Inspiration Nation: Top Tips for Choosing Your Vendors

Getting engaged is awesome. And then you have to plan a wedding. The entire thing can be totally daunting. And even though I am in the industry, and most of my friends think that it must be easy, I assure you that it is not! Maybe you are a super amazing planner and I admire you for that, but for those of you who are feeling like you need some guidance, I’m going to try and help you out.

MY VENDOR RULES

ONE | Don’t wait to book your vendors

TWO | Find someone you connect with

THREE | Look at their blog or social media accounts

FOUR | Show a Pinterest board with 15 photos, (max!) to get your vision across.

DONT WAIT! | When Ross and I got engaged, I emailed our wedding photographers the next morning. Only eight hours after we got engaged! It is never too early to start a conversation, especially if you have a vendor in mind that you love. With that said, I booked our photographers a year and a half before our wedding date. After that, I could relax about it, and I am so very glad I booked when I did. If you don’t know what kind of style you like, I recommend starting your photography research when you start your venue research. And as soon as you book your venue (and consequently have your date), book your photographer!

I met with a bride recently who thought that since her wedding was a year away, she didn’t have to ‘rush’ to find her vendors. This makes me so nervous for her, because there IS a rush. I hate to say it, but it is true. If you have a favorite vendor, I guarantee they are someone else’s favorite too and you don’t want to miss out on booking them. Yes, a year is a long ways away, but not in wedding world! So get to it. Email that photographer or florist you love…right now! And if they are already booked, ask for their recommendations. It is a great way to find a similar style you love, and an added bonus if they are already admired by a fellow wedding vendor!

FIND SOMEONE YOU CONNECT WITH | My absolute favorite client meetings are the ones where we realize hours have passed and we’ve barely discussed photography. Having brides and grooms I connect with is important to me, and I think it’s important to them as well! As the photographer, I am your shadow on your wedding day. You want to find someone that you a. like and b. get along with. And if you become friends, that’s even better! Choosing my vendors was easy, because I am already friends with both Lauren and Krissy. I am thankful to have them- we get along really well and I feel comfortable bouncing ideas off of them. This is pretty important when planning your wedding, because it is you and your fiancées big day! Good communication = happy bride + happy vendors!

LOOK AT THEIR BLOG AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS | If you feel like you are totally overwhelmed by websites, I recommend checking out the vendors’ blog or social media accounts, like Facebook and Instagram. Often it will help you a. feel more connected with them/get to know their personality and b. get a sense of what their current work looks like. This can help determine what you really want in a vendor, and should make the decision making process a bit easier.

GETTING YOUR VISION ACROSS | One of the things I did with Lauren was make a Pinterest board with 15 images, MAX! It was really hard, let me tell you. But narrowing it down to some images you love will help get the ultimate vision of your wedding across to your planner and florist. And even if you aren’t working with a planner or stylist, it will help you stick to a certain vision and determine what is important to you and your fiancé. There are so many awesome options out there, so its easy to get distracted and start pinning like a crazy person. I’ve been there. Don’t do it.

BONUS TIP: If you are doing a lot of DIY, make a schedule in the months leading up to the wedding to get it done! You don’t want to be glue-gunning 2 hours before your Rehearsal Dinner. Plan in advance.