Hi friends! Welcome again to my corner of the internet. I hope you are keeping safe and well during these strange times. Planning a wedding can always be tricky but now? It definitely doesn’t hurt to get a little extra help. Below I talk about the first vendors to hire for your wedding but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me!

If you are new around here, allow me to quickly introduce myself. I am Katie Ruegg and I am a wedding photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta. I would love to chat about photographing your wedding day – and you can read more about the experience of working with me here.

 

 

The first vendors to hire for your wedding

With so many weddings unfortunately needing to be rescheduled, finding your vendors for 2021 is even more challenging. Although weekday weddings might be something you want to consider to have even more options, I thought I would share some advice on the first vendors you need to hire for your wedding to help you get started right away. There is certainly no time to waste when planning a 2021 wedding.

Also, I do want to say, that although these are the first vendors you should hire, the official order will largely depend on your priorities. Have a photographer whose style you love? A wedding venue that makes you swoon? You can adjust these as you see fit 🙂

 

#1 Wedding Planner

If you are hiring a wedding planner, and after the craziness of 2020 it should be a high priority, they are going to want to be one of the first vendors you hire. A good wedding planner will help you establish your priorities and set the tone for your wedding day so that you don’t waste any money or time on tasks/items that don’t fit your overall vision. The faster you get your planner involved, the better.

As a former bride-to-be, I really wish I had taken the time to hire professionals instead of kind of guessing my way through it. And now as a photographer, I always appreciate the work a wedding planner does behind the scenes to make the day go flawlessly. I love a good checklist and a schedule!

 

#2 Wedding Venue

A wedding venue should be one of the first decisions you make, as they may have rules that dictate the rest of the day. If you have a venue that your heart is set on, they may have vendor restrictions (ie. they may require you hire a planner or even give you a list of “approved” planners).

Although you want to book your venue right away (some have a year waiting list for a Saturday!), you want to decide on your non-negotiables first. Dreaming of string lights and lots of candles? Me too. Make sure to check with the venue that these things are okay or prepare to be flexible.

 

#3 Wedding Photographer

Oh, hi. That’s me. You probably guessed that I was going to include hiring a wedding photographer on this list. If you’re reading this and you already know that I’m the one for you, then I’M STOKED TO SERVE YOU ON YOUR BIG DAY! Seriously, it’s one of my favourite things. You can contact me here and I will get back to you in 48 hours tops.

Another reason you might want to make this one of the first wedding planning decisions? Your wedding photography package may include engagement photos, so I thought I would remind you I have this post dedicated to tips for deciding what to wear. Don’t underestimate engagement photos either. They are SO important when it comes to connecting with your photographer before hand and making sure you two can relax on your big day.

Have you hired your wedding vendors yet?

Another perk to hiring a planner or photographer first? We usually have worked closely with a wide variety of other vendors. Although not the same as a planner, I am always happy to provide vendor recommendations to my couples as well. I love adventures and connecting people so it’s safe to say, I am made for this.