciate you giving strangers a complete copy of my wedding.

2. If I were one the other vendors, I would expect watching someone else's wedding to be dreadfully boring. The odds are good that DVD would never enter my DVD player.

I'm not so sure about that. Maybe you would not. But perhaps a DJ would like to have it. Not necessarily the ones that stand behind their equipment, but the ones that get involved with the wedding, would probably like to see what they look like.

I SECOND that!!!

Well, they are not exactly strangers, as these people were hired by the bride and groom.

And I doubt I would give them a full DVD. I was thinking a mini DVD with the Bride and Grooms highlight video and maybe dance montage for the DJ.

Plus, all of my clients typically agree to give me use of their material for promotional use (i.e. put it online on my site, etc) although they can opt out of that.

Sounds like no one else doe it though . . .

If you post your highlights or trailers on-line, send them (Photogs, DJ and Catering Manager) the link. The idea is to give them an idea of the qulality of your work for future referrals. I do this and a couple have come back and asked for the full DVD which I would send.

Art

I'm sure we all do, but there's a big difference in having a few seconds of your wedding as part of a larger production (a demo) and simply handing someone your whole wedding video. While there's nothing "illegal" about it, I could see how many would find it distasteful.

If you're going to do this, you might keep in mind trying to get a few flattering clips that include the vendors doing their thing, when shooting the wedding, and cut that into a special highlight version for them. If you can somehow turn it into something they might use to promote their business, that might work well for you as well (perhaps being sure to modestly get your website URL or business name and phone number in at the bottom of frames that feature the vendors).

I wouldn't bother with DVDs because they can easily be discarded or get lost under a pile of junk mail. I would recommend giving other vendors your card with a link to your website where you will promptly get a highlights clip that includes a shot or two with the band/dj/photographer/whatever.

OOOHHH... now that's a plan!

Produce short custom promos with their logo and yours. Offer to put it on their website. Oh man, that's golden!

How long do you think one of the individual vendor clip should be?
I attended the WEVA convention last year and learned that doing just that could help your business with other vendors. I have been doing them for the hair stylist, DJs, Wedding Planners, Photographers.
I'm spending a lot of time doing these pieces, and need to narrow down how and who I'm sending them to.
I have found that there are some vendors who are more important than others. The vendors who feel inclined to refer me are usually the photogs and the wed planners.


P.S. Ryan, my Dad is from Lemonster. Small world!

I do it, for the most part
 

I'm gonna chime in. I don't usually post much here yet, mostly reading and lurking but this subject caught my attention.

I send copies of the weddings to vendors and wedding planners.

The brides and grooms are required to let us use samples, any size, to promote our business. No one has ever denied us that. No one has ever refused to sign because of it. In general, they don't seem to care at all.

As someone said, photogs and wedding planners are often the most recipients. From the photogs I have talked to, they want to see the whole thing. They won't watch the entire thing, scanning forward most of the time, but they get a feel that way for how we shoot, what our style is, how we fit with photogs... same with the planners. Seeing the whole copy allows them to see how we captured things, little details, moments... a highlight reel is your BEST stuff. They all know this. Giving them a full copy is like showing your entire soul. It lets them in and reveals everything, the best stuff, and the not so best stuff.

I have had some photographers and DJs ask me to try and get some video of them as well and send it to them, even offering to pay me for it. I tell them I'll try, but my focus is on the B and G and what they asked for.

I suppose this goes against what alot of you are saying. But then, I also break the big rule and put my prices on my website too. Bad me!

I just saw this thread so my apologies for bringing it back to life. I now make it a habit to send DVDs to the vendors once the project is complete. I even get the bride to fill in all the info. on all her vendors MONTHS before the wedding.

If they (other vendors) throw out the DVD and not even watch it, I'm out less than $2 bucks for the DVD, packaging and postage. That's it.

If they do watch it and like what they see, chances are better that they'll think of ME when asked for a video referral.

I sent a DVD to the guy that did a bride's cake. Three weeks later he finally got around to watching it and LOVED it... and called me to say so... and asked me to drop off some business cards as well. *WIN!*

I sent a DVD to the band who was just elated that I even thought of them after the fact. They loved to see how they sounded and looked... and hopefully they'll think of ME if ever asked for a referral. *WIN!*

I send DVDs the photographer because I usually hit them up for a few pictures to print on the cover of the DVD (and give them credit of course). If they throw it away... fine. If not, hopefully they'll refer ME if ever asked about who they'd recommend for a video. Win? More often than not!

I send DVDs to the church and reception venues. People like to be thought of after the fact when it's all over and they like to see how THEIR part looked... be it the flowers, the venue, cakes, etc.

I send out maybe 4-5 DVDs to vendors after a wedding. At MOST I'm out 10 bucks and 15 minutes of time and no referral. At best I become a referred video vendor who thinks of other vendors.

With the B&G's specific permission I sometimes send a copy of their DVD to people who've been helpful in the specific production eg a helpful vicar, or reception venue, more as a thank you than a source of new business, though that is always in the back of my mind.

Can I identify any one of these as a source of a sale in the past? Of course not, but then which of our demos actually turns into a sale? It's all a matter of becoming better known, a bit like having your business name and details in your car window.

Paradoxically, today I was at a wedding fair where a dance floor hire company that rents dance floors in which flashing LEDs are embedded, noticed one in the "ad" that was running on one of our monitors and asked for a copy for their website. First question is the permission of the B&G of more than a year ago, but I don't expect them to decline,. Then, for the effort of making a short clip of the floor in action I'll get a clear visible ident and link on the dance floor's website - but don't ask me how many sales it will generate.