Congratulations, You Just Said Yes!!

You just got engaged, your overwhelmed yet excited to start planning your dream day! You’ve had the perfect venue in mind for years, practically since you two started dating. A dream photographer on your must have list, the mood board with your chosen colors and esthetics; but for some reason the vibes just aren’t lining up.

That venue is to expensive, the photographer has gorgeous work but isn’t communicative at all, and apparently EVERYONE who is getting married this year, has the same color scheme as you. Now you find yourself between a rock and a hard place – just throwing money at the random instagram vendors you find hoping on your big day, all goes smoothly and is stress free! But, what if I told you that even if everything feels like it’s going wrong – booking the cheap vendors you find available for your wedding day probably isn’t the way to go. Let me tell you why.

Why Your Vendors Matter

Your vendors are the backbone to your wedding day… literally. Without your vendors, your wedding day would just be a party in a plain field… ew, boring and not fun…… Vendors on your day come together to put the vision you’ve had for the last 12 months, into a reality. One vendor can’t work without the other and so on. So, let’s start with probably the most important vendor on your wedding day.

The Photographer.

You have a budget, you have a dream, and you want the photographs that will LITERALLY pause the moments in time. You LOVE said photographers portfolio, how they curate and capture images, and their vibe… but they are about $3,000 over budget. So, you find another photographer that has a similar vibe, is the least bit communicative, and is a hot mess; but they are within your budget so you book them. That’s mistake number one. I’m not saying go over your budget for your photographer, but what I am saying is your photographer pretty much carries the day and the memories. So, if you’re going to invest in anything, INVEST in your photographer. Your photographer works with every vendor, from the venue, to the caterer (they work through dinner time), the florist, to the baker, and even the planner. Your photographer is your hype gal, knows the flow of gorgeous poses, the timing for portraits, and when to tell people you need a moment. Your photographer captures the moments that’ll slowly fade to memories, the details you didn’t even know you wanted captured, and the portraits that your children will look at and admire years down the road. From inquiry to final gallery delivery, you deserve an experience – a luxurious one in fact. From the monthly check ins to a curated timeline detailed down to the moment the sun sets, sneak peeks, and everything in between! You’re investing in someone who values you and your memories. Your investing in someone who knows how to communicate and work with others whom aren’t on their team. Your investing in a best friend for a day.

Take the time to vet your photographer, their response to your inquiry will tell you whether or not you’ll get a personalized client experience. If they don’t offer you a discovery call or video chat, never send you a wedding day questionnaire, and ask YOU what time sunset is, then they most likely have no idea how to run a wedding day. AND THAT’S A RED FLAG.

Your second most important vendor to book – if you’re opting to go this route is your:

Wedding Day Planner.

Your planner literally plans your wedding. From the linens, to the napkins, the forks and spoons, and to how many rows of chairs should be in your ceremony. Your planner sees all the details both major and small. Your planner is there to take ALL the stress off of you on your wedding day so you can enjoy your wedding day! A good planner brings your wedding day vision to life, a GREAT planner brings your wedding day vision to life AND you’ll never know if there was any bumps in the road.

The Venue.

Yes, the venue is important – but if you really want that dream photographer to photograph your wedding, you’ll most likely book the venue AFTER you book your photographer! After all you’ll want to make sure your dream photographer is available for your wedding date prior to securing the venue.

One small thing to keep in mind when selecting a venue, is the color of the venue. Yeah, who thought of that right? Well, a venue that is made of wood, like wood wood, olden day accent wood, is going to cast red/ orange onto EVERYONE and even your dress – not that it can’t be edited out, but you might find that your photographer will take the full 12 weeks to get your wedding gallery to you! Just a thought – think of the portraits and vibes you want when scoping out a venue!

The Florist.

Your florals are incredibly important… Your photographer can’t photograph your ceremony site without your florals being set up (if you’re going this route!) Your photographer can’t capture a complete set of bridal portraits without the bouquet, the classic bride & bridesmaids portrait, the boys putting their boutonnieres, or all of the bridal details shot & so much more! I’m sure you get the idea… Your florist plays a huge role into your wedding day portraits – make sure you find one that not only values your time, but also creates GORGEOUS arrangements!

There are SO many other vendors that play a role into your wedding day, but these are just a few of the most important ones! Remember, your vendors are a team, they are supposed to work together to bring your vision to life – a stress free day full of love, laughter, and a few happy tears. Book the right vendors. I promise you won’t regret it.

Sincerely,

Emily