And some helpful tips along the way!

Teamwork really does make the dream work when it comes to planning a wedding! There is no way that our weddings could be accomplished without the amazing vendors who work so hard to ensure the day is perfect! We LOVE working with all vendors and getting to see their amazing talents and creations come to life. So here are our top 10 vendors we suggest each wedding to book, to ensure a successful and beautiful wedding.

WEDDING PLANNER

*Photography by* *Ali Valdez Photography*

Not only do planners help you plan everything from start to finish as well as coordinate and manage everything on the day of, but they can provide you with a huge list of other helpful services - assisting with the overall design details, providing helpful tips for picking out attire, track RSVPs, take handle of the back and forth communication with vendors, I mean the list goes on. But most importantly, they take the stress away from you when you feel overwhelmed so that you can continue doing your day-to-day items leading up to the wedding, and even more so when you are getting closer to the wedding day.

VENUE

Picking your venue is the key and essential framework for guiding you in the direction of the overall design for your wedding. So this should be one of the first vendors you book not only for design purposes but also to know where to start with the logistics for the day.

Photographer & Videographer

*Photographer* *Ali Valdez Photography* *| Videographer* *Wild Fern Weddings*

I like to put these both together because some vendors do both of these services. But I think it is important to book your photographer asap, for a couple of reasons. First, they are usually booked up within the upcoming year or booked up pretty quickly, and they will also be who will take your engagement photos shortly after your engagement. So if you have a specific season or month you want to get your engagement photos taken, booking this vendor right away, will allow you to not only book them for your wedding but also be able to work with their more open schedule for these sessions.

STATIONER

With the craziness of shipping delays and cost in the last couple of months (or years) trying to get supplies for custom stationery is getting harder and harder. Or the wait time is being extended, where even rush shipments are being delayed. So if you want to work with a custom stationer to design both your wedding invitations and day-of items, booking someone immediately is ideal. This will allow you to begin working with them on what you want early on so that they can order the items needed to fulfill your order in a timely manner.

HAIR & MAKEUP ARTISTS

*Photography by* *Kirsten Butler Photography* *| Makeup by* *Sarah Lynn*

These vendors are one that I would typically say not to worry about booking right away, but with the recent wedding boom, if you have someone you want to book for your hair and makeup, you better book em ASAP! Both hair and makeup vendors are filling up their calendars for the next year or two, so availability is becoming less and less. And for a bridal party of 10+ you will not only want to have your hair and makeup vendor there but additional help as well. So booking and ensuring you have the number of team members available is ideal to ensure you and your girls are properly pampered and taken care of on the day of the wedding.

Also, side note on this - be sure to schedule your trials a lot earlier than just a month in advance. There is nothing wrong with trying a few options to see who you like best. So the earlier you schedule these to gain full confidence in who is doing your hair and makeup, the better you will feel!

FLORIST

*Photography by* *Ali Valdez Photography* *| Florals by* *Stella Rose Florals*

All the florals, please!! We love florals and definitely agree with the term “the more, the merrier” so booking your florist to begin working with them on the design you want for your day is super important. Also, with the rise of floral costs these days, it’s important to get with your florist sooner rather than later, on the florals you want so that they can also ensure to make proper orders in time to help with shipping and costs.

ENTERTAINMENT

Ceremony & Reception

*Photography by* *The Malicotes* *| DJ Services by* *Riptide Productions*

Everyone wants to have a good time at their wedding, and for their guests to have fun too! So booking the perfect entertainment that matches your style, the aesthetic, and the feeling you want your guests to feel, is important to think about when booking your entertainment. That also goes for booking your ceremony music, whether that’s booking a live string quartet, a harpist, or having your DJ play the song you always imagined walking down the aisle to. Be sure to look around and do your research to see who you love the most and who fits your vibe the best for the day!

CATERING & BAR SERVICES

*Photography by* *The Malicotes* *| Catering by* *Darae & Friends Catering*

As much as we love our florals, good food and a fun cocktail is our second favorite element of the perfect wedding day! When looking for your caterer, it is even better when they also provide bar services as well, leaving you with one less vendor you have to book! And just like entertainment, make sure you do your research to see who provides the catering style you want for your wedding day. This may include scheduling some tastings to see if you like their food, their presentations, and their service techniques. It’s also a great way to get one-on-one information from them during this meeting, to gain more insight about how they operate on the day of the wedding. So whatever style you choose, making sure to pick the caterer who gives great service and amazing food is always the way to go!

TRANSPORTATION

Any time we have clients who have multiple venue locations or a venue that requires driving long distances for their guests, we ALWAYS recommend providing transportation. There is nothing worse than worrying about your guests after a fun night celebrating you both, and providing transportation can eliminate that worry. It is also a great way to have more control over your timeline, to ensure all guests will arrive at the specific time listed, knowing that all of them, or a majority of them, will be arriving on transportation. Now we know that things happen with traffic, weather, breakdowns, but a majority of the time, you can plan better for your timeline when providing transportation for your guests.

DECOR & EQUIPMENT RENTALS

*Photography by* *The Malicotes* *| Venue* *Sunset Ridge Farm* *| Farm Tables by* *Warford & Co.* *| Linen & Dinnerware by* *Purdon’s Rental & Sales*

Last but not least, the vendors that make it all pretty! These are your vendors who provide the basics like the tables, chairs, linen, dinnerware, stages, dance floors, etc. But they are also the ones who provide the luxury items such as soft seating, light-up signs, escort boards, champagne walls, large backdrops, lighting installations, and much more! These vendors are the ones that provide the items that bring everything together and make your venue or location shine!