Vendor must haves

I had a few vendor must haves.

For my DJ: it was imperative to find someone with a lot of energy, who could keep the dance floor packed all night!! My FH LOVES to dance, and great music, so this was very important, and worth spending more money on.

For my Photographer: I wanted someone who could basically tell our love story through photos. I looked at lots of websites, emailed with a few others, and eventually met with the one I thought could do the job. The funny thing is that on her website is a mission statement of sorts where she talks about wanting to tell each couple's story!! She's perfect for us!

I guess that it for absolute must haves. Of course, I want great food, great desserts, etc. But I think I'm already getting those. There was nothing unusual that we wanted.

My biggest must have was the photographer. I wanted someone who would be able to capture the candid moments and show who we are as a couple. We did our engagement photos last weekend, and even though we haven't gotten them back, we know he's the guy. We were both super comfortable and laughing the whole time.

My second must was the venue. We needed somewhere beautiful, spacious, and someone who would be partner not just a vendor. We couldn't have gotten better. The venue owner herself will act as our DOC, and we are allowed to meet with her as much as we want. She's also been fabulous for recommending other vendors (our photographer and caterer). Honestly, will all her help I haven't felt any pressure with the planning process.

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Music is always a top priority for me too. I work for weeks before every gathering we have to put together the right music for the event.

It sounds like you found the right photographer to capture your story. Isn't it great when you just know like that!

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It sounds like your venue is perfect for you! Anything that takes the wedding pressure off is a good thing!

My venue came with an open bar, appetizers, cocktail hour etc. all of that was important to me at a good cost. I needed a DJ and a quality photographer. Both can be pricey. However, I went with a DJ that I know personally, who is highly professional and belongs to an entertainment company and I’m so happy I didn’t just choose a “cheaper option” just because. He offers consultations, have an online system, takes payments electronically and have a list of music needs for things I didn’t think of. Like, I didn’t know my grandmom needed her own processional song. So, that sealed my choice. FH & I decided on our photographer last night after going back and forth on it. I’ve worked with my photographer in the past and know his quality of work and professionalism. Yes, he’s costly but I would hate to choose a “cheaper option” and get photos that I wouldn’t be too pleased with. He offers 5 hours of time and access to all of our photos with the copyright so that we can freely print. We switched some things out of our package because having access to all photos and printing/sharing whenever was more important than having select photos and only viewing this online on a private web gallery. I don’t care for flowers so, I went ahead and did my research and went with a faux quality flower company with a payment plan. For me, having a quality venue, DJ and photographer was the most important. Everything else like centerpieces, bouquets etc. wasn’t that big of a deal to me.

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I think we're all trying to balance budget vs our vision. It's important to prioritize the must haves that you're willing to spend money on. Sounds like your reception is going to be so much fun!