What Order Should You Book Your Wedding Vendors?
There are several steps to finding your Vendor Dream Team and while there isn't an exact order you need to follow some things should be figured out before others. Here’s an outline to ensure your lines don’t get crossed during the planning process.
Pricing and priorities - Talk with your partner to determine your overall wedding budget and create a list to prioritize the various elements that will make it up (venue, photography, catering, entertainment, etc.).
Select your date and venue - Figuring out your wedding date is very important and needs to be done before looking into vendors. Once you know your date, research venues and find one that you absolutely love and book them as soon as you can since availability can sometimes be an issue. It’s really important that the venue gets figured out first as this will directly effect how many guests you can invite and what the overall day will look like.
Wedding planner - Not every couple uses a wedding planner but if you’re thinking you want to, I encourage you to book them directly after the venue. Planners will often have vendors to recommend to you, who have proven to be great at what they do. This can help you move through the process of hiring vendors as they have lots of contacts and love putting parties together.
First round of vendors:
Photographer/Videographer - Great photographers and videographers may be in high demand so try to book them early. Make sure you ask lots of questions and ensure their style of work matches your vision.
Caterer - If your venue doesn't provide catering you should make sure this gets taken care of during your first round (People need to eat, right?).
Entertainment - Whether you want a live band or a dj that gets your guests involved in the celebration this shouldn’t be left until the last minute.
Florist - Flowers bring a lot of depth to the ceremony and reception. Try to find a florist that can work with you to bring your vision to life.
What are you wearing? - Start looking for your wedding attire (dress, suit or tuxedo) to allow time for alterations and fittings. I cannot encourage getting alterations enough. Modest attire that fits you extremely well will boost your confidence more than expensive attire that fits you poorly.
Second round of vendors:
Officiant - Secure the services of your chosen officiant to ensure they're available for your big day.
Hair and makeup artists - Try to schedule your trial well in advance so you have time to decide on any changes you’d like to make.
Transportation - Will your guests need transportation to and from the venue?
Baker - Decide if you’ll have a wedding cake or go with a more modern approach. Don’t forget to do a tasting ahead of time.
Invitations and stationery - Begin designing and ordering your wedding invitations, save-the-dates and other stationery. Check out this entry for a designer I highly recommend.
Rentals and decorations - Finalize rentals for tables, chairs, linens and any additional decorative items you need. The last thing you want is Aunt Edna having to stand during your ceremony.
Final details:
Rehearsal dinner - If you’re planning on having a rehearsal now is the time to book a location for it. Be sure to have the guest count figured out before making the reservation.
Accommodations - If you need to find accommodations for out-of-town guests look into it now. Also make sure you know where the two of you will be spending your wedding night.
Wedding favors - If you plan to have them, start selecting or creating wedding favors. At this point you should have a good idea of the number of guests.
Confirmations - As your wedding date nears, I encourage you to reconfirm arrangements with all vendors to ensure everything is on track. Your vendors will hopefully be checking in with you anyways but it’s good to take charge of this if you don’t hear from them.
Flexibility is key in wedding planning and your “Wants” might place the vendors in a different order, that’s fine. Always communicate clearly with your vendors and be open to adjustments if necessary. The goal is to make your day unforgettable for all the right reasons!