In What Order Should You Book Wedding Vendors?

You have just become engaged and are about to start a new chapter in your life. One that is full with happiness, love, and enthusiasm but also a little of stress. Booking providers for a large event like a wedding can be complicated because of the many moving parts involved in the planning process.

Are You Prepared To Begin Organising Your Wedding?

It is a huge task, but you can do it. The key to a stress-free wedding planning process is being organised as you progress through your vendor timeline and hire your wedding vendors.

To ensure you're hiring the finest of the best, check out their ratings and schedule interviews.

In light of the fact that most engaged couples spend 12 months preparing for their big day, we've structured this vendor timeline accordingly.

It's possible (and impressive) to pull off a wedding in that amount of time or less. It's fine to shorten the following timeline for wedding vendors to match your needs, but try to keep things in about the same sequence.

There are two types of wedding vendors that we find useful: those who specialise in serving a single bride each day, and those who specialise in serving a large number of women.

If a company can only service one bride per day, you'll want to get your date confirmed with them first because their availability will be limited if they take on any more clients. In addition, the results of one choice could have repercussions for the subsequent choice.

Plan Ahead By At Least a Year And a Half

Ceremony Coordinator

Hiring a wedding coordinator can be quite helpful. Choosing a wedding venue is only one part of the planning process that a professional wedding planner can help with.

It is also a good idea to employ a planner after you have booked your wedding venue, as this is the typical order of events for many couples.

A good rule of thumb to keep in mind when planning your wedding is, "If it involves a specific individual, do it as soon as feasible."

Some businesses that cater to weddings offer things (such cake, flowers, and invites) and can ship to multiple couples on the same day.

Services, like everything else, are in short supply and should be acquired as soon as possible. If you hesitate for too long, the one you want may already be reserved.

Start with a wedding planner because they will be the most useful and helpful with the remainder of your purchases.

We urge you to hire a wedding planner or organizer even if you're on the fence about whether you need one or not.

Wedding Venue: 

This is a major factor to consider when deciding when to book your wedding vendors. You haven't really "fixed a date" until you choose a wedding location (and there are many from which to pick).

The sooner you book your wedding venue, the better, whether you want to have a separate location for the ceremony and reception or to have everything in one place.

And if you choose an all-inclusive venue, you may not have to look any farther for services like catering and equipment rentals.

To secure your desired wedding date is the most glaring reason to book your venue immediately. Venues for weddings in major cities sometimes sign up a year or more in advance.

Getting on the schedule as soon as possible will relieve a lot of pressure. The second biggest wedding expense is the location where the ceremony and reception will take place. Spending estimates for the forum will help you determine how much money is available for other expenses.

Last but not least, your wedding's aesthetic will be influenced by the venue's design. Every detail, from the wedding gown to the flowers to the music, will change depending on whether you hold your ceremony in a fancy ballroom or a rustic barn.

The Arranging of a Ceremonial

The time to make choices about the ceremony is now. Do you plan on having a religious service (like a church wedding) or will it be held in the reception hall? What sort of officiant will be leading the ritual?

This is something that should be done as quickly as feasible, too. Similarly, reception halls are in high demand and sometimes book up to two years in advance of a peak season wedding date.

To put it simply, unless you don't care where you have your wedding, you can't just state that any day is your wedding date. Until you secure your ceremony and reception locations and pay a deposit, you do not have a wedding date.

You won't be able to book any of your wedding services without a confirmed wedding date. As such, you should begin here.

Caterer

If the location you're considering doesn't have its own kitchen, you'll need to bring in an outside caterer. A tasting, menu analysis, and discussion of potential service formats (buffets, plated meals, stations) will all be part of this phase.

Invitees to your wedding should not go hungry. If the reception site doesn't supply food, you'll need to include a caterer in your wedding contractor timeline to ensure that guests are well fed.

If you're having trouble deciding on a serving format for your reception, your caterer should be able to give a pre-wedding sampling to assist you narrow down the menu.

If catering is not included in the price of your reception location, you should get in touch with a caterer as soon as possible after booking your site.

In order to secure the caterer of your choice, you need plan ahead. Caterers have a finite capacity for events on any given day.

The website and reviews of a caterer should give you a good idea of the quality and style of food they provide, so you shouldn't wait for a sample if it's more than a couple of months away. A wedding planner is also useful in this regard.

They will likely have experience working with all the best caterers in your area and will thus know which ones to hire and which ones to avoid.

Photographer

Given the importance of the wedding photographer, it's wise to plan ahead to have many of options.

Your photographer will spend a lot of time with you on your wedding day, so it's important that you click creatively and financially. However, the most important factor is that you feel comfortable around this person.

Videographer

A wedding video is a must-have keepsake, and the videographer you choose will create a motion- and sound-filled film of your big day.

Since videographers are frequently requested far in advance, it is wise to begin looking into your options as soon as possible.

Bridal Gown

Go dress shopping as soon as you've settled on a venue for the ceremony and the reception!

In most cases, ten months' notice is required before a bridal shop can place an order with the dress designer for your gown.

Party of the Bride

The bridesmaid dresses, as well as the attire for the groom and his attendants, must be selected at the same time as the wedding gown.

Men's attire for the wedding should be chosen and ordered at least six months in advance. This allows suppliers plenty of time to fulfil orders for rented, purchased, or specially made items.

Nine Months Before Your Wedding

Wedding Marches

The atmosphere of your reception can be set with music provided by a professional wedding band or DJ.

You should give yourself plenty of time to discover a music professional that you adore, whether that's a DJ with a great personality or a band with a fantastic sound and setlist, regardless of whether you decide to hire a band or a DJ for your wedding.

It's probably too early to start planning the wedding reception's entertainment, but you should. One vendor who can only work one wedding per day is your band or DJ.

If there's a certain brand you have your eye on or a DJ whose performance you enjoyed at a friend's wedding, don't wait to hire them. So, too, with the musicians playing at the wedding.

We'll give a nuanced answer because this is a tough question. Choosing how much of a priority the wedding film will be is a crucial first step if you intend to employ a videographer.

Let's say you place a premium on having a breathtaking wedding video. If this is the case, you should book the videographer as early as the photography and the wedding DJ.

If it's not urgent and you plan to hire the lowest bidder anyhow, putting it off is definitely the best option.

The best videographers for weddings are in high demand everywhere, so it's best to book as far in advance as possible.

Hair and Makeup

There's a strong chance that you and your hairstylist are as tight as two sticks, with each visit to the salon ending with a prearranged appointment for a trim and colour.

It can be difficult to gain access to a competent hairstylist who is sought after by many. To clarify, does your stylist offer bridal updos? Many don't. Imagine how busy the schedules of the best bridal hairstylists and wedding makeup artists are if you think your hair girl is busy. Busy.

On Saturdays, your beauty providers may only be able to accommodate a single full bridal party at a time. Schedule them as soon as possible.

Eight Months in Advance

Plants and Ornament

In the next place, we have wedding bouquets. In order to get the services of the greatest wedding florist in your area and to collaborate with them on your big day's vision, you should start planning at least eight months in advance.

Those picture-perfect bouquets you keep seeing on Pinterest? It's likely that they were created by a skilled wedding florist.

You should look for a florist whose previous work you admire and who seems to have the best grasp of your wedding's aesthetic, goals, and finances. Browse our selection of Wedding Florists for assistance in making your flower choices.

Concert Music

Live music at your ceremony adds a touch of tradition and romance to the occasion.

From a solitary harpist or guitarist to a full string quartet or jazz band, the musical accompaniment for your wedding can take various forms.

Hostel-Style Lodgings

Our recommendation is that if you have many out-of-town guests attending your wedding, you reserve a block of rooms at a few hotels in the area.

This not only guarantees that rooms will be reserved for them, but it may also help them save money on their hotel stays.

Your wedding website, save-the-date cards, and invites should all provide information on how to take advantage of a hotel room block.

Officiant

Planning for a wedding requires coordinating with many different professionals. You can't get married without it.

An experienced, professional officiant can help you create a meaningful and personal ceremony, regardless of whether you're having a religious or secular wedding.

If your chosen ceremony location does not provide a pastor, priest, or rabbi, you will need to take further steps to find one.

The right officiant can turn any ceremony into something out of a fairy tale. Since you'll be working with a specific individual, it's best to reserve their services as soon as possible.

Your wedding planner, along with your photographer, videographer, and DJ, can offer advice here because they have seen countless ceremonies, both amazing and terrible, and can tailor their advice to the style of ceremony you want.

Bridal Gown

Buying a wedding dress is not like buying your favourite brand of t-shirts. From the time you place your order until you receive your dress can take months.

Planning ahead for modifications and trying on multiple dresses is essential when searching for the perfect wedding gown (the typical bride puts on between four and seven dresses before making her final decision).

(Save-the-Date) Stationery

The time has come to discuss the stationery and invitations. We advise sending out save-the-dates for a destination wedding as soon as the venue is booked (more like a year in advance).

An eight-month lead time is reasonable for a local wedding. Choose your letterhead designer at least eight months in advance if you want to send out save the dates.

Save-the-date cards should be sent out at least six months before the wedding. Ideally, the stationer would be hired two months in advance of the event so that they could choose an appropriate design, make any necessary revisions, and have the pieces printed and addressed.

The customary time for sending out wedding invitations is eight weeks prior to the wedding date, thus the bride should start planning six months in advance.

Seven Months Before Your Wedding

Pastry Chef:

Your wedding cake baker will only take so many orders per week, so it's essential to plan ahead of time if you want to guarantee a spot in their schedule and a delicious and beautiful cake for your big day.

You've found the perfect wedding cake baker, so now it's time to organise a taste to choose the flavours for your cake.

Though a wedding cake shop may likely handle several orders on the weekend, they may not be able to accommodate forever. You should sign the contract for the wedding cake early so that you can secure a spot on the agenda.

Again, the taste is likely to take place later in the planning process; but, securing a weekend time slot in advance will guarantee that you receive the cake baker of your choice.

Wedding Party Attire

It may take many months for bridesmaid dresses to arrive, even though they can be ordered far more quickly than bridal gowns. Go to the salon with your gal pals and decide on a uniform style.

Rentals

If you want more variety at your wedding and your venue does not supply rentals such tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, etc., then you will need to include a rentals firm in your wedding vendor schedule.

Coordinate with your catering, venue, and florist to determine how much of each item to rent.

Vacation Planner Specializing in Honeymoons:

This is the perfect time to begin making plans for your honeymoon! Regardless of where you end up going for your honeymoon, it's a good idea to include a travel agent on your list of wedding vendors.

Five Months Before Your Wedding

Dress Code for Men

What about a tuxedo for the groom? Should I rent or buy? You should finalise your plans a few months before the big day.

The groom and his attendants can save money by renting or purchasing their clothes together.

Accessories:

You should get all the wedding-day accessories you need, like veils, headpieces, shoes, undergarments, and so on, well in advance of the big day.

The bride should prepare for her first fitting by purchasing shoes and underwear.

Transportation

To make sure that your big day goes off without a hitch and that everyone gets where they need to be securely and on time, it's smart to hire a limo, shuttle bus, or other mode of transportation.

Locating a reliable transportation service to aid in wedding day logistics should be a top priority.

Alright, maybe you did find this one to be ludicrous. You should engage a reliable company at least two months before the wedding if you plan on having professional transportation (limos, shuttle buses, etc.) for your guests.

One of the most common complaints from wedding planners is that their limo drivers are unreliable. The reliable ones will give you with a spotless vehicle that will get you in church on time. Bad guests will arrive late (or not at all), get lost, and cause you to be late to the wedding you just spent a small fortune planning.

Planning this out at least six months before the big day is essential, and it's worth the extra cost to ensure you hire a reliable service.

Inquire with your wedding planner for recommendations; it's likely that she's had negative experiences with other local limo services and may help you avoid making the same mistakes.

Three Months Before Your Wedding

Favours

There are a tonne of creative options for wedding favours that will let you show off your personal flair. Make sure you order your wedding favours with plenty of time to spare for any customization or unique packaging they may require.

Marriage Bands

Don't rush through the process of selecting your wedding rings because you'll be wearing them every day for the rest of your lives (no pressure).

The Day Before

• Get everything you'll need for the big day packed up and ready to go! (Wedding bands and licence, don't forget 'em!)
• Work out the merchants' final payments and gratuities. Give them to the Best Man or someone else you trust to distribute at the reception, along with the appropriate envelopes.
• After the party, have someone take care of packing up your gifts and possessions (including the cake).
• Express your appreciation to your best man for agreeing to return the Groom's rented tux and other items the day after the wedding.
• Indulge in a pedicure.
• Come to the dinner and rehearsal. Presents for the wedding party should be presented at this time.
• You should get some extra sleep tonight, so try to turn in early.

Wedding-Day Advice

• Be sure to give yourself enough time to get ready. Our comprehensive directory of Melbourne's best wedding planners is here to make your big day go off without a hitch.
• Take the time to go around and greet and thank everyone who made it to your wedding.
• Relax and inhale deeply. Take a moment to revel in your newlywed state and the special day you've spent so much time preparing for.