Congratulations!! You’re engaged and this is one of the most exciting times in your life! Within a matter of six months up to a year and a half from now you’ll be walking down the aisle looking amazing and ready to marry your best friend. It’s going to be an incredible moment you’ll never forget. It’s so exciting and yet maybe a little overwhelming. There are so many things that go into planning a wedding. Where do you start? What do you do first? Which wedding vendors are the most important to book first? These are questions I’ve heard asked tons of times. So here are a few tips on which wedding vendors you should look at first!

The Wedding Venue

1. The most important wedding vendor you should consider first when planning your wedding is the wedding venue. Choosing where you will have your wedding should be the first priority. Depending on how long of an engagement you’re aiming for, several venues book out up to a year in advance. So if there’s a particular date you have your heart set on, check into your dream venues right away to make sure they have your date available. If you don’t have a set date in mind, it’s a good idea to scout some venues to see what dates they have open that you could pick from. Once you have your date set at your venue, it’s much easier to book your other wedding vendors.

** Side tip: the more notice you give your vendors, the more likely your top choices will have your date available!

Take a look at a couple of these incredible venues in the Pacific Northwest!

Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora, Oregon https://langdonfarms.com/

Ainsworth House and Garden in Oregon City, Oregon https://ainsworthhouse.net/

Abbey Road Farm in Carlton, Oregon https://abbeyroadfarm.com/index.html

The Wedding Planner

2. The second wedding vendor you’ll want to consider is a wedding planner! A wedding planner can help take so much of the load and stress off when it comes to planning your wedding. Not only that, but their main goal is to help take your vision and dream for your wedding and bring it to life like you could never have imagined! Having someone there to help with all the little details and to make sure everything is taken care of is so worth the investment. Trust me, from a bride who spent the morning of her wedding shucking corn and sweating over the tables I was washing down and setting up, it’s worth it to have someone else take care of those things. This day is all about the two of you and you deserve to sit back, relax, and enjoy the day!

This is Angelica from Anela Events. She is so much fun to work with and she does an incredible job! She loves her clients so much and serving them on the most important day of their life brings her so much joy! https://joniloraine.me/2020/08/27/anela-events-wedding-planning/

The Wedding Photographer

3. The very next wedding vendor you’ll want to secure is your photographer. Wedding photographers typically book out so you’ll want to make sure to reach out as soon as you have your date booked with your venue and have already reached out to some wedding planners. Make sure when choosing a photographer that you look through their work either on social media or their website to make sure you love their style. The work and style you see is most likely what you’ll get. If you prefer earth tones and a more dramatic and moody feel, be sure those are the photographers you’re looking at. If you prefer bright and airy and true to life color, look for those kinds of photographers.

When looking for your photographer, it’s also extremely important that you get along well with them and feel comfortable around them. Suggest a meet up to meet them in person or a video chat to see their face! Research their website and come with questions. Use that time to get to know them. It’s so important that you feel good around them because you will be spending 90% of your day with your photographer by your side! They should help make this day as easy, smooth, and fun as possible! Also, ask them if they help create a timeline for your day – most professionals should!

Hi! I’m Joni!

I’m a Pacific Northwest wedding photographer. I absolutely love to get to know my clients and feel that it’s essential to an incredible experience. I am not someone to just show up on the day, shoot, and leave. Helping you breathe, relax, and fully enjoy what this day means is what I’m here for, in addition to capturing gorgeous photos you’ll treasure forever. I provide complimentary engagement sessions to all of my wedding clients as I fully believe it’s a great way for us to get to know each other. You can see how I handle light and posing and it makes a huge difference on how your wedding day flows. Plus, who doesn’t love hanging out with new friends?!

After you secure all your wedding vendors you’ll get to start planning your engagement session! Read more about why I feel engagement sessions are a must!! https://joniloraine.me/2020/08/28/why-engagement-sessions-are-a-must/