Wedding Planning Tips From a Vendor’s Perspective
Sonia Alexandria Photography - recap blog here
As soon as you get engaged, the wedding planning mode is activated. In fact, the first thing you probably do after celebrating your proposal is type, “wedding planning tips” into your search bar. Hey, we don’t even blame you if you do that before you get engaged - we’ve all been there.
The internet is full of advice for newly engaged couples, but you don’t usually see wedding planning tips from a wedding vendor’s point of view. That’s where we come in. We spend most of our weekends at weddings, so we’ve got some things to say!
With the right planning, your engagement can be a fun and celebratory season capped off with the wedding of your dreams. Keep reading for our best wedding planning tips from the vendor’s perspective.
Hire Your Vendors as Soon as Possible
As a vendor, we love having as much notice as possible about an upcoming wedding. The right doesn’t need to be on your finger that long before you start calling caterers, DJs, and of course, your favorite wedding decor companies like Pop & Drop.
We can’t speak for every vendor, but we love at least a four to six-month notice before your wedding. Vendors are busy and need adequate time to fully prepare for your big day. Contacting them early alleviates stress, spreads out your planning, and gives everyone plenty of time to bring their A-game to your wedding.
Andy and Carrie Photography - recap blog here
Hire.A.Wedding.Planner.
From the couples’ perspective, we completely understand the debate about whether or not to hire a wedding planner. Weddings can get expensive, so why spend money on something you could do yourself or ask your aunt’s best friend to volunteer for?
From the vendor’s perspective, we highly recommend hiring a wedding planner. Not only will it make your entire engagement time easier on you, but it will help ensure your wedding day goes off without a hitch.
Anyone who’s planned a wedding or large event knows that there is so much more that goes into it than you originally assume, and the do-it-yourself method invites more stress and chaos. Having a professional planner by your side means your dream wedding can come to life and you get to actually enjoy it.
A wedding planner becomes the liaison between the couple and the wedding vendors, which takes a ton of communication responsibilities off your plate. If juggling emails, arrival times, and last-minute needs stress you out, hire a planner to do those logistics for you. Trust us, vendors love having a planner to go to with any questions or concerns instead of bothering the couple on their day!
Incorporate Interactive Reception Elements
As wedding vendors, we’ve seen it all. From elaborate and grand affairs to minimalist and laidback celebrations. We love all types of weddings as long as the couple is happy, but there is one aspect we’ve noticed that can take the party up a notch: interactive reception elements.
If you’re throwing a big wedding, you want to give your guests plenty to do and make it an even more memorable affair. Interactive elements are unique, showcase your personality as a couple, and keep your guests entertained all night. Plus, for your guests who aren’t big dancers, it’s great to give them more to do.
Here are some of our favorite interactive reception elements:
Photo Booths - check out our sister brand Oh Happy Day Booth!
Cigar rolling
Classy lawn games like cornhole
Vogue Vinette sketch artist
Live wedding painter
Typewriter poet
Another pro of having interactive elements is that they can also become your guest favors. They’ll get to go home with a custom photo booth strip, sketch, or poem as a keepsake from your big day.
Don’t Overlook the Ceremony
When you think about weddings, you usually think of a big party. As wedding vendors, we get it - the reception is where it’s at! A ton of couples focus on making the reception grand and memorable and overlook their ceremony. It’s important to remember that the reception exists to celebrate the ceremony, so put time into your service and vows.
From the decor standpoint, we love sprucing up ceremony sites with streamer fringe and balloon garlands! Your ceremony site can be as beautiful as the reception space, and since it’s usually where you end up taking a lot of group photos, you want it to match the rest of your wedding.
Paige Vaughn Photo - recap blog here
Do What You Want (and Communicate it With Your Vendors!)
We’ve been part of all types of celebrations, from multi-day weddings to happily ever after parties (a reception at a later date to celebrate an elopement or wedding in a different location). We’re also a big fan of hybrid weddings, where you have an intimate ceremony and a huge reception to celebrate, or the other way around.
As vendors, the most important thing is that our couple is happy and has an amazing day. We love getting creative with your vision to bring your dream wedding to life. Don’t be shy about bringing an out-of-the-box idea to your vendors. If they haven’t made it happen before, chances are they’d love to try it and expand their offerings!
Bring Your Dream Wedding to Life With Pop & Drop
Your wedding is one of the most memorable days of your life, so the planning process should be as fun and stress-free as possible. While some surprise stressful situations are bound to come up no matter how much you prepare, you can limit it by booking your vendors far in advance and bringing on a professional wedding planner.
Adding interactive reception elements, thoughtful ceremony decor, and unique ideas are great ways to customize your wedding and showcase your personality as a couple. Plus, your guests will rave about your big day!
At Pop & Drop TX, we love weddings. We provide luxury streamer fringe rentals and balloon garland decor for Austin-area weddings and events. Check out our services and contact us today to start planning your wedding decor!