February 18, 2024 • 14 mins
In this episode, host Yvette Sitters dives into the crucial aspect of booking wedding vendors and why timing is paramount in securing the best for your special day. Yvette shares expert tips on when to book major vendors, the impact of popular wedding dates, increasing costs and how to secure vendor availability. Don't miss out on your dream team!
Episode Highlights:
- The significance of booking key vendors early in the wedding planning process.
- Major vendors to prioritise: venue, caterer, celebrant/officiant, and photographer.
- Tips for selecting vendors who resonate with your vision and style.
- Considerations for popular wedding dates and flexibility in choosing dates.
- Leveraging online meetings to secure vendors, even for destination weddings.
- Negotiation strategies for pricing and payment plans.
Full Shownotes and Resources:
- For detailed information, additional tips, and resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website at https://managemywedding.com/blogs/news/booking-wedding-vendors-timing-is-everything
Ready to plan your dream wedding without the stress? Our free masterclass reveals how to avoid hidden costs, save 50+ hours of planning, create a seamless day-of schedule, and handle family opinions like a pro. Start now at https://www.managemyweddingacademy.com/weddingmasterclass and turn your wedding vision into a reality!
🤍
WEDDING MUST-HAVES:
- Download the Free Manage My Wedding App : Stay organised
- Secrets To Planning The Best Wedding Ever: Free masterclass without forgetting a single detail, staying calm through-out, and sticking to your budget.
- Stress-Free Countdown: Your Final 90-Day Wedding Guide: Don't overlook anything in your final weeks
- Additional Tools: For easy smooth planning
🤍
CONNECT WITH US:
- Win Wedding Prizes: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and enter our monthly competitions.
- Follow Us on Social Media: For valuable wedding advice on Instagram and Facebook.
- Join Our Private Community: Connect with other couples in our private community for support and and plan your dre...
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Yvette Sitters (00:00):
Welcome to the Manage my Wedding podcast, where
we believe your wedding is themost important time in your life
and you deserve to feelsupported and organised when
planning the wedding of yourdreams.
I'm your host, yvette Sitters.
Hello, welcome back to theManage my Wedding podcast
(00:21):
Another exciting episode, andtoday I'm going to be talking
about tackling a crucial aspectof your wedding planning booking
vendors and the significance ofthe timing in securing the
right vendors for your dreamwedding.
Now, who has heard that sayingthe early bird gets the worm?
(00:42):
I haven't heard it for a while,but I'm sure many of you have
heard it and you remember whatit means.
And it's the same for bookingkey vendors.
The early bird gets the wormLike, honestly, the best venues,
the best photographers, thebest wedding stylists, florists,
(01:03):
all of that If they are good,if they have amazing reviews, if
they are popular, in demand,they book out early, and all
those other weddings thatstarted to get on top of things
really early are the early birdgets the worm.
So that's the saying you feellike oh my gosh, okay, whatever.
(01:24):
That's a very popular saying,but it is just so, so true.
Some vendors are in demand, andI mean really really high
demand and they are worth theirweight and gold.
So you have to remember thatand I get asked all the time
when should I book myphotographer?
I've locked in my venue.
(01:45):
When do I need to book myphotographer?
I want to tell you now like youneed to book them in now,
especially for the major vendorsthat we're dealing with.
So the key ones that I alwayssay are major vendors are one,
obviously, the venue.
That is critical that you dothat as soon as you know that
(02:08):
you're engaged, unless you'renot playing gyro.
Married for five years, fairenough, but if you want to have
a wedding in the next two years,you need to book your venue now
, and also a caterer if thevenue doesn't have that.
So they kind of go together.
The other major vendors that Iwant to say you need to book
ASAP is your celebrant and yourphotographer.
(02:30):
They are absolutely criticalfor a perfect wedding day.
Your celebrant or yourofficiant sorry, whichever one
you're going with or your pastor, whoever it is.
They are marrying you.
You do not want to miss out thegood ones.
Get on to that.
You want to find the person youresonate with and that you feel
(02:50):
is connected to you as a coupleand to your love story.
And the photographer.
Those are photos you look atfor your whole entire life.
They are memories you look atforever.
You want to look at thosephotos and love them and you
want them to be good enough thatthey're on your wall.
And the photographers that arethe best.
They are going to book outreally, really quickly.
(03:13):
So please just remember thatthere is no time frame on when
you should book those ones.
You should just do it now.
Do it now and you know,obviously there are other
vendors that are important aswell.
Like, you think, a makeupartist, they're making you feel
beautiful for your wedding day.
The musician is the personthat's getting every single
(03:36):
person on the dance floor.
So they are equally, just asimportant, but they don't tend
to book out as quick andsometimes you have, you know,
more options than, say, a venueor a photographer.
So those ones you know, ifyou're like, oh, I just can't do
it all right now, get the venuelocked away, kater, if you need
(03:59):
it, get your efficient lockedaway and get your photographer
booked in, and then maybe youcould wait a little while to do
the rest of the vendors.
But I do also wanna say when weare living in a time that we're
living in now, where everythingis ridiculously expensive
globally for anything.
(04:19):
I'm not talking weddings, I'mtalking life.
The longer you wait, the moreprices are gonna go up and
majority of the time, whateverthe price is that you lock in
today is the price that you pay,even if your wedding is in two
years time.
So if you have enough money tosecure deposits for as many of
the vendors as you need, I wouldprioritize that over worrying
(04:44):
about favors and other thingsthat you can book closer to the
time.
That don't matter.
So get in.
Book them at those rates.
Now, do look at the contracts,because there are like some
Katerers, they do stipulate intheir contracts that there's a
2.5 increase year on year andthat might affect you.
(05:06):
So if your wedding's in twoyears time, it might be 5% more,
and that's obviously becausethey know that food's gonna cost
them more from their supplier.
So just check that in thecontracts.
But the majority of yourvendors will set the price and
that's the price.
So that is a massive tip.
If you wanna save some moneydown the track, try and come up
(05:28):
with the deposits as quick asyou can and go ahead and pay
those and sign those contracts.
That's what I wanna say there.
There's also the impact ofreally popular wedding dates and
seasons on the vendoravailability as well.
You might be really wanting aSaturday night in summer, which
(05:51):
is a really popular time to getmarried, and if that is your
situation and you haven't bookedyour key vandals, I would get
onto that now Because populardates go really really really
quickly.
So that is my tip with that,book at those peak wedding times
and try and get in as quick asyou can.
And the same goes kind of withthose less popular dates.
(06:13):
Like there are benefits inbeing flexible with your wedding
date because it can give yousometimes lower prices.
Some venues will charge youless for, you know, a Monday to
Thursday wedding, and some evenFriday.
It depends on where it is andlocation, et cetera.
But if you are more flexiblewith your wedding date and you
(06:34):
go for a less popular date andmaybe you go for a winter
wedding, then you are gonna havemuch more opportunity to find
vendors easier, even the reallyreally good ones.
So have a think about that.
You know I get asked all thetime is it okay to have a
weekday wedding?
Yes, it is Absolutely.
It is because those that loveyou will come.
(06:55):
They will make the effort to bethere.
So have a think about that.
If you're gonna book a publicholiday weekend, sometimes
you're gonna find vendors areaway, so they're not gonna take
bookings for those weekends.
So you have to put that intoyour mind as well.
Now, if you're like, well, I'mactually planning my wedding in
(07:19):
another state or another country, I've locked in my venue, but I
don't wanna lock in my vendorsbecause I can't get back there
for six months, then mysuggestion is speak to them on
Zoom.
Like, if you can't meet themface to face, but you really
wanna get them locked in, andespecially at the prices that
they're at now, meet them onZoom.
(07:41):
Honestly, you pick up prettyquickly when you're looking at
someone face to face, even whenit's online on Zoom or FaceTime.
However you wanna do it, you'regonna pick up pretty quickly if
you like them or not.
Like.
We're living in an online,digital world now and, honestly,
a lot of the time, that's howwe get to know people, and it's
no different for vendors.
(08:02):
So get online, have a chat tothem face to face, look at their
testimonials and reviews, lookat the work they've done
previously and then just make adecision and lock in those key
ones, cause, honestly, it makesa world of difference If there's
a makeup artist and you're like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna
(08:22):
know that they're gonna do whatI like?
Make sure, when you look attheir work, that their work
looks like you're looking at thework of somebody who looks like
you.
So there's no point in lookingat someone who only does makeup
on blonde, blue-eyed, pale skintype people and your, you know,
(08:44):
olive, dark hair, dark eyes.
You've got to actually look atpeople who are similar featured
to you so you can see if they doto work like that and if you
like it.
So that's a little bit of a tipwith that and Flores, obviously
it's really easy to look attheir reviews and it's really
easy to stalk their social mediaand see if they do a good job.
(09:05):
That's gonna tell you prettyquickly.
You don't really meet with aFlores to touch their flowers or
smell their flowers.
You're looking at their stuffonline or on their website, or
mostly from past weddings, to behonest, because we can all put
photos on our websites, but truephotos, you know, showing when
(09:25):
the work is actually done on theday.
So look at their stories, seewhat they're doing, see what
they're getting up to.
So that is my tip around thatas well.
But honestly, when should youbook vendors, vendors, the major
ones Now, book them now.
You know, it's really, really,really important.
(09:46):
The early bird catches the worm.
I'm gonna say it again.
And, like I said, if there issomeone you really want to lock
in, sometimes it's worth talkingto them.
If you're like they want a $500deposit, I just don't have that
right now, but I don't want tolose them.
Ask them, just say look, is itokay if I pay $200 now and $300
(10:07):
next month, because I'm lockingin a lot of vendors and I just
don't have all of that money upfront right now?
But I want you and I don't wantto lose you and I'm happy to
sign the contract too.
So just talk to them, negotiatewith them and come up, you know
, with a way to make it happen.
Honestly, it is worth it.
Ask them if someone you knoweven if someone says, oh, my
(10:29):
prices go up 5% each year justsay I really want to lock you in
, but I can only afford thisyear's prices.
Is that okay?
You know, see what they say,have a chat to them.
Vendors are lovely, they care somuch about your wedding and
they want to help you.
So it's just never, ever asituation where they're like, oh
don't, you can't ask me that.
(10:49):
Yes, it is sometimes rude toyou know.
Say to a celebrant, if they'vesent you a quote for $1000 and
you're like, can you do it for$600?
Yeah, that is kind of rude,because they set their prices
for a reason.
They've set it because of theirexperience and how well they do
their job and also all thehours that go into what they do.
(11:11):
So obviously, when I saynegotiate and talk to them, I
mean in a fair way, okay, sothat it's a win-win for everyone
.
So, yeah, that are my tips.
There's not much else I canreally add to that about when to
book your vendors.
I think that pretty muchanswers what everyone keeps on
seeming to ask.
But the sooner the better.
(11:32):
You know, if you're not gettingmarried for another three years
, it's okay to sit back and notmake decisions right now.
That is totally fine.
But you know, if you want yourdream venue and you've got time
on your side, try and lock it intwo years before, if you can I
say and obviously if you'relistening now and you're like,
oh my gosh, my wedding's in sixmonths, get on to booking the
(11:55):
key vendors and then maybe everyweek book one more vendor so
you're not overwhelming yourselfand then you get on top of
where you should be and you knowyou're not stressed out in
those last couple of monthstrying to find vendors.
So, yeah, I hope that helpseveryone.
If that has helped you, please,please, please, pop over and
leave me a five star review.
I would be so grateful.
(12:16):
I don't know what it is.
It is so hard to get people toleave reviews.
I have beautiful five starreviews, but it just is very
hard to get people to take thetime, because I know we're all
living in a really busy worldand I run competitions.
So you can win access to myfree full course.
You can win my now only myfinal 90 day wedding guide.
(12:36):
You can win one-on-one timewith me.
There's all prizes up for grabsevery month.
Just because you leave a review, you go straight into the draw.
So if you could take the time,I would be so grateful.
And until next time, enjoybeing engaged and staying stress
free and organized whileplanning a wedding of your
dreams.
Welcome to the Manage my Wedding podcast, where
we believe your wedding is themost important time in your life
and you deserve to feelsupported and organised when
planning the wedding of yourdreams.
I'm your host, yvette Sitters.
Hello, welcome back to theManage my Wedding podcast
(00:21):
Another exciting episode, andtoday I'm going to be talking
about tackling a crucial aspectof your wedding planning booking
vendors and the significance ofthe timing in securing the
right vendors for your dreamwedding.
Now, who has heard that sayingthe early bird gets the worm?
(00:42):
I haven't heard it for a while,but I'm sure many of you have
heard it and you remember whatit means.
And it's the same for bookingkey vendors.
The early bird gets the wormLike, honestly, the best venues,
the best photographers, thebest wedding stylists, florists,
(01:03):
all of that If they are good,if they have amazing reviews, if
they are popular, in demand,they book out early, and all
those other weddings thatstarted to get on top of things
really early are the early birdgets the worm.
So that's the saying you feellike oh my gosh, okay, whatever.
(01:24):
That's a very popular saying,but it is just so, so true.
Some vendors are in demand, andI mean really really high
demand and they are worth theirweight and gold.
So you have to remember thatand I get asked all the time
when should I book myphotographer?
I've locked in my venue.
(01:45):
When do I need to book myphotographer?
I want to tell you now like youneed to book them in now,
especially for the major vendorsthat we're dealing with.
So the key ones that I alwayssay are major vendors are one,
obviously, the venue.
That is critical that you dothat as soon as you know that
(02:08):
you're engaged, unless you'renot playing gyro.
Married for five years, fairenough, but if you want to have
a wedding in the next two years,you need to book your venue now
, and also a caterer if thevenue doesn't have that.
So they kind of go together.
The other major vendors that Iwant to say you need to book
ASAP is your celebrant and yourphotographer.
(02:30):
They are absolutely criticalfor a perfect wedding day.
Your celebrant or yourofficiant sorry, whichever one
you're going with or your pastor, whoever it is.
They are marrying you.
You do not want to miss out thegood ones.
Get on to that.
You want to find the person youresonate with and that you feel
(02:50):
is connected to you as a coupleand to your love story.
And the photographer.
Those are photos you look atfor your whole entire life.
They are memories you look atforever.
You want to look at thosephotos and love them and you
want them to be good enough thatthey're on your wall.
And the photographers that arethe best.
They are going to book outreally, really quickly.
(03:13):
So please just remember thatthere is no time frame on when
you should book those ones.
You should just do it now.
Do it now and you know,obviously there are other
vendors that are important aswell.
Like, you think, a makeupartist, they're making you feel
beautiful for your wedding day.
The musician is the personthat's getting every single
(03:36):
person on the dance floor.
So they are equally, just asimportant, but they don't tend
to book out as quick andsometimes you have, you know,
more options than, say, a venueor a photographer.
So those ones you know, ifyou're like, oh, I just can't do
it all right now, get the venuelocked away, kater, if you need
(03:59):
it, get your efficient lockedaway and get your photographer
booked in, and then maybe youcould wait a little while to do
the rest of the vendors.
But I do also wanna say when weare living in a time that we're
living in now, where everythingis ridiculously expensive
globally for anything.
(04:19):
I'm not talking weddings, I'mtalking life.
The longer you wait, the moreprices are gonna go up and
majority of the time, whateverthe price is that you lock in
today is the price that you pay,even if your wedding is in two
years time.
So if you have enough money tosecure deposits for as many of
the vendors as you need, I wouldprioritize that over worrying
(04:44):
about favors and other thingsthat you can book closer to the
time.
That don't matter.
So get in.
Book them at those rates.
Now, do look at the contracts,because there are like some
Katerers, they do stipulate intheir contracts that there's a
2.5 increase year on year andthat might affect you.
(05:06):
So if your wedding's in twoyears time, it might be 5% more,
and that's obviously becausethey know that food's gonna cost
them more from their supplier.
So just check that in thecontracts.
But the majority of yourvendors will set the price and
that's the price.
So that is a massive tip.
If you wanna save some moneydown the track, try and come up
(05:28):
with the deposits as quick asyou can and go ahead and pay
those and sign those contracts.
That's what I wanna say there.
There's also the impact ofreally popular wedding dates and
seasons on the vendoravailability as well.
You might be really wanting aSaturday night in summer, which
(05:51):
is a really popular time to getmarried, and if that is your
situation and you haven't bookedyour key vandals, I would get
onto that now Because populardates go really really really
quickly.
So that is my tip with that,book at those peak wedding times
and try and get in as quick asyou can.
And the same goes kind of withthose less popular dates.
(06:13):
Like there are benefits inbeing flexible with your wedding
date because it can give yousometimes lower prices.
Some venues will charge youless for, you know, a Monday to
Thursday wedding, and some evenFriday.
It depends on where it is andlocation, et cetera.
But if you are more flexiblewith your wedding date and you
(06:34):
go for a less popular date andmaybe you go for a winter
wedding, then you are gonna havemuch more opportunity to find
vendors easier, even the reallyreally good ones.
So have a think about that.
You know I get asked all thetime is it okay to have a
weekday wedding?
Yes, it is Absolutely.
It is because those that loveyou will come.
(06:55):
They will make the effort to bethere.
So have a think about that.
If you're gonna book a publicholiday weekend, sometimes
you're gonna find vendors areaway, so they're not gonna take
bookings for those weekends.
So you have to put that intoyour mind as well.
Now, if you're like, well, I'mactually planning my wedding in
(07:19):
another state or another country, I've locked in my venue, but I
don't wanna lock in my vendorsbecause I can't get back there
for six months, then mysuggestion is speak to them on
Zoom.
Like, if you can't meet themface to face, but you really
wanna get them locked in, andespecially at the prices that
they're at now, meet them onZoom.
(07:41):
Honestly, you pick up prettyquickly when you're looking at
someone face to face, even whenit's online on Zoom or FaceTime.
However you wanna do it, you'regonna pick up pretty quickly if
you like them or not.
Like.
We're living in an online,digital world now and, honestly,
a lot of the time, that's howwe get to know people, and it's
no different for vendors.
(08:02):
So get online, have a chat tothem face to face, look at their
testimonials and reviews, lookat the work they've done
previously and then just make adecision and lock in those key
ones, cause, honestly, it makesa world of difference If there's
a makeup artist and you're like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna
(08:22):
know that they're gonna do whatI like?
Make sure, when you look attheir work, that their work
looks like you're looking at thework of somebody who looks like
you.
So there's no point in lookingat someone who only does makeup
on blonde, blue-eyed, pale skintype people and your, you know,
(08:44):
olive, dark hair, dark eyes.
You've got to actually look atpeople who are similar featured
to you so you can see if they doto work like that and if you
like it.
So that's a little bit of a tipwith that and Flores, obviously
it's really easy to look attheir reviews and it's really
easy to stalk their social mediaand see if they do a good job.
(09:05):
That's gonna tell you prettyquickly.
You don't really meet with aFlores to touch their flowers or
smell their flowers.
You're looking at their stuffonline or on their website, or
mostly from past weddings, to behonest, because we can all put
photos on our websites, but truephotos, you know, showing when
(09:25):
the work is actually done on theday.
So look at their stories, seewhat they're doing, see what
they're getting up to.
So that is my tip around thatas well.
But honestly, when should youbook vendors, vendors, the major
ones Now, book them now.
You know, it's really, really,really important.
(09:46):
The early bird catches the worm.
I'm gonna say it again.
And, like I said, if there issomeone you really want to lock
in, sometimes it's worth talkingto them.
If you're like they want a $500deposit, I just don't have that
right now, but I don't want tolose them.
Ask them, just say look, is itokay if I pay $200 now and $300
(10:07):
next month, because I'm lockingin a lot of vendors and I just
don't have all of that money upfront right now?
But I want you and I don't wantto lose you and I'm happy to
sign the contract too.
So just talk to them, negotiatewith them and come up, you know
, with a way to make it happen.
Honestly, it is worth it.
Ask them if someone you knoweven if someone says, oh, my
(10:29):
prices go up 5% each year justsay I really want to lock you in
, but I can only afford thisyear's prices.
Is that okay?
You know, see what they say,have a chat to them.
Vendors are lovely, they care somuch about your wedding and
they want to help you.
So it's just never, ever asituation where they're like, oh
don't, you can't ask me that.
(10:49):
Yes, it is sometimes rude toyou know.
Say to a celebrant, if they'vesent you a quote for $1000 and
you're like, can you do it for$600?
Yeah, that is kind of rude,because they set their prices
for a reason.
They've set it because of theirexperience and how well they do
their job and also all thehours that go into what they do.
(11:11):
So obviously, when I saynegotiate and talk to them, I
mean in a fair way, okay, sothat it's a win-win for everyone
.
So, yeah, that are my tips.
There's not much else I canreally add to that about when to
book your vendors.
I think that pretty muchanswers what everyone keeps on
seeming to ask.
But the sooner the better.
(11:32):
You know, if you're not gettingmarried for another three years
, it's okay to sit back and notmake decisions right now.
That is totally fine.
But you know, if you want yourdream venue and you've got time
on your side, try and lock it intwo years before, if you can I
say and obviously if you'relistening now and you're like,
oh my gosh, my wedding's in sixmonths, get on to booking the
(11:55):
key vendors and then maybe everyweek book one more vendor so
you're not overwhelming yourselfand then you get on top of
where you should be and you knowyou're not stressed out in
those last couple of monthstrying to find vendors.
So, yeah, I hope that helpseveryone.
If that has helped you, please,please, please, pop over and
leave me a five star review.
I would be so grateful.
(12:16):
I don't know what it is.
It is so hard to get people toleave reviews.
I have beautiful five starreviews, but it just is very
hard to get people to take thetime, because I know we're all
living in a really busy worldand I run competitions.
So you can win access to myfree full course.
You can win my now only myfinal 90 day wedding guide.
(12:36):
You can win one-on-one timewith me.
There's all prizes up for grabsevery month.
Just because you leave a review, you go straight into the draw.
So if you could take the time,I would be so grateful.
And until next time, enjoybeing engaged and staying stress
free and organized whileplanning a wedding of your
dreams.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.