Editorial methodology
How we select
Publishing a vendor is a decision, not a transaction. These are the seven criteria we apply before including anyone in the directory — and the ones we keep applying afterward.
Criterion 01
We know their real operation
We don't accept vendors who exist only as an Instagram profile. We have visited or have direct reference for every venue in the directory. For planners and photographers, we verify a portfolio with weddings delivered in the last eighteen months.
Criterion 02
We verify capacity, hours, and exclusivity
Does the venue that claims two hundred guests actually seat two hundred? Does it allow music until 1 AM? Is there another event the same day? These three questions eliminate half the noise in any site visit.
Criterion 03
We validate lead response time
We send anonymous inquiries at least once per quarter. Vendors who take more than seventy-two hours to respond leave the directory, regardless of prior reputation.
Criterion 04
We look at professional photography, not phone captures
The directory uses only editorial or product photography, not filtered event snapshots. If a venue doesn't have photography that respects its architecture, it can't be published with integrity.
Criterion 05
We audit public reviews, not only self-published testimonials
Public reviews are noisier signal than curated testimonials on a vendor's own site. We read the two- and three-star reviews as closely as the fives. A pattern of complaints about logistics, cleanliness, or contracts weighs more than a high average.
Criterion 06
We confirm that signed contracts exist
Every vendor must operate with signed contracts, not verbal agreements or quotes by text message. This is a baseline professionalism cut that filters much of the informal market.
Criterion 07
We rotate the directory every six months
We are not a static directory. Vendors who stop meeting any of the above criteria leave without notice. The audit runs in April and October each year.
What we don't evaluate
Advertising budget.We don't charge for directory placement.
Presence in other directories. Each criterion is validated on our own; no external certification replaces direct verification.
Company size. A one-person vendor and a forty-person team enter by the same criteria.
How to report a change
If a notable vendor changed standards or closed, email us at santacruzg282@gmail.com. The semi-annual audit doesn't catch everything; the attentive reader does.
The principles behind these criteria are in the editorial manifesto.