Who to hire, in the order the dates actually leave

Who to book, and the order that usually works

Book the things that can only happen on one date first. Decor can wait. A Saturday in June will not.

1. 1

   Venue or ceremony location

   The date is not real until this contract is signed. Everything else schedules around the hard out.

2. 2

   Photographer

   Good ones hold fewer Saturdays than venues do. If photos matter to you, this is second, not sixth.

3. 3

   Officiant

   Confirm they are legally allowed to marry you where you are standing. A friend may need county paperwork.

4. 4

   Caterer or the venue kitchen

   Food is usually the largest check. Book it before you promise a guest count you have not written down.

5. 5

   Attire with a long lead time

   Made-to-order clothing has its own calendar. It is a vendor even when it is a shop, not a person you email.

6. 6

   Music

   Ceremony musician and reception DJ or band. Confirm the venue's noise rules before you sign the band.

7. 7

   Flowers, or a plan to buy them yourselves

   If you are not using a florist, name the person who is buying and arranging. That person is a vendor with a job.

8. 8

   Rentals, only if the venue does not provide them

   Tents, tables, chairs, dishes. Ask about delivery windows and next-day pickup before you add them.

9. 9

   Hair and makeup, if you want it done for you

   A trial is part of the hire. Book the artist and the trial as one decision.

10. 10

    Transport, cake, stationery, and the rest

    These are real, and they are rarely the thing that disappears first. Book them after the date-critical list.

11. 11

    A month-of coordinator, or a named friend

    Someone who is not getting married has to hold the timeline. Hire that, or ask for it explicitly.

Questions to ask every vendor

1. 1

   Who is actually showing up?

   The owner on the call and the person on the day are sometimes different. Ask which one you are hiring.

2. 2

   What is included, and what is a common add-on?

   Hours, travel, tax, service charge, tasting, rehearsal, and overtime. Make them list the add-ons.

3. 3

   What is the total, the deposit, and the schedule of the rest?

   Put the dates on one calendar. A deposit holds the date. It is not the price.

4. 4

   What happens if we cancel or move the date?

   Get the refund windows in the contract. 'We'll work with you' is not a term.

5. 5

   What is your backup if you are sick?

   Ask for a name. For a photographer or officiant, this is the whole job.

6. 6

   Do you carry insurance, and can you send a certificate?

   Your venue may require it. Ask now, not the week they are supposed to load in.

7. 7

   When do you need final details from us?

   Headcount, timeline, song list, measurements. Write their deadline next to their balance due.

8. 8

   What do you need on the day: parking, a meal, power, a table?

   Tell the venue and the caterer. A vendor who has not eaten makes worse decisions at hour eight.

9. 9

   How do we reach you the week of the wedding?

   A cell number, not a contact form. Save it in the phone of the person running the day.

A contact line worth keeping

One row per vendor. If a box is empty, you do not have the answer yet.

1. 1

   Name, role, and the company

   Photographer, florist, the on-site venue manager. Role first, so the list is scannable on the day.

2. 2

   Cell number and email of the person on duty

   Write it down even if it is in your phone. Phones get lost. Paper in the point person's folder does not.

3. 3

   Arrival time, load-in door, and the meal plan

   Confirmed in a reply, not in a message you sent and hoped they saw.

4. 4

   Balance due, how you will pay, and the tip if there is one

   Cash tips in labeled envelopes. Card payments only if the contract says they can take a card that day.

5. 5

   The one thing this vendor is waiting on from you

   A song list, a final count, a certificate. Clear it before wedding week.

Contract lines that should make you pause

1. 1

   A blank overtime rate

   If the day runs long, someone will name a price under pressure. Put the price in before you sign.

2. 2

   A deposit that is 'nonrefundable' with no date attached

   Ask what nonrefundable means at each milestone. Some deposits become nonrefundable only after a certain month.

3. 3

   No named backup

   You are hiring a date. If the human can fail, the contract should say who replaces them.

4. 4

   You do not own the photos, the florals are 'designer choice,' or the menu can change without notice

   Some flexibility is fair. A total surprise is not. Ask what you get to approve.

5. 5

   A charge you first heard about after the tour

   Service charges, cake cutting, and ceremony fees belong in the first written estimate. If they appear later, ask why.