What Wedding Vendors Should I Book First?

Wondering the following questions: What Wedding Vendors Should I Book First?

You're not alone. It can be stressful to navigate it all, especially when wedding planning involves so much.

Below, I'm going over everything you need to know about booking your wedding vendors. I'll also provide a general timeline of WHEN each vendor should be booked by.

I am a wedding photographer in Los Angeles, California. Interested in wedding photography? You can view my portfolio, HERE.

Now that we got that plug out of the way, let’s talk about booking vendors! ;)

Wedding Vendors to Book 9 - 15 Months Out 

Wedding Planner - He or she will recommend vendors. This person will also sometimes help you find your wedding venue depending on if you’re getting full service or month of coordination wedding planning.

Wedding Venue - Your reception and ceremony sites. Keep in mind, if you're set on getting married during a specific month or on a specific date, it's even more crucial to book well in advance to guarantee availability.

Wedding Photographer - The photos are one of the only things you’ll have left from the wedding, well...besides your memories and your love. This needs to be prioritized. Go with someone whose work you absolutely love.

Keep in mind that some photographers only take on a very limited amount of weddings per year to best serve their clients. Furthermore, many wedding photographers won’t shoot more than one wedding per weekend since it involves high amounts of physical labor for long periods of time. So it’s important to book them in advance. 

Videographer - Pretty much everything I said above about the wedding photographer also applies to videographers.

Wedding Vendors to Book 7- 9 Months Out 

Caterer - Often times caterers only take on a limited amount of events per weekend due to the prep time involved. If you have a specific vision in mind for food, book them earlier. 

Wedding Dress - It takes forever to ship sometimes and alterations take time and usually involves multiple appointments. Best to purchase the dress sooner or later, leaving time for all of this. A company I love for wedding dresses is called BHLDN.

Music - If it’s a band, I’d book them earlier, in the 9 - 15 range. If it’s a DJ, 7-9 months usually works well.

I will say a good DJ or band can make the biggest impact on the vibe of your wedding. I mean music is SO powerful. Also, they do one event per day. I’d say this is definitely a priority and should be booked sooner than later.

Florist - If it’s a larger florist, they can usually handle multiple events per weekend, so you should be able to get the florist you want 7 - 9 months out. 

Hairstylist and Makeup Artist - These typically handle only on wedding per day, so I definitely recommend booking them right away as soon as your find someone you like. Also, most couples like to coordinate their hair/makeup trial with their engagement session.

Officiant - If there is a special officiant you want for your wedding, this is one to book sooner than later.

Wedding Vendors to Book 5- 6 Months Out 

Invitation Designer - Leaving time for adjustments, If you are having save the dates, you can use them at this time.

Ceremony Musicians - If you want to have something like a string quartet at your ceremony, you’ll want to book them 5 - 6 months out.

Rentals - things like tables, chairs, lighting, a tent, etc. It’s important to secure these earlier on so you don’t miss out on anything you need to rent. 

Bartenders - most catering packages offer this, but if not, booking a bartender 5-6 months out is ideal.

Groom's Suit - leaving enough time for alterations.

Bridal Party Outfits - Alterations can take a while. It's better to make these selections earlier on to give everyone enough time for alterations.

Cake Maker / Baker

Wedding Vendors to Book 3- 4 Months Out 

Transportation - things like limos & shuttles, if you need to transport you guests or for you to personally use on your day. 

Good Rule of Thumb

A good rule of thumb is to refrain from interviewing more than 3 vendors per category. Interviewing too many vendors will leave you feeling overwhelmed and confused.

IMPORTANT WHEN BOOKING!

No matter how personal you connection is with your vendor and if you haven't told them you want to move forward with them and proceeded with signing a contract/leaving a retainer, please keep in mind, you won’t be in a vendors calendar. Nothing is official until a contract is signed & retainer is left. So please don’t assume a vendor will contact you before accepting another event on the same date.

On the contrary, if vendors haven’t heard from you, they will assume you aren’t interested in booking them. So if you’re certain about a vendor, don’t wait on it to avoid risking them having book another event on your date. 

If you have any questions about wedding photography, you can reach me HERE.