Booking vendors is time consuming but oh so much fun! You may want to dedicate a few days for the selection of each vendor unless you already know exactly who you want to contract with for particular duties. Don’t procrastinate on securing your vendors, once you begin the process stay focused and get through them all. If you handle this in the beginning stages of planning your wedding you will have more time and peace of mind later to handle other aspects of the wedding planning.
- *Quick tip for those on a budget who want a fabulous wedding:
When booking vendors, a deposit will be required, and you may want to save for a few months before going on your booking spree in order to assure you have the required funds necessary to book the vendors you desire. This means you may get engaged 6 months before you begin booking vendors for one year in advance, putting your wedding date about 1 and a half years away.
Book the following about a year before the wedding - or as soon as possible if your wedding is impending:
1) If you are going to hire a wedding planner and will want her to help plan your proposal, engagement party and engagement announcement, she will be the first person you will want to contract with.
2) Your wedding officiant will be the second person you want to contract with if you are hiring a wedding planner, if not they will be the first. You will need to secure your wedding date in order to properly contract with any other vendors.
3) Deciding upon and securing the ceremony site and reception sites are also some of the first things you need to do. Dependent upon which site you select you may be faced with limitations in some aesthetic elements of the wedding. Some sites prohibit throwing of rice, and even rose petals, others prohibit flash photography and the releasing of doves. Some sites require you to use their caterer and other staff members. If you decide upon a place and are facing limitations you will need to decide which elements of the wedding you are willing to forgo or decide upon another location. The ceremony and reception site should be booked soon after you have selected a wedding date, especially if you are after high-end venues because they book well in advance.
4) The photographer is also a vendor that books well in advance and they should be consulted as soon as possible.
5) Next, you should focus on securing your band or disc jockey for the reception. Exceptional bands book well in advance and the competition for them is fierce. Due to the fact that disc jockeys and bands perform for more than merely weddings they are sought after by the masses for other types of events and occasions.
6) Hiring the caterer is the next order of business. Superb caterers also book well in advance and you should hire them about one year before the wedding. This gives you time to attend tastings and select your exact menu.
7) Videographers also book in advance. You may want to ask your photographer whom they recommend.
8) Bakers (cake makers) who specialize in making custom and elaborate cakes that actually taste scrumptious are not a dime a dozen and you will want to secure your baker at this point. You do not need to have an exact idea of what you are looking for them to make at the time of the booking, you can figure that out as your wedding begins to come together and you have a more concrete idea of the theme and style of your wedding.
9) Hairstylists to do the hair of the bride and bridal party typically do between one and two weddings per day dependent on the time of wedding, therefore they do book in advance. You can use your regular hairstylist or you may opt for a hairstylist who specializes in wedding hairstyles. You may have an idea of how you will wear your hair on your special day, but you may change your mind once you have your dress. Your specialized hairstylist will be able to look at your face, your dress and make magic with your hair that will complement both. The exact style is not needed to know when you book your stylist, but you must do this in advance if you want to hire a specialist.
10) Transportation is another element. You will need to decide how you wish to arrive and depart the wedding. If you are going to go by way of limousine, a specialty limousine, a carriage, a special car, etc. Once you have decided upon the way you wish to travel, you will need to reserve your day and times of requirement.
11) The invitation designer and calligrapher can be selected as far in advance as you wish, but you will want your invitations completed about 3 months in advance of the wedding, this gives you time to review them for errors and have any revisions done if necessary. You will want to send your invitations out 8 weeks in advance with your RSVP date being 4 weeks before the wedding.
12) The ceremony musicians can be booked well in advance along with the others if you are looking at having some elite performer or you can wait until a few months before the wedding. I recommend getting all the bookings done early to save the few months before the wedding to other details.
13) Make-up artist to do the make-up of the bridal party for the wedding day.
14) Rentals such as tables, chairs, tents, etc. are usually easy to come by dependant upon the location of your wedding but booking in advance assures the selection you desire on the date you need them will be available.
The idea is, not to save any of these things until the last minute despite how easy you may think it will be to secure them only a few months or weeks in advance. Accurate planning minimizes surprises and risks.
Written by: Carla McCurthon
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment