Choosing The Right Vendor, At The Right Time

Booking a vendor for your wedding is not as simple as looking up a category in The Knot or The Wedding Channel.  This stage of planning is very strategic and can make the difference in you having an impressionable experience versus having the most mortified time of your life.  There’s a level of priority to follow when it comes to choosing vendors for your special day.  If you book an event/wedding planner, he or she will extend their expertise on booking service providers that will, ultimately, save you time, stress, and even your insanity.  Here’s some ideas to remember when choosing your vendors:

Priority One Vendors
These vendors include Ceremony & Reception Location, Caterer (if not required to use the venue’s exclusive caterer), Entertainment, Photographer, and the Officiant.  If you have your eyes on one of the most popular venues in the city, then you definitely need to be flexible and have some back-up dates in mind. Also, this level of vendors  are “all or nothing” type vendors- their service offerings are typically blocked for the entire day, which means a hefty deposit is usually required at contract signing. Everything is pretty much contingent upon the location that is booked… so try to book that first, for all other vendor needs will rest on the location, date, and time.

Priority Two Vendors
Priority Two vendors include Florist, Baker, Hair Stylist/Makeup Artist, Videographer, Hotel .  These types of vendors are able to handle multiple events at a time and are not needed for the entire day.  There are plenty of great service providers at this level so it’s not as cut throat to get your first choice. When booking this vendor, be sure to explicitly state, in your contract, product/service choice and TIME of delivery.  Being thirty minutes behind schedule due to a vendor can be seen as a minor hiccup by a few, but many remember it for years to come.

Third Priority Vendors
Vendors like Event Rental, Lighting, and Transportation Companies come in a surplus. Their inventory is never-ending and can sometimes be available at a week’s notice, depending on the need.  Remember, transportation can be interchangeable between Priority Two and Three given the season- late spring/summer can be a pain with prom season and all the other weddings going on… so keep that in mind.

CHEERS!