At this point in the Wedding Planning Series, you are ready to start looking at all the variables you need to consider when choosing your wedding vendors! When you are ready to begin reaching out to vendors, you must know your available dates, budget, overall guest count, and wedding aesthetic.

Once you know this information — then you’re ready to start inquiring with various wedding vendors from your venue, photographer, hair stylist, to your caterer!

Wedding Tip!

Before you start inquiring about vendors, compile a list of highly recommended vendors from your wedding planner, family, & friends! They can tell you their first-hand perspective and provide insights you may not have considered.

First Things First

When you reach out initially, you need the answer to these four questions below before proceeding:

Are you available on these dates?
Do you have pricing options within our wedding budget?
Can you accommodate our guest list size?
Can you design with our wedding aesthetic in mind? Can you us some of your previous work?

If they answered NO to any of these questions, move on to the next vendor. You can always come back and reevaluate later. But if they answered YES to every question, then continue on in this blog post to find out how to properly vet that particular vendor for your wedding day.

General Questions

For Any Vendor Listed Below

How did you enter this line of work? What sets you apart from your competition?
Are you professionally qualified? They must have a business license, business/event insurance, all necessary gear & transportation to execute services, a detailed contract with a contingency plan, payment information including deposit amount, payment plan info, and a refund/cancellation policy.
What services do you offer and what is included?
Based on our location, guest list, aesthetics, and budget, which service package do you think is best for us?
Have you booked any other weddings at our venue? Are there any good or bad takeaways from your previous experience?
Budget Question (choose depending on where you are at):
- A: We have a very strict budget — are we guaranteed to stay within that?
- B: We have a flexible budget — is there anything else you would suggest to make your service even better?
Are there any additional fees that may take place that are not included? How much would you charge for overtime?
Do you (and each of your staff) require a meal?
Do you have any questions for us?

The Wedding Venue

Your venue is where the wedding ceremony and reception will take place. Sometimes this may be two different locations, so keep that in mind as you’re booking. The venue should be one of the first vendors that you book in the wedding planning process.

How long is the rental time?

First off, verify how many hours the rental fee includes and if there is an overtime fee if you stay longer (or if it’s even possible to stay longer).

If you don’t have a wedding planner — I would consider booking a venue that allows you to rent for the entire weekend. You’ll have plenty of time for set up and take down as well as practicing everything at your rehearsal!

If the venue is not available for your rehearsal, you can do another mini rehearsal with the wedding planner on the morning of the wedding.

What is the maximum amount of guests?

Verify the venue’s capacity and do not exceed it. A common mistake I’ve seen is when too many guests were invited with the hopes that not all of them would show. Many guests could end up standing during the ceremony or worse, you may run out of food.

How does everyone get from point A to point b?

Think about the flow of the day and how guests will get from point A to point B. Where will guests park? Will they need to walk through where portraits will take place? Is there a reception area or will you need guests to drive to another location?

Depending on the amount of parking, length of stay, alcohol, and logistical difficulties, it may be beneficial to provide transportation for guests from the hotel to the venue to keep everyone safe and on time. I’ve even had a wedding in Nashville that took guests to Broadway for an after-party!

What do the getting-ready locations look like?

Ask if there are locations for the bride and the groom to get ready on the wedding day. View the room, turn off all overhead lights, open the window blinds, take pictures, and send them to your photographer. If the lighting or decor doesn’t compliment your wedding aesthetic, your photographer may recommend to capture getting ready photos in another area of the venue or another location altogether.

Most brides do not consider the getting-ready location and how it can affect their photography and video. It will be extremely valuable to have a location that compliments your wedding aesthetics. Talk to your photographer and read The Bridal Getting Ready Process to learn more.

Where are portraits usually taken on your property?

From the first look, wedding party photos, formal family portraits, and sunset portraits, various segments of the wedding day require different backdrops. If the venue can recommend any locations on the property or nearby, that’s a great start!

***Make sure there are backup locations in case of rainy weather. For instance, if you planned on capturing your wedding party photos in a field and it has rained earlier in the day, you may need to take portraits on the gravel path to avoid everyone’s dresses getting soaked before the ceremony.

Ask if you can see examples of other photo galleries on the property so that you can visualize what yours may look like. Make sure to tell your photographer if there are certain backgrounds you like or don’t like.

Do you have any photo restrictions?

On occasion, I will have a venue or a church that has restrictions for photography and videography. This may look like limitations on where we can take photos from, as well as what parts of the ceremony we are allowed to capture. I’ve had a couple of weddings where the pastor limited me (as the photographer) to the balcony, and the bride was upset she didn’t get her first look captured down the aisle.

*Venue Coordinator

In some cases, the wedding venue may provide a coordinator to be on the premises during the wedding day. Their role could be anything from simply helping vendors set up, to coordinating the wedding procession, to even designing and setting up the reception. Make sure you understand exactly what aspect of the day they are in charge. You may still need a wedding planner to fill in the gaps in their responsibilities.

The Photographer

Book after you have your date & venue

Other than your Licensed Wedding Planner, I truly believe that your photographer is one of your top vendors for the entire event. They are the only ones capturing every detail and person so you have hundreds of memories to relive in your photo gallery. But not every photographer is the same. Here are some pointers to ask when vetting your photographers…

How did you get into photography?

Your photographer is going to be with you more than any other vendor — so I encourage you to get to know them on a personal level (as they should be doing the same with you)! Get to know their back story and why they got into photography. Learn about what drives them and how they use their own story to influence their art. When you hear that their heart aligns with yours — that’s a strong indication that you’ve found the right person!

How would you describe your shooting & editing style?

It’s super important to make sure that the shooting & editing style of your photographer matches your wedding aesthetics. One incredible photo on Instagram does not provide evidence that they are proficient at providing a consistent portfolio throughout the entire wedding day. And, for instance, if you are planning on a classic wedding, make sure you don’t book a photographer who considers themselves dark & moody.

How will you direct us on the wedding day? Engagement session?

Your wedding photographer can be super hands-off and focus on capturing the events of the day from more of a candid approach… OR they may give a ton of direction, provide insight on posing, as well as direct your family and wedding party where to go. Make sure to figure out what their approach to directing is and whether it fits within your vision of the day.

What package do you offer that you would recommend for our wedding?

Most photographers have packages based on the amount of time they offer, as well as various upsells like additional time, second photographers, bridal or boudoir photos, or even wedding albums for purchase. Make sure they are being real with you about your priorities and what would be most beneficial to your day and budget.

Where do you stand during the ceremony?

Some photographers are focused on capturing the creative shot from more of a cinematic approach (think those beautiful close-up shots you see in movies). But unfortunately, all of your guests may see this as a distraction depending on the formality of the ceremony.

My priority during the ceremony is to be respectable and discreet as I stay in the back during the entire ceremony. On occasion, I squat at the front during the procession or stand on a side aisle to capture the bride and groom’s reactions. But my main prerogative is to capture the ceremony from a classic approach.

Make sure to determine what your photographer’s priority is and how you’d like for them to handle capturing your ceremony.

Do you help design the day-of timeline?

You’re going to need a day-of timeline to capture the many important milestones throughout the wedding day. If you want to guarantee that everything you want captured will be done promptly, your photographer should have a sample timeline to work off of to give you an average amount of time for each milestone. Keep in mind, it’s way better to plan for too much time than not enough. There’s always something that sets a timeline back — hair & makeup being the most common!

How do you deliver the images? How long does editing take? What kind of editing services do you offer? Will the gallery ever expire?

I can’t stress this enough — it’s extremely important to get in writing how you will receive your images once it’s all said and done. I’ve had friends who it took almost 8 months to get their wedding images back. By that point, they are a distant memory.

Further, most photographers do not offer any additional edits for free and you may need to go through a third-party to edit a family member who wasn’t present or flowers that were out of place. Knowing what the potential future investments may be is important.

And last, most wedding photographers deliver anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand images. Making sure to know when they gallery will expire (if at all), gives you an idea of when and how you need to back up your images so that you never lose them 10 years later.

The Videographer

book after your photographer

The videographers are pretty similar to the photographers. The only key difference is that they usually take a back seat to the photographer on the wedding day and capture everything more candidly as it unfolds. Here are some common questions to ask:

Are you more hands-on or hands-off when you direct us for the wedding video?
Based on the timeline, what video package would you suggest within our budget?
How will you be set up for the reception? Will your gear be a distraction? How many different angles can we anticipate in the video?
How do you deliver the video? How long is the editing process? Can you promise it will be delivered on time?

The Hair & Makeup Artists

Make sure to have enough stylists

Hair and makeup artists are some of my favorites as I love capturing the the pampering process. However, this time of day is unfortunately when I see the most problems arise on wedding days. I’ve seen the timeline get behind by almost 2-3 hours because the number of women getting their hair done was not communicated OR the time when everyone needed to be ready was not communicated!

On average, for hair & makeup, it takes the bride 45 minutes to 1 hour per each service. For bridesmaids, the mothers of the bride/groom, grandmothers, flower girls, etc. it usually takes 30-45min per service.

Here are some questions to ask your Hair & Makeup Artist to avoid these scenarios:

Based on my inspiration pictures, do you think you can accomplish my look?
Is a test round included in your pricing packages?
Are there any extra fees for you to come to the venue or getting ready location?
We are getting married at _____ venue (or getting ready at ______). Have you done weddings there before? Where do you typically set up for hair and makeup?
I have ___ bridesmaids and ____ other people who will want their hair & makeup done. We have to have hair and makeup done by ___ (am/pm) . What time do you suggest we start hair & makeup? Do you have enough assistants to accomplish this?
If I wanted to add an additional hair or makeup artist just in case to make sure we don’t get behind, how much extra would that be? When do I need to let you know by?

All Other Vendors — Florist, Food, Caterer, Rentals, Lighting, Decor, etc.

How many meetings will we have before the wedding?
We expect the ceremony to be a ___ (am/pm) and the reception at ____ (am/pm). What time can we expect your services to take place?
What about cleanup? Do you provide this or do we need to hire a third party?

The Music — Ceremony & Reception

Do you perform at more than one event in a day?
Can you help us choose the music for certain parts of the day?
Do you have a go-to list of wedding songs you play or perform for weddings? How extensive is your music library or song list? What genres can you cover?
Do you take any breaks? How many and when? What music will be provided during the breaks? Do you need a break room during this time?
Do you act as the emcee and make all of the announcements? How would you define your emcee style?
What do you do to motivate the crowd if nobody is dancing?
Do you take requests from our guests?
Can we submit a "Do Not Play" list?
What information do you need from me before the wedding day? When is our deadline for submitting our music requests and event details?
What will you wear to our wedding? This is especially important if you have a very specific dress code for the celebration. Most bands and DJs will have a set uniform, but they might be willing to discuss attire changes.
Do you provide all of your own equipment? Is there anything the venue needs to provide (like a certain size space, stage, or special electrical outliets? If my site doesn't provide what you need, will you make arrangements for the stage or am I responsible for renting it?
What time will you arrive at the site and when will you depart?

Final Thoughts

Selecting your wedding vendors is like assembling a dream team to bring your special day to life. It's not just about skills; it's finding a team that vibes with your vision and understands your unique story.

Trust your instincts, seek recommendations, and enjoy building a team that stands with you on this extraordinary journey. Your wedding day is a canvas for memories, and each vendor is an artist contributing to your love story. Thoughtful choices mean more than just vetting; it's curating a storyteller ensemble.

Stay tuned for our next discussion on crafting your day-of timeline!