Tara Melvin January 30, 2017
Tara Melvin In our last blog, we highlighted several key steps to organizing yourself to get you on the path to planning your wedding day. Now that you have taken the first steps to planning your day, we are now going to provide you with advice on the first 5 vendors you should book for your wedding day and why. We have listed them in sequence.
WEDDING PLANNER
Your Wedding Planner should be your first stop in the research for wedding professionals. A qualified professional planner will be able to make recommendations on reputable vendors essential to creating your perfect wedding day. Professional Planners have experience with a plethora of wedding vendors and can recommend those that best suit your needs and budget. Planners have the connections you need, and the knowledge to navigate through the planning process with ease. A Planner most importantly has the valued time to dedicate to planning your wedding. Their professional time provides you a balanced lifestyle – so you do not have to balance between personal life, wedding planning, and working your full-time job. The countless hours of research you may have spent on the computer analyzing various vendors, your Planner will already have the database of resources in their little black book and can cut the planning time in half. If you are looking to hire a “Full-Service Planner”, you should book them immediately. They are usually booked for weddings and events usually 9-12 months in advance. If you are looking for a “Coordinator”, they are usually booked 3-6 months in advance. Some suggested criteria to look for in a Professional Planner:
CEREMONY & RECEPTION VENUE
Looking for the perfect venue is synonymous to finding the perfect home. As a Couple, you want the space to reflect your unique sense of style and personality. And just like a home, when you walk into the space you will know that this is it!!! This is the place where it is all going to happen with family and friends witnessing and celebrating the love you share with each other. Venues are booked 12 to 18 months in advance with Saturday dates being the first to be contracted. When looking for the perfect venue, be flexible with your dates if you are trying to host your wedding at a specific location. Be flexible in the date, possibly hosting on a Friday or Sunday; or flexible in the time of day – possibly hosting a morning wedding rather than the traditional evening wedding.
Other things to consider about the venue besides décor and character is its location. Being symbolic to looking for the perfect home, its location, location, location! Same with finding the perfect wedding venue. Here are some things to consider when looking for your wedding venue:
Note: If you select a venue that requires you to find your own catering services, then a Caterer would be your next vendor on your list.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Your photographer is one of the most important vendors that you will have with you on your wedding day!! They are there to document the details, love, and romance that you will treasure for a lifetime. Engage a photographer in the wedding planning process as soon as you book your venue. Skilled & talented photographers are booked sometimes 12 months in advance. The investment you make in a photographer is key and you want to always be thinking quality over monetary value when making your decision. Your photographer should be one that is creative and can capture each unique moment with ease through a combination of candid and portrait photography. A photographer’s work should be as unique as your personality. When searching for the perfect photographer be sure to ask the following questions:
OFFICIANT
The person that seals the deal of the words, “I Do”! The officiant can be a man/woman of the clergy (Priest, Rabbi, Minister), a close friend ordained by the Courts, a Judge, or Licensed Alternative Officiant (a person that is not a man/woman of the clergy). Whomever you choose make sure they are someone that you are comfortable with to carry out such an intimate and personal moment of your day, can accommodate in performing traditions related to your culture or faith, is flexible in making your ceremony personable rather than scripted, and most importantly licensed to carry out the sacraments of marriage. Officiants are usually secured 9 months prior to the actual wedding date and they usually perform more than one wedding a day depending on the geographical location. In addition to some of the things we mentioned above, here are some key points to consider when hiring an officiant:
FLORAL DESIGNER
Now comes the fun stuff – the décor!! This can be one of those vendors that you will be in awe that you will not know where to begin or can be a fun but overwhelming experience. First, you need to know if you are looking to hire a Florist or a Floral Designer. A Florist is usually more traditional in style and can produce only within the scope of primarily designing floral arrangements. A Floral Designer is usually an all-inclusive design firm that has an extensive scope of work to include their endless creativity in floral design to having the ability to custom build anything that you desire, to include an inventory of rental event furnishings. Whether you choose a traditional Florist or Floral Designer, make sure they can create your unique style for your wedding day. When engaging either of these two creative professionals, have a vision of what you want your day to look like, color scheme, and if you have specific flowers that are a must. This is the time to bring your Pinterest Board and pictures of the wedding attire to the meeting. In addition, let them know about your venue and why you chose the venue – this helps them to provide a visual insight into your day. Based on your desires, they will be able to outline to you a myriad of design choices to include alternative flower choices based on season to work with your estimated budget. A Florist or Floral Designer is usually contracted within 9 or 6 months prior to your event date. Here are some things to consider when finding your ideal Florist/Floral Designer:
With all the Wedding Professionals listed above, be sure they are licensed professionals, have liability insurance, you can interview them face-to-face, read their review or referrals of previous Clients, and always compare between two no more than three professionals within each category so you can make a sound decision.
Continue to follow us for Part 3! “How Much Will It Cost – The Venue?”