Whether you plan on wedding in a small intimate setting, or choose to have a blown out celebration with hundreds of guests, there's no question that there will be the inclusion of some wedding vendors in the planning of your wedding. Here we've laid out many of the vendors you will need in order to plan your dream wedding, from the initial invitations to the reception, this checklist is an excellent place to start laying the foundation to a smooth running wedding and everything that leads up to it!
Before you decide on any vendors, you must have a clear and realistic sense of what you can actually afford. Map out your budget, and what you're willing to spend. Then, list vendors in the order of importance, that way you can prioritize if you find that things are going to cost a lot more than you anticipated. Once you have a clear sense of your budget, you can begin to ask friends and family who have recently been married, or been involved in planning a recent wedding for advice on which vendors to book. Asking for referrals will also give you a clear sense of how much things will cost allowing you to stay within your budget.
There are many vendors you will consider employing for your wedding. If on a budget you may wish to not use a particular vendor, however no matter the situation there are most likely a few vendors that are must haves. The first must have vendor is a stationer. No matter your budget, or size of your wedding, unless you plan on eloping you will want to invite your guests with a formal invitation through the mail. There may be many specialty stores available in your local area that can help you select invitations and other paper products. There are also many options online and even your local Costco has many elegant yet affordable options.
Another must have for your wedding is an officiant to actually marry you in your ceremony. If you belong to a church, this may be easy for you to check off your list, however if you don't, this is a good time to lean on friends for advice on where to find a good officiant to help you tie the knot. If you do belong to a church, you can expect to make a $500 donation to your church, if you go with a non-denominational officiant, they will let you know their costs upfront, and you can also tip them anywhere from $50 - $100 depending on how you liked their services.
Many of the rest of the vendors you can decide to hire or not depending on your budget, as they are not entirely necessary, however one more vendor that you most likely will hire is a wedding photographer. A wedding photographer will help you to keep a pictorial record of you wedding day's events and special moments. Photographers are usually highly competitive, so you might expect that the pricing across the board to be the same. What you should do is meet with individual photographers to see if you guys get along well, chemistry is important. Also meet with photographers so that you can view their sample work, and pick a photographer whose style you really appreciate.
The rest of the vendors you can pick and choose depending on what you want at your wedding, to make your unique wedding complete in the way you wish. You will obviously need to get married at a location, so you will want to look into venues. Many hotels offer wedding packages that combine elements for a complete wedding. There are many other venue options like restaurants, clubhouses, a family vacation home that can also be the perfect setting for your wedding. Other vendors you may want to look into are a bakery, catering, florist, hair and makeup, musician, DJ or entertainment, dress maker, videographer and finally a wedding planner to help you tie everything together.
Planning a wedding can be an enormous task, but if a bit of research is done ahead of time, you can plan out your wedding and the vendors you will need in an organized fashion that will help your actual wedding run much smoother. There are several vendors that are must haves and others you can add depending on your budget. If you are ultimately in a bind, it may be best to hire a wedding consultant to help you completely plan every last detail of your wedding. This article should serve as a guide to help you pick the right vendors to make your wedding a success.
Before you decide on any vendors, you must have a clear and realistic sense of what you can actually afford. Map out your budget, and what you're willing to spend. Then, list vendors in the order of importance, that way you can prioritize if you find that things are going to cost a lot more than you anticipated. Once you have a clear sense of your budget, you can begin to ask friends and family who have recently been married, or been involved in planning a recent wedding for advice on which vendors to book. Asking for referrals will also give you a clear sense of how much things will cost allowing you to stay within your budget.
There are many vendors you will consider employing for your wedding. If on a budget you may wish to not use a particular vendor, however no matter the situation there are most likely a few vendors that are must haves. The first must have vendor is a stationer. No matter your budget, or size of your wedding, unless you plan on eloping you will want to invite your guests with a formal invitation through the mail. There may be many specialty stores available in your local area that can help you select invitations and other paper products. There are also many options online and even your local Costco has many elegant yet affordable options.
Another must have for your wedding is an officiant to actually marry you in your ceremony. If you belong to a church, this may be easy for you to check off your list, however if you don't, this is a good time to lean on friends for advice on where to find a good officiant to help you tie the knot. If you do belong to a church, you can expect to make a $500 donation to your church, if you go with a non-denominational officiant, they will let you know their costs upfront, and you can also tip them anywhere from $50 - $100 depending on how you liked their services.
Many of the rest of the vendors you can decide to hire or not depending on your budget, as they are not entirely necessary, however one more vendor that you most likely will hire is a wedding photographer. A wedding photographer will help you to keep a pictorial record of you wedding day's events and special moments. Photographers are usually highly competitive, so you might expect that the pricing across the board to be the same. What you should do is meet with individual photographers to see if you guys get along well, chemistry is important. Also meet with photographers so that you can view their sample work, and pick a photographer whose style you really appreciate.
The rest of the vendors you can pick and choose depending on what you want at your wedding, to make your unique wedding complete in the way you wish. You will obviously need to get married at a location, so you will want to look into venues. Many hotels offer wedding packages that combine elements for a complete wedding. There are many other venue options like restaurants, clubhouses, a family vacation home that can also be the perfect setting for your wedding. Other vendors you may want to look into are a bakery, catering, florist, hair and makeup, musician, DJ or entertainment, dress maker, videographer and finally a wedding planner to help you tie everything together.
Planning a wedding can be an enormous task, but if a bit of research is done ahead of time, you can plan out your wedding and the vendors you will need in an organized fashion that will help your actual wedding run much smoother. There are several vendors that are must haves and others you can add depending on your budget. If you are ultimately in a bind, it may be best to hire a wedding consultant to help you completely plan every last detail of your wedding. This article should serve as a guide to help you pick the right vendors to make your wedding a success.
About the Author:
Oahu weddings specialist Lauren Ellis has been helping brides select the perfect wedding vendors for their weddings on the island of Oahu for over 2 years. Visit Lauren's website to learn more about selecting wedding vendors. www.AlohaBridalConnections.com
