Are you engaged and planning a wedding with your love? Well, you came to the right place!! Awhile back we compiled a series of posts that included tips on how to best plan for a wedding on our Instagram account. Today, we are compiling those posts into this blog so that you can get the most out of your wedding planning needs!!
Tip #1: BOOK YOUR BIGGEST VENDORS FIRST
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WE KNOW WE KNOW, you might be saying, DUH. But, we are serious. We are not just saying dude book your vendors, we are saying DUDE BOOK YOUR VENDORS. Biggest vendors include: venue, photographer/videographer, DJ, coordinators, and caterer (depending on venue policies).
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So many times as photographers we have gotten inquiries for weddings that are supposed to be happening a month later. Yes, circumstances can occur that require this to happen, but if you can avoid it, it is a must. We always tell friends and family that as soon as they get engaged, settle on a date and start booking ASAP. We say this because our dream venue was booked on our wedding date and our wedding is a year and three months away. This puts things into perspective if you are waiting on this part.
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Not only that, if you have a dream photographer you are wanting to book with, book it ASAP as well. Photographers are already booking into 2024 and as of now we have booked 4 dates that are no longer open. Our other concern is, though we are saying book asap, DO NOT EVER RUSH YOUR DECISION, which leads us into tip number two.
Tip #2: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR VENDORS
First thing we need to say is that WE KNEW what vendors we wanted for our wedding day because we have worked with a handful of people and knew exactly who we were calling when it was official. This was a definite perk to being in this industry, but for you, you might not know any vendors or where to start, so here are our recommendations.
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We highly suggest looking at websites, full wedding galleries, looking at reviews, and getting to know the person you might be working with. Your vendors will be the ones you spend the entire day with, especially your photographer, so it is important you are getting good vibes and get along with them.
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We also highly suggest getting recommendations from other vendors you know, or have booked with! Sometimes you have no idea where to start and allowing yourself to think these things through is very very important so keep that in mind.
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Also fun tip, do not ghost vendors if you can help it. They appreciate knowing if you are going with them or not.
TIP #3: DETAILS
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Choose colors, theme/vibe, guest list, wedding party, and book bridal appointment for dresses.
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One of our favorite things to do with the details portion of planning is make a mood board so if someone is helping you with those details they can also be on the same page as you. Your vision can come to life with a mood board and you can change things around in the categories above.
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Guest list and wedding party are HUGE too because when you book a venue some of those questions pop up! If you don’t have a ball park range then it’s harder to book.
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Bridal appointments are important because depending on the bridal shop and dress, can depend on turn around time for when you receive your dress. People might think your nuts, but better to be safe than sorry!
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Plus, in our opinion, if you are prepped for the things we have mentioned ahead of time, then come time for the wedding it won’t seem so stressful.
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Tip #4: SET A BUDGET
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You have to set a budget. This is another one of those DUH moments but I’m for real. We sat down and wrote down what we were willing to spend in all the categories:
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Venue, Catering, Photography, DJ, Decor, Flowers Dress, Hair & Makeup, Tux/Dress, Wedding, Rings, Stationary, Drinks, Honeymoon, and Vendor tips.
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We looked up average for our areas and reached out to our top vendors we loved/could afford and got quotes. From there we made decisions and set a budget to stay within our range in each category. When we spend less in one area we shift the money around for an “extra” pile so if we need to give somewhere else we can!!
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We will say, this part is not easy. You want to buy a lot of things, but in the end if you are trying to stay within budget you have to limit yourself depending on your situation. We love the extra pile because we don’t feel guilty spending it if we have it!
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So with that being said, set that darn budget friend. It’s so helpful!!
Tip #5: MAKE A BINDER
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Every time we say we have a binder for all of the wedding stuff we feel like Monica from Friends, but y'all she had something going there. So for real, get a 1 inch binder and fill it up with receipts, guest list and all the things. This is the best way to stay organized with online purchases, and down payment info.
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we hope that these tips come in handy for you as you walk through the wedding planning journey. If you have any questions or these tips have helped you so much and you want to work with us for your wedding in 2024, please fill out the form below! Thanks for reading
Amber xoxo
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Office:
Pekin, Illinois
Inquires:
amberlynn.photo@yahoo.com
