Securing Wedding Vendors
Weddings are full of exciting things— including fashion, food, music, jewelry, florals and decorations. It’s natural for the bride and groom to gravitate to the areas of wedding planning that inspire them most, but as keen as you are to dive into a Pinterest board blooming with peonies and poppies, there is a correct order to secure your wedding vendors.
If you’re at the very beginning stages and still get surprised when you look at your finger and see the ring, you should start by hiring a great wedding planner who can help you find your venue. Then, once the date is set, you can begin booking vendors.
First, you should book any vendors in hot demand. Most preferred or recommended vendors usually depend on where you are getting married. Your wedding planner will know if there are several great make-up artists to choose from or if options are limited in the area.
Keep in mind, any vendors who can only book one wedding per day should be locked in—pronto!
The photographer and videographer are two vendors to secure very early in the planning phase. They are often booked well over a year in advance. Also, they are proven to be a great source for other wedding vendors in the area, either by personal recommendations or from what we all can see in their portfolios. Remaining vendors you should book early are the hair and make-up artists, musicians, singers, the band or DJ. Start considering the officiant and MC as well.
The florist, decorator, baker and caterer should be locked in next. These are the vendors who often handle several weddings in a day. So, you have a little more time, but we encourage you to book as early as possible. Having all vendors booked in advance gives you the peace of mind that all the professionals needed to execute on your special day are, indeed, available. Plus, it means we can get into the fun part of planning the details with each vendor.
Your wedding coordinator, who will work with your wedding planner, will come on board near the end of the wedding planning phase. Specific vendors like transportation, photo booths, signage and wedding favors are the last step to securing vendors. Having worked with some of the best in the bridal industry on many occasions, your wedding planner will help you check off the list and make sure you didn't miss any key vendors.
If you would like information on our wedding planning services, we would love to hear all about your vision for the day, plus all the lovely details about the proposal if you have time. Email us today, and we will reply almost faster than you said, “yes.”