In what order should you book wedding vendors?

The wedding day should, by all means, be the best day of the couple’s life, the greatest celebration of their love, a day to remember. When done by professionals there is a high chance that nothing will go drastically wrong, or if it does fire backward, you as a bride or groom shouldn't realize it on the wedding day itself.
Those professionals are the key to a successfully wedding realization. But how to choose them? Which vendor is the most important one to choose and if they are all important in which order to choose them?

Let us give you some advice on this. We make a distinction between 1st and 2nd phase vendors and one separate category - the wedding planner.

So our first advice for every couple would be to put their wedding into the hands of a professional wedding planner and let them handle both types of vendors. If you have chosen to hire a wedding planner, then you have chosen wisely and that should be the first vendor to hire. But if you have chosen to skip that be sure to set priorities.

The first phase vendors are the one you need to find first. Those are the reception venue, the ceremony venue, photographers and/or, videographer, band and/or DJ, caterer (if not included with the venue) and wedding designer/florist. These vendors are important to book first simply because they are likely going to be booked by other couples if you come to close to your wedding day. So the advice here is to pick the venues first and secure a date. 12 months before the wedding day should be sufficient. But if you already know that your preferred venue is in high demand, make sure to book the date of your choice as soon as possible or be prepared that you might have to choose another date depending on the availability.

After you have booked the venue, which means that you have a final date, it is time to go one with other important vendors as photographers and videographers and musicians. Those two vendors are usually always in high demand and should be booked right after you know your date. Sometimes couples set their priorities differently and they want that particular musician or photographer to be at their wedding, which is ok. If that is like this in your case then it is not wrong if you choose your date depending on that vendor. But the previous order is the most common one. The next vendor to choose is a catering company if your chosen venue does not make food on their own.

Depending on how remote the venue is finding a good caterer can be very tricky and expensive if not chosen on time. So don’t make this mistake and pick the caterer too late. Finding a caterer on time does not mean that you have to choose the menu 12 months in advance so be wise and book the date first and try the menu options later.

Wedding design is becoming more and more important for couples nowadays. Which makes us put this vendor onto the priority list. If you are someone who puts a great amount of care into esthetics then you should know that most of the good wedding designers are in high demand as well. Book a wedding designer or florist at least 10 to 8 months before the wedding date.



Second phase vendors are usually the ones that can serve more clients on the same date. Among those are lighting companies, cake designers, invitation and stationery designers, transportation companies and accommodation. Hair and make-up artists usually book one wedding at the day, but they are not considered 1st phase vendors because your date does not usually depend on their availability unless of course, this is the most important vendor for you and you are expecting a VIP make-up artist. Make sure to send out save the dates at least 6 months before the wedding and invitation no later than 3 months before the wedding.

To have all the important information on the invitations, you do have to have all the 1st phase vendors booked. Be sure to have the rest of your vendors booked at least 2 months before your wedding to avoid a stressful situation and to give your vendors enough time to prepare themselves.

Are you planning a destination wedding? Don’t make the mistake of avoiding hiring a wedding planner! If you have further question about planning your wedding in Croatia and choosing the vendors do not hesitate to contact us, we will be glad to help you make your destination wedding in Croatia the most amazing day for you and your guest.
Give us a call, drop us an e-mail or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram:
+385 99 3762 621
[email protected]

You really want to do a destination wedding in Croatia and might need help with that?
To find out more about how to plan a perfect wedding in this perfect part of the world send us an inquiry.

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Photos from our Wedding planning academy 2019/2020 photo shooting :
Planning @weddingscroatia
Coordination @organizatorvjenčanja Akademija generacija 2019/2020
Styling, Design and flowers @pixywithlove
Photo @ladies_and_gentelmen_weddings @josipaweddings @marina.cosic
Location @prostor.bauerova
Wedding dress @graybridal
Wedding suite @varteks.fashion
Hair and make up @makeupbymatea
Cake @desertiduo
Ceramics @odeata_ceramics
Table Chairs @kare_design
Glasses /Candlestick / Plates @dizajnholik
Accessories @mammiijewellery
Hats @hatsbykobali
Wedding rings @decoris.hr @zlatni_centar_lewiko
Stationary @lettera.etc
Models @maicatlak @petarpuskaric

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