You’re engaged! Now what? pt. 1

You’re engaged to the love of your life, congrats! Now let’s get you started on planning the happiest day of your life. We will be featuring timelines for when you should be booking services for your wedding. If you find yourself needing additional help, we’d love to be of service. Feel free to give us a shout.

Venue
When to book: 12 – 18 months prior to wedding

Picking a venue is the essential first step in planning your wedding and likely determines the date . This choice sets the stage for the rest of your wedding as the location is a major factor for vendors. Most caterers work withing a predetermined radius so knowing your location is required in order to move forward with planning.

Wedding Planner
When to book: 12 months prior to wedding

Wedding planners are a lifesaver for couples that are looking to have a professional curate their event. Professional planners allow couples to enjoy the details without getting bogged down by them. Are you stumped on where to look for a planner? Asking your venue for recommendations is a great place to start! At Orange Beach Concierge we offer the services of our in-house wedding planners to help guide you through your wedding planning process. Whichever route you choose, having a wedding planner can most certainly lighten the load as you plan your special day.

Stationary
When to buy: 8 – 10 months prior to wedding

There has been a large movement to order your invitation suite from online (our favorite is Minted). However, there is a certain personal touch with going to your local stationer. Shopping local allows you to see, touch, and feel the stationary options as some colors vary on your computer screen. We are a big fan of My Lady Dye in Fairhope, Alabama, as she offers fine art custom invitations and is available to discuss your invitations in person.

After you have selected your stationary it’s time to get it in the mail. When should you send?
Save the Date: 6 – 8 Months prior to the event
Wedding Invitations: 6 – 8 Weeks prior to the event

Photographer
When to book: 10 months prior to wedding

You’ve most likely been stalking your favorite photographers on Instagram for a while now, but now it’s time to book. When selecting your photographer it is important to keep in mind if they’re shooting film, digital, or even both. Plus, look for a photographer that shares your aesthetic, you’ll be looking at these photos for years to come! I’ve also found it helpful when booking a photographer to meet them in person prior to booking. An in person meeting allows you to get a feel for them and their personality prior the day of – which can be very helpful! It’s also helpful to note that some photographers offer videography, if that is something you and your partner have been considering.

Photo-booth
When to book: 8 – 10 months prior to wedding

Everyone loves a photo-booth, especially your guests! This is a great way to gather memories from your guests and remember your day years later in a fun and easy way. Some couples even use the prints from their photo-booth as their guest book! Most vendors will even customize your photo-booth experience to match the feel of your wedding, how fun is that? We do offer that service at Orange Beach Concierge and we’ve had such a great time taking our photo-booth to events and weddings around the area.

Caterer
When to book: 8- 10 months prior to wedding

Truthfully, the food is one of the most talked about aspects of the wedding so let’s make sure your guests do not leave hangry. When selecting a caterer is prudent to ask if they’ve previously worked with your venue and if they provide tastings prior to your event. This helps narrow down potential caterers and guarantees you have a chance to taste the food before your wedding day. Also, if you’ve always dreamed of having a dessert bar at your wedding now’s the time to find your perfect vendor to execute it!

Florist
When to book: 8 – 10 months prior to wedding

Floral arrangements are an important part of any wedding. Seeking inspiration? Most florists have an Instagram and some even have a Pinterest (hello wedding board). It’s best to find a florist that can execute the style your looking for and most importantly, stay on budget.

Music
When to book: 6 – 8 months prior to wedding

Your wedding day mostly likely will have several different aspects of music to accompany it. Music for the ceremony, perhaps a cocktail hour, and the reception. Starting early allows you to check out your potential music choices prior to deciding. It’s been our experience that most bands will invite you to see them live at one of their booked gigs before you make a deposit.

We welcome you to check out our next blog post as we continue to navigate the timeline for the biggest day of your life. As always we’d love to be of service. So if you’re just getting started on your wedding planning journey please contact us!