WAHOO!!!! You’re engaged! I’m so excited for you!!! Like super pumped!! Let the wedding planning begin! And the earlier the better. But the big question is, which wedding vendors should you book first for your wedding and why??

Figure out your wedding date

First, you need to know when your wedding date is. This is the biggest question that your vendors will have for you. So make sure to nail that down when chatting with them.

Book your Venue

Book your venue first. You don’t want to book other details (flowers, hair, make up, etc) and then find out your venue is unavailable on your day and then you have to let the others know – to much work! Get the venue locked down. Next on the list? Book your wedding photographer! (hint, hint – I love weddings!)

Book your wedding photographer early!

Book your wedding photographer as far in advance as you can (once you have your date and venue, of course). Why? Well think of it this way: many of your other wedding vendors can serve multiple couples on one day. Florists, for example, tend to have a team of people. They work together to get your flowers ready and have multiple people available for delivery or pick up. But your wedding photographer can’t serve two couples on one day. Most weddings need a minimum of 6 hours for coverage (and that’s if you don’t have EVERYTHING photographed), but 8 to 10 hours of coverage is pretty standard. Plus, they have to account for travel to your venue and any other locations you are using for your day.

How far in advance should you book your wedding photographer? As I mentioned before, the earlier the better. The prime time frame is about 12 to 18 months before your wedding. I you have your eye on a particular photographer, try to book them in sooner than later. Like I said earlier, photographers can only serve one couple on a date. Once that date is taken it’s gone. There are also some other things to keep in mind when booking your photographer (and other vendors):

• If you are trying to plan your wedding date around a holiday weekend, those dates fill up CRAZY fast!
• Are you trying to book your wedding for a prime/favorite wedding season in your area? Here in Saskatchewan, summertime is the prime time and usually fill up the fastest! And if you want an outdoor ceremony, summer or early fall is ideal. So keep that in mind.

Here are some other bonuses for booking early:

• As vendors gain more experience and elevate their services, their prices WILL go up! Once you book, you lock in their current rates and don’t have to worry about increases down the road. (Yeah, saving money!)
• Less stress while planning your wedding! Being able to cross things off your to-do list is an AMAZING feeling! (I love crossing off items on my list of things to do!). The more you accomplish the more time you have to enjoy your engagement season of life!

If you have questions about finding the perfect venue for your wedding, send me a note! I have seen and been to many weddings and can give some recommendations in the Saskatchewan area! Email me at hello@krystalmoorephotography.com

Looking for how to word your wedding invite? Check out this blog post!

Here is an blog post about choosing your pre ceremony location for the best photos!

Congrats again on your engagement!! Celebration time!!!