So, you have a ring on your finger:Now what?

By Courtney Jonsson

Knowing where to start when planning your wedding can be completely overwhelming. There are so many details, including the flowers, the dress, the food, the bar, and the DJ. So many elements go into one day, and you want everything to be perfect! But how? Where do you even begin? Don’t worry – we’re in this together.

I’m Courtney, and I’m a 2023 bride. My wedding day isn’t until November, but I have all my vendors booked, and I’ve said “yes” to the dress. I’ve also binged-watched wedding planning on YouTube, so you don’t have to. From hours of researching, I have found some important and often forgotten questions you should ask your vendors before you book.

First, there are three things you and your fiancé need to figure out before you begin researching wedding vendors.

WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET?

Having a budget range that you’d like to stick to is crucial when wedding planning. Spending more than you’re comfortable with will add to your stress levels. My advice is to skip approaching a particular vendor if you already know it is out of your budget.

WHAT IS YOUR ESTIMATED GUEST COUNT?

Sit down and make a preliminary list of who you would like to invite. This number will help you find a venue that is appropriate for your wedding and help you understand how much the food and the bar could cost. The number of guests you have at your wedding can drastically affect the cost of your event.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES?

These are the three things you are willing to spend the most money on. Think about the non-negotiables of your wedding day and start there. When interviewing each vendor, have a list of the important elements you’re sure you’d like to include. Understand what is important and what is a small detail that will never matter in the grand scheme of things. Vendors may not be able to provide exactly what you’d like within their packages, so having a list of non-negotiables for each vendor is important.

Once you’ve discussed these three questions, you and your fiancé are ready to start making calls for each item you’ll need to plan. Let’s look at the big categories.

Venue

Setting your date for the big day simply means booking your venue or venues. Some couples have the ceremony at one location and the reception at another. My advice is to book the location that is most important to you. If you’ve always dreamed of getting married in the same church your grandparents did, book that first. Here are a few key questions to ask when you’re on venue tours. How many hours are included in your rental price, and do those hours include set up and tear down?

If setup and teardown are not included in this time frame, you may have to pay for extra time in the venue. Having this time frame will guide you when you begin planning your wedding day’s timeline. Do you host more than one event per day? This question will give you a sense of whether your event will be prioritized based on their workload. You can always follow up by asking how many staff will be assigned to your event.

Are there hotels in the area that provide a shuttle service to and from your venue? If you have a lot of guests from out of town, this question will be important.

Catering

Food and the bar are crucial elements of your wedding day. While these elements usually make up a large part of your wedding budget, there are a few questions you can ask to avoid surprise costs.

Are the prices we talked about today what will be honored for our wedding day? Some caterers have a disclaimer to say the food price can go up to a certain percent of the cost you talked about during your consultation. This saves caterers from losing money if the market price skyrockets. This surcharge is important to plan for so that you’re not blindsided by a price increase.

Are china, glassware, and silverware included with your catering service? You may think this is a silly question, but believe it or not, some catering companies charge for every fork, plate, and cup they set on the table.

How many wait staff do you recommend for our chosen service style and guest count, and what is the cost per staff member? When thinking about how you want your meal to be served, also consider how many staff that will require. Buffet requires the least amount of staff, while plated meals will take the most staff.

Photography

The photos of your wedding day are the only thing you will have left once your day commences. Be sure you absolutely love the style that your photographer shoots in, and be sure to ask the following questions before you book.

Do you offer a second shooter? If you want your fiancé’s reaction when you first see him, and you want your reaction captured simultaneously, then book a second shooter. Having two photographers will ensure all the special moments will be captured from multiple points of view.

Can we give you a specific list of photos we want to have taken?

Submitting a list of your dream shots will allow your photographer to know exactly what to capture on your day.

Are their travel fees associated with our location? Some photographers have a limit as to how far they will travel, and others will fly across the country to shoot your wedding.

Along with asking these questions, there is one last tip I’d like to offer. Ask for a sample contract before you have your initial consultation with any vendor. This will allow you to review the contract in private with your fiancé without the pressure of the vendor being present. You may come up with more questions for the vendor after reviewing the contract, and you may find elements that you’re willing to negotiate over.

Work on planning your wedding when you feel inspired. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and remember to take some downtime to breathe and decompress. Your wedding will be beautiful!