One of the most common questions we get from couples is some version of: how do you actually know the vendors are good? It is a fair question, and the honest answer is that we don't rely on self-reporting, aggregated reviews, or algorithmic signals. We check. Every vendor on Nodus goes through a manual verification process before they can accept a single booking. This article explains exactly what that process involves.
Why we don't automate this
The short answer is that automated checks catch the easy things — business registration status, whether a website exists, whether reviews are present — but they don't catch the things that matter most. An algorithm cannot tell you whether a caterer's food hygiene rating has lapsed since their last inspection, or whether the portfolio a decorator submitted was actually their own work, or whether the references a photographer provided are genuine clients or friends of the business.
The South Asian wedding vendor market in the UK includes a wide range — from long-established professional businesses to sole traders operating informally, with every configuration in between. The community has developed workarounds precisely because there has been no standard for verification. Our job is to provide that standard, not to replicate the absence of it at scale.
Manual review is slower and more expensive per vendor than automated screening. We have made that tradeoff deliberately, because a couple booking a caterer through Nodus should be able to trust that the basic groundwork has been done — and a system that only checks boxes quickly does not earn that trust.
What we check
Business registration
Every vendor must demonstrate that they are operating as a legitimate business entity. For limited companies, we verify their registration on Companies House. For sole traders, we verify HMRC registration. Vendors operating informally — with no registration of any kind — cannot list on Nodus. This is a baseline, not a guarantee of quality, but it is a meaningful filter: businesses that are formally registered have legal obligations and a traceable identity.
Public liability insurance
We ask every vendor for evidence of current public liability insurance appropriate to the scale of events they claim to cover. A caterer serving 400 guests has a different exposure than a mehndi artist serving 20. We check that the coverage is current — not expired — and that it is appropriate to the type of events the vendor is listing for. Vendors whose insurance doesn't cover the scale of work they are seeking on Nodus are asked to update it before listing.
Category-specific checks
Different vendor categories have different regulatory requirements, and we check the relevant ones:
- Caterers: We verify Food Hygiene Ratings directly on the Food Standards Agency register. We require a rating of 4 or 5. A rating below 4, or no rating at all for a business operating commercially, is a reason to decline listing. We also check that ratings are current — an older inspection does not satisfy us if the business has moved premises or changed significantly.
- Photographers and videographers: If a vendor offers drone footage, we verify their Civil Aviation Authority Operational Authorisation. Operating a drone commercially without this authorisation is illegal in the UK. We will not list vendors who claim to offer drone services without it.
- Venues: We check licensing status and confirm that the venue holds appropriate public entertainment licences for the events it is claiming to host.
Portfolio and experience review
We review each vendor's submitted portfolio specifically for South Asian wedding experience. General events experience — corporate dinners, non-South Asian weddings, private parties — does not qualify. We look for evidence that the vendor has worked at the scale and ceremony type they are claiming: a photographer who has covered Hindu pheras, a caterer who has served 300+ guests for a South Asian reception, a decorator who has installed mandap structures.
We also check that the portfolio submitted represents the vendor's own work. This is less straightforward than it sounds — there is a persistent practice in some sectors of vendors submitting stock images, competitor work, or aspirational examples rather than their actual output. Where we have doubts, we ask for context: the date, venue, and client for specific images. If we cannot verify that submitted work is genuinely the vendor's, we do not list them.
Reference checks
We contact at least two recent clients — couples who have used the vendor within the last 18 months — and ask them a standard set of questions. Was the service delivered as described? Was communication reliable throughout the planning process? Did anything go wrong, and if so how did the vendor handle it? Was the final result consistent with what was agreed?
References provided by the vendor are a starting point, not a final answer. We ask clients for any references they did not list. We are looking for consistency between what the vendor claims and what their clients experienced.
Platform agreement
Every vendor listed on Nodus agrees to operate within the platform's framework: the escrow payment structure, the contract requirements, and the dispute resolution process. Vendors who are unwilling to use written contracts — regardless of their other credentials — cannot list on Nodus. Contracts are not a bureaucratic imposition on a vendor-couple relationship. They are the minimum standard of documentation for a transaction involving thousands of pounds and one of the most important days of a family's life.
What vetting does not guarantee
Verification is a starting point, not a warranty. We check that a caterer meets the regulatory baseline for operating commercially. We cannot guarantee that the food will match your specific preferences. We check that a photographer has documented experience with South Asian weddings. We cannot guarantee that their creative approach is right for you.
This is why we also provide tools for couples to do their own research: the ability to request references directly, to review portfolios in full, and to communicate with vendors before committing. Our vetting removes the vendors who should not be operating at all. The choice between the vendors who remain is yours to make.
If you are a vendor who would like to apply to list on Nodus, you can apply here. If you are a couple planning a wedding and want access to verified vendors with protected deposits, explore vendors free.