Wedding Planning: In What Order Do You Hire Your Vendors?
There’s one question I probably get the most from my brides - “in what order are we really supposed to be doing this?!”
It’s a fair question to ask because one of the hardest parts of planning a wedding is not really knowing where to start. This is supposed to be the time when you and your fiancé feel the most connected because you are creating a perfect day for the two of you.
My first tip is to download the ultimate wedding planning checklist (click below). To get you started on all the things you need when planning your wedding.
Before you even start hiring vendors, you and your soon to be spouse should be talking about your budget, a rough estimate of how many guests you’re planning to invite, and what you both are envisioning for your big day. If you have your budget narrowed down first, you’ll be able to know how many people you can actually afford to invite, how far away you can go, or what kind of expenses need to be cut out.
Wedding Coordinator
Now when it comes to vendors, the first person you should be hiring is your wedding coordinator - if you have the budget for one. They can help you find a venue (even if you don’t have a specific wedding date yet). They have all of the connections you need and may even have venues that they collaborate with to get you deals. Hiring a wedding coordinator will save you a lot of hairs on your head because they’ll take care of all 72 vendors. You won’t have to stress out when no one is responding (it happens).
Venue
If you don’t have the budget for a wedding coordinator and are planning everything yourself, then finding your venue should be at the top of your list. Finding your venue will help dictate the rest of your budget and help plan the rest of the vendors you need (some venues include vendors which can be a plus!).
Finding a venue can also help you determine your date. If you are dead set on a venue, they may not have availability on the date you originally intended. Most venues can be booked a year and a half to two years in advance, so picking your venue first, putting a deposit down and locking in your date is extremely important.
Photographer
As soon as you have your venue and date set, you should be looking at wedding photographers. As a wedding photographer, I have a lot of connections with other vendors in the area and I may be able to give you a better suggestion of where to go next. We also get booked out pretty far in advance, so it’s important to lock in a photographer you trust before it’s too late.
Florist/Decorator
Your next tier of vendors will then depend on what is available already at your venue. You may need to hire a decorator or a florist who can then bring your vision to life. They’ll be able to bring all the little details together to create your picture perfect wedding.
Caterer
Once you have the table/chair rentals and floral arrangements ready to be prepared. Your caterer will swoop in and be the topping on the cake… literally. The caterer will bring it all together and make your wedding theme come to life through the food. You want to make sure that everything flows together and that your entire wedding day is cohesive.
Others
The vendors listed above are all important because they are the ones that can only work with one person at a time. The rest of your vendors can come in at any order. For example, if you hire someone to help you create your invites they are not someone who will have to be there for you on your wedding day. Cake and entertainment vendors are also needed on your big day but they completely depend on your preferences and what you want your day to look like.
My ultimate wedding planning checklist along with this list of vendors to hire (and their importance) should give you the head start you need on planning your big day. If you have any questions or think I’m missing a few vendors in this list let me know in the comments!