Booking your wedding vendor team can be a confusing and daunting task. Who even knows about hiring wedding vendors in order and how all the pieces should fit together? Well, we do. So, here’s a quick guide on how to go about booking your vendor team!
1. THE PLANNER
Start with your wedding planner (at the minimum a day-of coordinator) to gain quality vendor recommendations. Planners can save you a huge headache by sourcing quality vendors for your wedding dream team.
2. THE VENUE
The big one! Without a venue, you don’t have a secured wedding date. Booking your wedding venue will be the launching point to booking the rest of your vendors.
2 1/2. ROOM BLOCKS
We’ll count this as a half — if you’re planning a fall wedding in Kansas City, it’s recommended to secure hotel room blocks as soon as you have your venue and wedding date. Downtown hotels fill up quickly on peak months and holiday weekends. If you’re not looking at a high traffic season there is more flexibility, but still secure your block prior to sending Save-the-Dates to your guests.
3. THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Now it’s time to find your photographer! Because photographers can usually only book one wedding a day, make this category a priority in order to snag your top pick. Another advantage of completing this task early is that your engagement photos can serve as excellent material for your Save-the-Dates, adding a personal touch to your invitations.
4. THE STATIONER
If you anticipate sending out Save-the-Dates, then this is your next stop. Only planning to send invitations? This category can bump down the list. But don’t delay too long, you still have your invitations to think about!
5. THE VIDEOGRAPHER
Similar to your venue and photographer, your videographer can only take one wedding a day or weekend. So make sure to snag them up towards the start of your planning if videography is on your priority list.
6. THE CATERER
Catering is another category that can book up relatively quickly, especially if there is a specific cuisine or vendor you hope to secure. We recommend starting your search for this vendor once your venue, date, and photographer are each secured. Booking your catering team will also be the launching point for the creative categories like rentals, florals, and entertainment.
From here, hiring wedding vendors in order can be somewhat interchangeable based on the specific vision for your wedding. You’ll want your final vendors to be secured by 5-6 months out from the wedding. Be sure to hire the most important (to you) vendors early, especially if you have only one specific company for that category you want to hire.
7. THE FLORIST
Now’s the time to start playing with colors, textures, and styling to bring your wedding vision to life. A florist will help guide your vision for the personal flowers, ceremony, and reception tables.
8. BEAUTY
Securing hair and makeup services for you and the wedding party can be done once you know the time of your ceremony and/or first look. Reach out early if you wish for the beauty team to come to you as their availability is limited, especially in fall.
9. THE ENTERTAINMENT
From the trio at the ceremony to the DJ or band at the reception, it’s time to lock in the musical component to your wedding day. Be sure to refer to the times booked at your venues when hiring these vendors.
10. THE RENTALS
After meeting with your venue, caterer, and florist, you’ll have a good idea of what needs to be secured from a rental provider in order to achieve the look and funcationality desired for your wedding.
11. THE DESSERT
While grocery stores and bakeries can take on multiple cakes per day, individual cake decorators often limit the number of cakes they create each weekend, so keep this in mind if cake and desserts are important to you.
12. THE TRAVEL AGENCY
The further out you book travel, the better rates you will recieve, so hiring and working with a travel agent for your destination wedding and/or honeymoon will save you stress and money.
13. STATIONERY/SIGNAGE
Once the aesthetic for your wedding is set, you are ready to begin working with a stationery designer to create your invitation suite. The same vendor may be able to assist you with day-of signage — if not then look for a vendor that specializes in handlettering and/or acrylic
14. PRODUCTION
At certain venues you will recognize the need for a production crew early on and other times production is an option to upgrade lighting, bring in unique furniture, and customize your dance floor.
15. TRANSPORTATION
Once the schedule is largely set, you can view the transportation needs for you and your guests throughout the wedding day and hire a provider that has vehicles that meet your specific needs.
16. PERSONALIZED DETAILS
While personalized details typically come last, they can be the most fun. This is where you get to hire vendors that help bring your vision and personalities to life on the wedding day. From cotton candy to custom cocktails, live painting to late night snacks, each vendor brings a unique flair to enhance the guest experience.
Your wedding is unique to you and the dream day you’re planning, so shift these categories to prioritize what’s most important to you. Have one vender in particular that you’ve always dreamed about having on wedding team? Hire them at the start to ensure you’ve got them secured! While this booking order is not a firm rule, we hope that it’s a helpful guide in giving you direction for your wedding planning journey.
Enjoying “Hiring Wedding Vendors” and ready to start finding vendors for your wedding? Check out our collection of Kansas City Wedding Vendors.
