Congratulations, you’re engaged – now it’s time to get to work! You know you need wedding vendors, but let me guess, you don’t even know where to start?

Before you start booking any vendor, you need to figure out a few things first: guest count, budget, and date. Guest count is important as the size of the wedding can determine a lot of the vendor specifics, so make a rough guest list. Your budget should be set first thing so you know what wiggle room you have with what vendors you can select. Last but not least, picking a month or even a season helps start the wedding planning process. It gets us thinking about colors, venue possibilities, flowers that may be in season, and so much more.

All these things are essential steps in making decisions for the big day and the first things I would do before booking any vendor. 

Now that you have those 3 important first steps sorted, let’s talk about which wedding vendors should be at the top of your list to lock in, and why.

Planner

This should be one of the first people you book, especially if you are choosing a Full Planning Service, as we will help you throughout the whole wedding planning process. We help select vendors who will be a good fit to execute your vision and make sure you stay on budget. 

Venue

To secure a date and start spreading the word, you need a venue booked. Depending on the season you are looking at or how popular the venue is, you might be trying to book as early as 12-18 months before your wedding date. Most venues book out 1-2 years in advance, so the sooner, the better. There is flexibility if you are looking in an off-season or planning on a midweek wedding.

Things to keep in mind when looking at venues:

Can this venue accommodate the number of guests you’re planning to invite?
Do they fit within your ideal budget?
Do they have the date you’d have in mind?
Is this the aesthetic you picture for your wedding day?
What does the guest experience and travel look like?

Caterer

If your venue does not include catering this is your next stop! 

Food is a big part of any wedding. To have the best options that fit what you are looking for, you want to book early. Plus, this takes up a huge part of your budget, so looking at menu proposals early helps make sure you get the best food for your budget and theme. Some caterers also include place settings, so knowing this early on will help keep you organized when booking your decor.

Photographer/Videographer

Most photographers and videographers work solo, meaning they can only shoot one wedding a day. Popular photographers are often booked a year in advance, too, so if you’ve found one you love, sign that contract! You may also want to have some backup options on hand in case you can’t secure your first choice. If the person you want is booked, ask for referrals. Most are happy to spread the names of those with similar styles. 

Entertainment

Typically entertainment is high on a couple’s list of priorities when getting married. Ceremony musicians, bands, and DJs are often also booked quite far in advance. This is why you want to look into options quite early on. Especially if you are looking for a live band – popular ones definitely book fast (usually a year out).

The common theme here is that earlier is better! On average, we are looking at 18 months out as the best time to get started with the wedding vendor booking process. When you have this amount of time you don’t have to rush. We can do it under a tighter timeline too – we had a wedding book us in March for their October wedding (same year) and only had the venue secured and we had to book all their other vendors (photographer, videographer, florist, hair & make up, band, and stationery) all within those first couple months of planning. It’s possible, but you have to have more flexibility due to availability.

If we had to pick one wedding vendor we’d recommend prioritizing, it’d be the venue. (Other than a planner, of course!) The wedding venue sets the foundation for the vibe and style of your wedding. Once you have your venue you can confidently hire the rest of your vendor team to fit your design and needs, such as what to rent, what hotels are nearby, etc.

At the end of the day, if the wedding planning process is too daunting for you, work with a wedding planner! All The Dainty Details would love to help you navigate the planning and wedding vendor booking process. Reach out and let’s chat about how we can help!