It's been a while since I've done a Wifey Wednesday post, but now I have actually had time post-wedding and move to get some stuff written! For all you soon-to-be brides out there or just wedding dreamers for the future, I wanted to write a post on how to choose your vendors. I was the type of girl who started looking at wedding stuff my sophomore year in college. Wayyyy before we even talked seriously about getting engaged. I knew things I wanted, but needed to know if they would be available in Florida, costs, etc. So I started researching wayyyy ahead of time. I knew Madi and I would get married one day (I mean nothing is ever for sure but I was pretty sure ;) ), so I would suggest if you are pretty sure or even just want to know for budgeting purposes, start looking online. Let me tell you I think nothing is more awkward/embarrassing then visiting venues or calling a place and being like so I'm not engaged yet, but I want to look at this wedding venue. They probably won't judge you in front of you, but let me tell you they are probably like "okay..." in their heads. I would be. Hense why I suggest looking online. A lot of businesses list costs online (venue sites, photographers, etc.) but if they don't you can always inquire if you need to know. Doing some bridal research, for an average size wedding the cost is $26,000+. That's ALOT. And let me tell you whether you think that's unrealistic or not, that is reality. Seriously guys it's expensive. This is why I suggest to you START SAVING EARLY. Put away your tips or bonuses. You will use it. Even if you want a "small" wedding, it gets pricey. So here are how I chose my major vendors, tips on choosing, what to expect to spend, etc.
Venue
- Look online ahead of time. Do research on types of venues you like. Inside vs. outside. Is there a backup plan for if it rains?
- Is there a venue fee? Does that cover the length of your event or only for a certain number of hours? How long of an event do you think you'll have?
- Do they have a list of preferred vendors for food, photography, DJ, cake, etc.
- GENERAL COST: depends on how many people you have, season, and date. But venue fees CAN be $1000-$10000 depending.
Our Vendor: The Rusty Pelican- Tampa. We picked ours based off of pictures and reviews. There was no venue fee and we could get married inside with a view of the water. It was GORGEOUS. They did have a preferred list of vendors which was good and bad. Good because the vendors are familiar with the venues. Bad because sometimes we wanted to use friends for certain things and couldn't due to cost. You get a $500 discount if you use their vendors- and for the most part they were all amazing. BOOK THEM EARLY!!! They book fast- because it's amazingly beautiful. And don't be intimidated by the wedding coordinator Don. He's awesome and really knows what he's doing.
- Meet with them IN PERSON.
- Look at their previous work. Do you like it? If not, don't hire them
- READ REVIEWS. I'm gonna leave this one as is.
- Hire a second shooter. Just do it. If the company doesn't have one available, don't use them. Your wedding day is huge and you want every moment captured. It is hard to do that when there's all these people involved with your wedding and one photographer. It may cost a little more, but it is worth every penny.
- GENERAL COST: $1250-$3500
Our Vendor: Hippie Love Photography. We picked our photographer because they were listed on the vendor list. We met one of them in person and felt comfortable with them. We loved that it was a husband and wife team. Their photographs are BEAUTIFUL. They were on time the day of the wedding and made us feel comfortable with our portraits. However, post-wedding communication was poor about timing of receiving pictures back. The contract said 8-12 weeks, but some people's preview photos were posted on their Facebook the day after their wedding and I had to ask for ours after a month of waiting and getting nothing. Overall we LOVE our pictures, but we had to wait longer than some customers which is weird to me.
- Read reviews
- Have they won an award from The Knot? If not, they aren't that experienced or aren't that great. Just saying. (Unless you are getting married in a small town)
- MEET THEM IN PERSON
- GENERAL COST: $800-$2000
Our Vendor: Music on the Move. We chose our DJ when we went to a vendor meeting at our venue. He was VERY personable, not obnoxious or flashy, and had about 10+ plaques or trophies from various magazines and companies saying how amazing he was. And he was amazing. Best DJ hands down at any wedding I have been to. Met with him two weeks before the wedding and he helped us clear up our timeline and the flow of our wedding.
-Prepare to spend way more than you anticipated. Unless you are using babies breath only, you'll be spending a lot. I almost had heart failure. It is crazy how much things that die will cost.
- Don't skimp on flowers, even though they're pricey
- Meet with them in person
- GENERAL COST: $2000-$8000 (not kidding guys)
Our Vendor: Arlene Floral Designs. We chose our florist because she was also at the vendor meeting and was recommended by almost every person at the venue. She is AMAZING at what she does. Works in your budget. Day of she was the first person to greet me before I walked into the venue and had everything set up beautifully. I was happy I spent more on flowers than I had planned because it was perfect.
Thanks for reading!
- Olivia :)
All photo credits to Hippie Love Photography
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