Laura's Advice: Choosing Your Wedding Vendors

One of my favorite things about photographing weddings is all of the people that I get to meet and work with, that includes all of the vendors you choose for your big day! Since I’ve worked with some amazing wedding vendors, I want to share a little bit about the process of selecting them and working with them!

First of all, I understand that the moment you get engaged your mind is spinning with all that needs to be done and all the decisions you need to make! First of all, remember that this is natural and completely normal, but also remember that you are planning a marriage, not just a wedding! If you can, I would highly, highly recommend working with a wedding planner. They will help you prioritize what you want, while keeping you on budget and on plan! It is so, so important that you are organized with wedding planning and hiring a wedding planner is such an important way to stay on top of everything!

Once you have hired a wedding planner, I would suggest ( and they probably would too!) to select your venue and your wedding photographer! The venue will not only be one of the largest expenses but also they book up further in advance, and set the tone for the rest of your wedding! A lot of the decisions you make will reflect the “style” of your wedding and your venue sets the tone for that! Your photographer will also be one of the earliest to book up with most booking 9-18 months in advance!

Once you have selected those vendors, it’s time to fine tune the details! I’d like to say that these vendor selections are all about what you prioritize! Is having a live band really important to you?! You may have to cut back on other areas of your day. Some people really want gorgeous florals, so maybe you won’t be investing in an ornate invitation suite. It’s all about deciding what’s important to you! A wedding planner will help you with these decisions. Always remember, that having different priorities for you wedding than maybe your friends or parents is OK, and that if you don’t like a “traditional” way of doing something you do not have to do that!