Getting Started
It's never too early to start researching the different wedding vendors available in your area. Even if you won't be booking them right away, when it is time to start interviewing them, already having a list of the best ones will make things go faster. Find vendors whose work catches your eye, then check out their customer reviews on trusted sites like Wedding Wire, the Knot, or even Facebook.
Once you have a list of possibilities for a particular category, you'll want to find out if they have your wedding date available. If so, make an appointment to meet with them. If there is a good chemistry between them and you, then they are a good match.
When To Book Vendors
Some wedding vendors need to be sought out sooner than others, like photographers, who can only do one wedding a day. Others, such as cake bakers, can handle more than one wedding at a time, so you can seek them out a bit later in the planning stages. Here is a suggested timeline to get you started on that vendor search.
- 9-12 months out
- Wedding Planner - This should be the 1st vendor that you book. The sooner they are on board, the sooner the rest of the planning can be taken care of. A wedding planner will handle lots of tasks for you, plus keep you on schedule. They will even have suggestions on talented, trustworthy vendors to help you knock out the rest of this list.
- Venue - Most venues can only handle one wedding at a time. You will want to book your dream wedding space before another bride and groom get it for the date you have chosen. Also, having this locked down can help with booking some of your other vendors.
- Photographer/Videographer - The best photographers get booked the fastest, so if you have one in particular whose work you are in love with, book them for your date ASAP. Another benefit of booking them early is that many offer package deals that include the engagement photo session, giving you pictures to use for announcements, wedding websites, and save-the-dates. Not everyone uses videographers, so they don't book up as quickly, but your photographer may offer this service or have someone in mind they like to work with. If not, you can put off booking a videographer closer to 6 months out.
- Entertainment - Depending on what type of entertainment you are looking for, booking times vary slightly. Bands often have their calendars booked at least a year in advance. That can be the case with DJs too, but many companies have a team of DJs available so that they can handle more than one wedding on a particular date.
- Save-the-Dates - If you are hosting a destination wedding, have a lot of guests that will be traveling from afar, or are getting married on a holiday, save-the-dates give your guests extra time to make plans to attend. These should be in the mail at least 6 months before the wedding date, so start searching early enough to choose a style, gather addresses, address the envelopes, and get them in the mail.
- 10 months out
- Wedding Dress - Once you find your dream wedding dress at our bridal salon in South Florida, it will need to be ordered in your size, and then once it arrives you will want plenty of time in case alterations are necessary. The sooner you start looking for your bridal gown, the sooner this can all be done, and you won't have to do a lot of rushing around before the big day. We do have some gorgeous wedding dresses available in our clearance section that can be bought off-the-rack. If you get lucky enough to find the perfect gown there, it will cut down on the extra delivery time needed, but you will still want enough time to schedule alterations, plus find the shoes, jewelry, headpieces, and other bridal accessories.
- 8-9 months out
- Officiant - This is another vendor that can only be in one place at a time. Some do book multiple weddings on the same day, but in that case they will still need to have your wedding time available.
- Baker - Bakers can handle multiple wedding cakes in a weekend, but for quality work, they do have their limits. This isn't one of the first vendors you need to book, but if you have a special bakery in mind, don't wait too long.
- Caterer - If the venue you have booked provides catering, you can skip this step altogether. If not, start making tasting appointments around this time in planning so that you can narrow down the search and get your favorite booked while they are still available. Just like bakers, they can do more than one wedding, but they have their limits.
- Florist - This is another area where the vendor isn't limited to just one wedding a day, but the best ones book up first. Be aware that if you are getting married during prime "wedding season" (generally mid-summer and fall) they will probably have lot of other couples looking at your date too.
- 4-6 months out
- Invitations - You will need time to find the perfect style and decide on your preferred wording. Once that's done, your wedding invitations should be addressed and ready to mail out about 2 months before the wedding date.
- Rentals/Decor - Any items that you plan to rent for your wedding (tablecloths, centerpieces, etc...) should be booked around this time. If you will be ordering items through the mail, allow enough time for them to arrive, and also to be exchanged in case of a mistake.
- Men's Attire - Around 4 months before the wedding, the groom, groomsmen, and fathers need to get measured for rental tuxedos or suits and get orders placed, or they need to find and purchase the clothing they will be wearing. Don't forget to make sure they all have proper shoes too.
- Transportation - Make sure plans are set for how the two of you will be arriving to and leaving the wedding. If you need to shuttle guests to the ceremony or reception, get the transportation booked no later than 4 months before the wedding date.
While our wedding dress store in Pompano Beach is mainly focused on the women's fashion aspects of your wedding, Angelus Bridal & Formals also has some in-house wedding vendors for you to check out. You will find wonderful tuxedo rentals, makeup artists, photography, cake design, alterations, and more right here where you found your dream wedding dress. We love to do as much as we possibly can to make your wedding day the best day ever!
878 SW 10th Avenue - Suite #8
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
954-943-7768
Visit our website: www.AngelusBridal.com
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