Tips for Choosing the Best Wedding Vendors
Planning a wedding can be a huge undertaking. Since most couples have never planned a wedding before, it can be hard to know where to start or which vendors to choose for your wedding day. Being one of the most important days of your life, you want to make sure you have selected the best wedding DJ for your wedding reception, a bakery that makes delicious wedding cake, a photographer who will capture photos of you and your fiancé beautifully and a wedding venue that will be the perfect backdrop for your special day.
We have been performing at weddings for over 10 years. Over the years we have worked with many of Hudson Valley’s best wedding vendors. Through our experiences, we’ve gathered some advice for choosing the best wedding vendors for your wedding.
How do you find vendors?
Referral is one of the best resources for finding wedding vendors! Whether it is a referral from a family member or friend who has used a great wedding DJ, or a referral from your wedding venue for a photographer they know and trust, referrals are a great starting point. From there, you should read online reviews for vendors you are considering using. WeddingWire and Google are popular websites where brides leave reviews for vendors they have used.
It’s also a good idea to look at vendors’ blogs and social media outlets. Here you’ll be able to see photos, watch videos and read about weddings they have done. Online presence is also a great way to see how professional vendors are. If their website, blog and social media sites look and sound professional, then that is probably a good sign that the vendor will also be professional to work with.
When should you book your vendors?
Booking vendors can be overwhelming as there are many vendors you’ll need to contract for your wedding – venue, photographer, DJ, wedding planner, etc. It’s always best to book your venue first as that will solidify your wedding date. We recommend booking your venue at least 15-24 months prior to your wedding, so you can ensure you get your first choice venue and wedding date. After you have your venue and wedding date set in stone, next book the remainder of your vendors. Keep in mind that vendors who will be on-site on your wedding day, such as a specific DJ or photographer, can’t be in two places at once. If you have your heart set on a specific person, book them as soon as possible before they get contracted for another wedding.
Book someone that gets you.
Meeting with a vendor in-person prior to booking them allows you to get a good feel for their work ethic and personality. You want a vendor that you know you can trust, and that understands the style and atmosphere you and your fiancé want to portray at your wedding. If you’re meeting with a caterer, ask if you can sample some of their food to make sure you enjoy it. Or when meeting with a wedding DJ, go over specific traditions and songs you want at your wedding to make you are all on the same page.
