So you just received the most biggest rock and its seating right smack in your finger. You are now engaged! Soon the flurry of activities in planning your wedding will take up most of your time. What are the type of suppliers or vendors you need to make your dream wedding a reality?
Church and Venue
Once you have pinned down a date, its wise to book your church and venue first. It is always advisable to book at least 6 months or even a year ahead as in demand churches and venues are usually booked way ahead of time. You’d be surprised how early other couples book their church and/or venues for their wedding.
In booking a good venue for your wedding reception, consider not only your budget but the logistics like: is it near the church? if not, do you need to hire transportation for your guests who might find it difficult to go to the venue? does it have ample parking? is it accessible for other suppliers like your florist and event stylist? Can it accommodate your number of guests? Does it have a generator in case of power outages? These are some of the questions you might consider when finding a good venue for your reception.
Photo and Video Team
Since your wedding is a once in a lifetime event, it’s important to book your favorite photo and video team as well. The good ones are usually booked months on end. So make sure to book them ahead of time as well.
Some of the things you can ask your photo and video team: package inclusions like prenup shoots, same day edits (SDEs), video highlights, fuel allowance for out of town coverage, equipment they use, prints and output, how long before they deliver final output. Be sure to ask for sample videos or photos or check out their pages just to be sure their style of editing suits your taste.
Event Stylist and Florist
If you want an aesthetically beautiful church and venue, then it is a must to hire an Event Stylist. They can make a room feel like you’re doing your wedding in Paris, France or in Buckingham Palace –depending of course on the budget you are willing to spend on the decor for your wedding. Otherwise, for a DIY budget wedding, you can make do with the standard decor your booked venue has included in your package.
Couturier or Bridal Gown Designer
For really famous couturiers, you have to book them way, way months ahead. Otherwise, give them at least 6-8months from designing your dream wedding gown to scheduling fittings for all of your bridal entourage. Go visit their shop, see for yourself if you like their sample gowns and inquire if they can deliver on schedule based on reviews. It is a disaster to find that your bridal gown is missing a few details because your chosen couturier can’t deliver the desired outcome. It would be too late then to get a wedding gown from off the rack somewhere.
Hair and Make Up Artist (HMUA)
To make sure you look your absolute best on your wedding day, it is a good idea to start scouting for a reputable HMUA early on. Check if they use airbrush or traditional makeup styles. If you are fussy about the product they will put on your face, you can also inquire about their arsenal — make up products they will be using on you. But of course, high end HMUAs rates are also something to consider since their choice of product also comes with a price. Don’t forget to ask if trial make up is included in their rates, or if you can do the trial make up for your prenup shoot.
Host / Emcee
For your master of ceremonies, there are different personalities that you can choose from. Some radio DJs usually offer hosting stints for weddings, so you can try getting in touch with them. Some even have their own spinner so you can be assured of the accompanying background music when they do their hosting. Some are really witty and more on the stand up comedy type of style — which will give your guests a lot of laughs during the program. Some are really formal but make sure they don’t come out as boring. You can always check their pages or ask them if you can watch them host a program where you can just peek to check how they handle an audience.
Entertainment Band or Strings
If you want to hire entertainment for your reception, I strongly suggest a wedding strings ensemble or quartet. They can perform during dinner and the part of the program for the first dances. The band though is totally up to you if you want your guests to still enjoy after the official program. This is only fine if you are on a destination wedding and the guests are there to stay for the night. Most of the time though, guests usually go home right after the program so only a few will stay for the band.
Lights and Sounds Provider
To make your event decoration stand out, we suggest booking a separate Lights and Sounds supplier. Usually, your event stylist has connections with these since they are partners and they can make the decor come alive. A separate sounds provider makes sure the sound system in your wedding is good rather than relying on the one that the venue provides.
Wedding Cake
For really grand wedding cakes, especially the fondant types which takes time and effort to make, you need to book this with a good Pastry Chef or bakery months before your event. They are usually booked months before so make sure you decide early on this. Inquire if they can make that 5 tier cake you want with inedible cakes in between so you can stay within your budget. Book someone near the proximity of your reception venue since they usually deliver and/or assemble the cake in the venue on the day of your wedding.
Invitations and Souvenirs
The invitation supplier usually has a choice of souvenirs also for a one stop shop. But if not, you can choose both separately depending on your wedding theme or choices. Make sure to ask for samples so you can see if their product is at par with your taste. If you are on a budget though, you can ask them to make only a number of invitations for your VIP guests and principal sponsors and make digital invites for other guests. You can also DIY your souvenirs if you have plenty of time and available hands to help you.
Wedding Planner
Of course, if details of the wedding preparations got you feeling dizzy and stressed out (just reading all of them here)– you can always hire a Wedding Planner. They can take care of everything for you from day 1. You can ask them for the extent of their service, number of consultations, out of town fees, number of staff on wedding day, suppliers affiliations and of course their rate.
But in the event that you want to be totally hands on in preparing for your wedding, you have the option to just hire an On The Day Coordinator, wherein you can hand in wedding details, and they will oversee everything on the day of your wedding only. That way you don’t have to stress over the minute details that need to be taken care so you can enjoy your wedding.
For comprehensive lists, things to ask your suppliers, visit Our Budget Dream Wedding. They have written quite a list of things to ask for every wedding supplier. Have fun planning your wedding. Congratulations and Best wishes!
Ettenyl Writes 