If you have recently got engaged, CONGRATULATIONS! I am over the moon for you both and excited for the months ahead. It is such a wonderful time seeing your wedding dreams come to life.
You will more than likely have discussed your wedding at some point, even if you are having a 5 year engagement! The ideas and dreams are still in your head and probably on a wee secret Pinterest board somewhere just waiting for the go ahead.
The reality of it all is that you can't just book a wedding in a day, it takes time. The majority of my couples will be within the 12-18 month bracket from engagement to the wedding day. If you get on the ball early, there is less chance of disappointment that your favourite vendor is booked on your day.
- Firstly, you need to decide if you prefer a church or civil ceremony, as this will factor in your venue search. Check if the celebrant is available when you have got your venue arranged.
- Next is the date or season you prefer to get married on, if you narrow that down you will be able to check out your favourite venues for their availability. My top 20 venues are listed here.
- If you have your date and venue then you can start contacting the main vendors that need to be booked ASAP. Event Planner - Photographer - Videographer - Band - Florist - Cake - Cars. Or anything else that is really important to you that you don't want to miss out on. All of the above book up quickly so best to tick these off your list as early as you can to avoid disappointment. All the rest will follow in time.
- Make a list of everything else you need for the day, i.e., Dress, Suits, Stationary etc., and have a theme in mind to help you bring it all together in one design.
As I am normally one of the first vendors that you will be in contact with, I get asked quite often for recommendations for other suppliers in the industry. Sometimes a bride has seen florals she loved in an image I've shared. It's nice pass on the florist details to help them connect and create the dream. I have worked with many of these guys over the years and many are like myself, business owners out on their own. It is a wonderful community of people helping each other out and coming together to make your day amazing! They are like the office buddies I don't have!
So, I created a quick list of suppliers I work with form year to year, (unfortunately I can not list them all). These are an amazing group of people who are all here to create the day you have dreamed about. Every couple have their own tastes, styles and budget so hopefully this is useful to your process. Tell them I have sent you on!
