My best friend is planning a wedding. She lives out of state but is coming back home to get married. So, as best friends do, I offered to help get information on vendors in our area to make it a bit easier for her.

I went to a few bridal shows to gather as much information as I could. I was surprised at how much changed since the last show I went to, only three short years earlier, when I was planning my own wedding.

I saw several vendors, who I’ve affectionately called “Superhero Wedding Pros” – they do everything for their couples.

An interesting concept, I thought. These vendors seemed to have the longest lines, and couples genuinely seemed happy to know they can basically do one-stop-shopping and get a photographer, DJ, officiant, limo driver, etc. all from one place. Some of these vendors have been doing it a long time and really knew what they were selling.

To those who do this, and do it well, more power to you!

For those thinking about maybe branching out into this approach, I have some questions for you…from a bride’s perspective:

Why are you considering offering multiple services?

If there are companies out there doing that kind of work, where they pretty much offer everything, what is going to set you apart from them? Do you have the staff, time and energy to be able to handle and offer multiple services?

I love what Sarah Schupbach states in her article, How Time Equals Money: “Efficiency isn’t about running like crazy and never taking a break; it’s making sure that you have what you need to do the job, or finding a better way to do something you already do.”

If you are finding it hard to keep up with the service you are providing now, taking on more is not going to help you reach those goals.

Brides want to know that the vendors they are hiring are experts in everything they offer. The last thing you want to do is over-promise and under-deliver.

What are you an expert at?

Unless you have a huge staff with varying areas of expertise, like these successful multi-service businesses have, chances are, it’s you and an assistant or two or maybe a small staff.

As brides, we hire those who we feel are experts at their crafts.

Can you offer photography and DJ services and be and expert at both with a staff of two? What if you’re a DJ who also wants to add florist to your resume because you like flowers and do flower arranging on the side? Are you a florist or a DJ?

Before you start offering more services in the hopes of booking more couples, take a step back and look at couples might view that.

Make the service you currently offer your number one priority. Hone that! This can be even more profitable.

Being the best at what you do is going to attract more couples than doing more than you can handle.

What do you think about wedding companies that offer one-stop-shop services?