If this is your first wedding, you may be wondering, how do I pick the right wedding vendors?

I’m here to help you! Read on to learn about what you should look for when hiring vendors, and questions to ask during inquiry calls.

What to Look For When Hiring Wedding Vendors

First thing’s first - how do you even find wedding vendors? Here are some places to start:

Wedding vendor websites like The Knot, WeddingWire, and Zola
Facebook wedding groups (i.e. “[City I’m getting married in] Weddings) - you may have to do regions or states to find them
Venue recommendations (or their tags on Instagram) - see which vendors have worked there before
Word of mouth - get recommendations from friends and family that have gotten married in the area

Make sure you check out their reviews in multiple spots to ensure you have all of the information you need.

Now that you have a list of potential vendors, make sure they align with your budget and vision, and that they are available for your date. Narrow down your list to 3-4 vendors per category to start with and schedule inquiry calls with them. Inquiry calls are great way to see if it’s a good fit and ask any questions. Read on to see what questions you’ll want to ask all vendors.

Questions to ask All Potential Wedding Vendors

How long have you been in the wedding industry?
- You should be looking for someone that has significant experience under the belt in weddings. Understand that the lower your budget is for that vendor, the less experience they’re likely to have. If they have less experience, make sure they have experience in the event industry and/or they have assisted vendors at other weddings (i.e. helping a planner manage a wedding day).
What should I expect when working with you?
- You’ll want to get a feel for how often you’ll hear from them and what the preparation work looks like. This will vary with different vendor categories, but generally you should have at least 1 call after booking with catering, cake designer, media team (photo/video/content), and DJ to talk about your vision for the wedding day; for venues at least 2 - they need more detail about how the day will run; and for planners/coordinators, this will depend on the level of service you book.
What does a typical wedding day look like for you?
- This looks different for every vendor category, but you should get an idea of how early they arrive at the venue, how they organize their day, and what their responsibilities are. Make sure you understand what they’re offering so you don’t book with them and then find out you’re not getting what you need.
Do you have a back up person/back up equipment if something goes wrong?
- The correct answer to this should always be yes, and they should be able to articulate exactly what the back up plan is. You should never have to stress about whether a vendor is going to make it to your wedding and fulfill their services.
Are you licensed and do you have insurance?
- All professional wedding vendors should have a business license (meaning they have permission to operate as a business entity and be paid for services) and insurance to cover any accidents or things that might go wrong. Many venues require that vendors have insurance and that it is submitted to them prior to the wedding day. At minimum, anyone serving food or alcohol needs to be food safety licensed and have liability insurance.
Do you have a contract, what is the payment structure (deposit amount, due dates etc.), and what forms of payment do you take?
- All professional wedding vendors should have a contract that specifically states the services being rendered, payment schedule, and policies. Typically, a deposit will be a flat fee or a percentage (10-25%, sometimes upwards of 50% although that’s pretty rare), and then they will give you a date of when the remainder is due. For forms of payment, you’ll want to use a credit card or other system that allows for disputes if the need arises (i.e. a vendor doesn’t show up on the wedding day). If you pay with cash, check, Zelle, Venmo, or something similar, disputing charges is very difficult and you’ll likely be out the money you spent.
What other fees should I expect besides the package cost?
- Vendors will include sales tax on top of their package cost, they may also have a travel fee if you’re outside of their base area, and some (like catering) might add on gratuity already to your invoice. You should also be prepared to pay for vendor meals for anyone that’s present during dinner service (planner/coordinator, photo/video/content, DJ, etc.).

Questions to Ask Specific Vendors

Now let’s talk about questions for specific vendors.

Planners and Coordinators

How much do we work together prior to the wedding day?
- This depends on the level of service you book, but make sure if it’s enough to make you feel secure.
Will you set up/clean up decor, florals, tablescapes, furniture etc.?
- Typically planners and coordinators will only set up/clean up personal decor and tablescapes, so have a plan B for if they do not offer things like table and chair set ups or room flips.
Do you lead the rehearsal with us the day before?
- Unless you hire strictly day of coordination where it’s not offered, the answer should be yes.
Can you offer suggestions on vendors?
- The answer should be yes! Planners love recommending vendors we’ve worked well with before because it makes the wedding day that much more fun/smooth. Most full-service planners will also research for vendors (if they don’t have recommendations that fit your needs) if needed.
How many staff do you bring with you?
- This usually depends on your guest count and how much set up/clean up is needed. On average you should expect 1 person for every 50 guests.

Photographers, Videographers, and Content Creators

What is your turnaround time for images/videos/content after the wedding?
- This varies by vendor type. Typically turnaround times for photo sneak peeks is 1-7 days, full gallery 1-3 months, teaser trailer 2-4 weeks, highlight/full wedding film 2-3 months, unedited content 24-48 hours, edited reels 1-7 days.
Can I give you a shot list?
- The answer should be yes.
How many images, how much content, or how long of videos should I expect to see?
- This varies on the package you chose, including hours and products. For images and content, the longer your wedding day, the more you should expect to receive. For video, teasers are usually 60-90 seconds, highlight films 5-8 minutes, and full wedding films 30-45 minutes.
Do you offer second shooters?
- Great if they can fit in your budget - makes the timeline so much easier!
For photo: Do you offer engagement shoots?
- A great way to get comfortable with your photographer before the wedding day. Many include these in your package!
For video/content: Can I choose the music for the videos/reels?
- This varies based on the vendor, but typically they use royalty-free songs when making your films/reels.
What is your shooting and editing style?
- Make sure this lines up with what you’re looking for!

Florals

Do you provide installations and/or clean up service?
- The answer to this should be yes, but if they don’t (or it’s not in your budget), make sure you have a Plan B for who’s setting up and cleaning up your florals.
Do you have any non-floral rentals we can use (i.e. candles)?
- Great to get your rentals from one place (and if they are setting up florals, they will also likely set these up too).
How many staff do you bring with you for install?
- Depends on the complexity of the arrangement - the more complex, the more staff they should bring.
What types of floral arrangements do you make?
- Make sure they make what you’re looking for!
How much say do I have in the types/colors/design of the floral arrangements?
- You should have strong input into what your floral arrangements look like for color and design. The florist will recommend certain flowers based on your input, but also cost and whether they are in season.

Cake

What styles of cake are you most comfortable making?
- Make sure this matches up with what you’re looking for!
How much say do I have in what the cake looks like?
- You should have strong input into what your cake will look like.
What flavors of cake/icing do you make?
- Make sure they offer ones that you’ll like!
Can I do a taste test?
- The answer should be yes!
Do you deliver the cake to the venue?
- The answer should be yes - those things are delicate!

Catering

What service types do you offer?
- Make sure they offer the one you want. Also, read your venue contracts because some require full service catering.

How many staff do you bring with you?
- This varies depending on the service you select. For example, with buffet, you can have 1 server for every 50 people, but for plated, you would want 1 server for every 20 people. The higher end the service, the more staff they’ll need to bring.
Do you have preset menus or can I customize one? What about dietary restrictions?
- Make sure you like what they have, or that you can make a menu that works for you. Also make sure they can accommodate the dietary restrictions that your guests have.
What do you include besides the food?
- Some caterers will include plates, flatware, glassware, napkins, etc. Find out what they include so you know what you have to source from another vendor.
Will you cut the cake for desserts?
- The answer to this should be yes, but make sure you have a Plan B if not.
Can I do a taste test?
- The answer to this should be yes!

DJs and Bands

Do you have multiple set ups (for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception)?
- If your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are in different places, they should have multiple set ups.
What do you require in terms of music selections?
- Make sure you know what’s expected of you!
Do you emcee the reception?
- They should emcee and DJ the reception to make for a smooth flow.
What is your DJ’ing style?
- Make sure this matches up with what you’re looking for!
Do you have microphones that the officiant, groom, etc. can use during the ceremony? Do you have a handheld for the reception?
- The answer should be yes!

Beauty

What services do you offer? If you only offer one, do you have recommendations for the other?
- It’s so helpful when it’s the same business that offers both hair and makeup, but not necessary. If you book one, they probably have artists they’ve worked with before that they can recommend for the other service.
How many artists do you bring with you on the day of?
- The more artists you have, the faster the getting ready process will go; conversely, the fewer you have, the longer it will take (and the earlier you’ll have to get up!). At minimum, you should have one artist doing hair and another doing makeup.
Can you accommodate for sensitive skin/allergies?
- The answer to this should be yes!
Do you offer a trial beforehand?
- The answer to this should be yes!
Do you do onsite beauty?
- If you’re getting ready in a hotel, Airbnb, or at your venue, make sure they offer this.

Officiants

How religious/spiritual are your ceremonies?
- Make sure this matches up to what you’re looking for!
How much input can we give into what is said?
- You should have strong input when it comes to the design of your ceremony.
Do you come to the rehearsal?
- It is super helpful if they come to the rehearsal so that you can have a true walkthrough of what the ceremony will look like. If they can’t make it, have them send you the script and your planner/coordinator can be a stand in.

Having a wedding planner that can find you the best vendors, prep you for your inquiry calls, and help you make your decisions can take so much stress off of you during the wedding planning process!

Vendor Credits

Photos 1 and 11

Photo - Captured By Leo

Venue - Tybee Island Chapel and Grand Ballroom

Beauty - Crystal Nicole Artistry

Photos 2 and 3

Venue – Virginia State Parks

Photo – Ricky Crystal Photo

Florals – Little Cottage Collective

Hair – A Great Escape Spalon

Makeup – Cagney Shifflett

Photos 4-7