PLANNING YOUR WEDDING CAN BE AMAZING…

Meeting new people, figuring out your likes as a couple, embracing your wedding dreams, etc.

It’s also can be a lot of pressure to book the “right” wedding vendors and venue to host this amazing celebration.

here are some tips to booking the right vendors for you:

• Does a vendors’ work resonate with you and your vision? example: You never wear makeup, but you are hiring a makeup team who specializes in Bridal Glam. This may not be the right vendor for you. Bridal Glam is hours of makeup (it’s meant to stay through a major event, let alone be camera ready for over 10 hours), so make sure you know exactly what you are signing up for. If you are a bare minimalist, consider just doing facials leading up to your wedding and focusing on makeup application yourself.

• Understand your budget. Understand where you can compromise. It’s ok to ask vendors if they have packages that fit within your budget, but respect what services they offer. Most likely, your vendor has a specific style – take know and make sure it’s your vibe. If it’s not, there are a lot of fish in the sea. Asking them to mold into a different focus is not going to work for both parties.

• Communicate and triple check your timeline and schedule. A wedding photographer recently posted on FB about how a couple had sent and multiple contracts and communications with THE WRONG WEDDING DATE. After receiving a phone call from the Wedding Planner an hour after the couple expected the photographer there, they pivoted and made it happen (Luckily). Have a consult call at least one week before the wedding.

• Wedding vendors (hair stylists, makeup artists and other) have possibly multiple events on your day as well. Be transparent the week before if you have guests who are joining their services last minute so they can make sure everyone feels comfortable with your timeline. They may have associates that are helping them serve their clients. If your vendors are running ahead of schedule, that’s amazing! It gives you more time to connect with your loved ones on the day. Over all enjoy your service, feel like the glam queen or king you are.

• Buzz Kill Ahead: Protect your peace, and your vendors… It has to be said…

We all have family or friends who mentally cross the threshold of sanity when under pressure or after a few wedding champagne toasts. After years of therapy, I personally do not have tolerance for people who abuse (verbally or other) anyone in my presence. Please do not let anyone into your space that doesn’t bring you joy of safety. Having a toxic wedding party member or guest is a recipe for you managing their feelings and protecting others. It’s your wedding day, and above all else, you need to have an amazing time celebrating your love and the chapter you’re about to enter. Please make sure to protect your vendors from verbal abuse, or worse. They are people and professionals and treating them as less is a major issue.

• Give feedback – it’s totally how we get better as professionals. Giving positive reviews, WE LOVE! It may be a time consuming task, but it helps not only our business (SEO/Google Search, etc.) Your referrals are how we stay in business. Thank you for taking the time.
• Send your creative muse folders (Pinterest folders, Inspo, etc.).
• Fill out the questionnaires we send you – they also may be tedious, but they allow us to get a feeling of your personal likes, direction and confidence level in our services category.
• Understand that you are not a super hero. You are not able to be in 12 places at once. Most of the human race struggles with delegation. Print out timelines, details and give your tribe tasks when they need to be completed the day of the wedding. Better yet, hire a day of wedding coordinator and wedding planner. They may be not something you’ve considered, but the help and insight will be worth being stress free on your wedding day.
• Wedding Planners vs. Wedding Day Coordinators are different – Wedding Planners are incredible resources who source vendors, timeline development and over all are there for all your event needs. Booking them as you start the wedding planning process is perfect. They also may act as the day of coordinator. If you just hire a day of coordinator, expect for them to take on setting up roles, vendor communications and timeline management. These people are super heroes for sure.
• Spend time vetting your vendors – it could mean jumping on a few calls before the big day and following them on social media. Connect with other clients they have worked with. Understand their style of communication. Be transparent with your expectations and make sure they are able to meet your expectations.

More help to follow as the wedding season continued. All the love and excitement for this wedding season and beyond!

#vermontweddingphotography #weddingphotographer #weddingphotos #weddingplanning #weddingplanningtips

xoxo

Renee