Vendor feast or famine

We've gotten most of the big wedding stuff out of the way already, so I've moved on to invitations, flowers, hair and makeup, etc.. I only contact a potential vendor after I've done at least 40 hours of exhaustive research. OK, that may be an exaggeration, but if you name a wedding blog or publication, betcha I've read it in the last few weeks.

Anyhow, it's been feast or famine with the vendors for me. This may not be the best approach, but what I've been doing is contacting (or trying to) my top vendor choice. When I don't back from him or her in two or days or more, I move on. So of course what's been happening is I'm now hearing back vendors I tried earlier. Or I'll have a great conversation with a potential vendor and then they'll drop off the face of the earth for a week or so, and I'm already talking to someone else.

None of this would be a problem if I was better about saying "I'm sorry I'm now working with someone else." (Oh and by the way, you snooze, you lose!) 99% of the time I return a vendor's phone call or email within 24 hours...is it too much to expect the same?