Planning

The first two questions seem like the same question so I will answer them together. I used The Knot and WeddingWire to locate venues in the area that we wanted to get married. I looked through the different options based on what type of wedding I was looking forward. I was able to narrow down my options to about seven and then we took a weekend to tour venues. We got married four hours away from where we lived so when looking prior to tours I relied a lot on photos and reviews.

Honestly for all vendors I used The Knot and WeddingWire. Again I relied on reviews and photos of their prior work. I then reached out to them using their emails on their website rather than reaching out through WeddingWire or The Knot. I found emailing them directly got me a quicker response because not all vendors check their WeddingWire or The Knot account. When it came to what style I wanted, I found and saved ideas on Pinterest that I then showed the hairstylist/makeup artist. I had a trial run for hair and makeup so I knew if I would like the end result.

I used Pinterest for gathering/saving ideas. I found it helpful because I made a wedding board with different sections and then I could save different ideas for the corresponding section. For example, I had a section of flowers, another section of wedding dresses, another for makeup, etc. I was able to then show/share the ideas with the different vendors.

The venue we picked had in-house catering so we didn’t have to worry about selecting a catering company. As a result, there were no challenges or issues with coordinating catering. It was very easy and straight forward.

Wedding invitations are essential. This is what you send your guests 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding and they then can rsvp. Some people will do physical RSVPs and others do digital RSVPs only. If you didn’t send invitations with RSVPs then you’d have no idea who is attending or how many people are attending.

Not sure what you mean what features.

We picked a photographer that a friend of mine used for her wedding about a year prior to us getting married. I saw her photos on Facebook and absolutely loved them. She was thankfully within our budget and she was available for our wedding date. If she hadn’t been available/within our budget I would’ve either researched a photographer like I did with the other vendors or I would’ve picked one from the list of recommended vendors our venue provided. The videographer I researched through WeddingWire and The Knot just like the other vendors. Read reviews, watched samples of their videos on their website/Facebook page, and I spoke with them about the different packages they offered.

I’m not sure I understand your last question.

I researched for my venues and I also researched a venue where my cousin had her wedding. I ended up going where my cousin had her weddings. Also, located of the venue was important for me bc it made it easier for everybody to get to. You can also use WeddingWire and other app to find your venue, caterers etc.


As for my make-up, limo and dj. Although I did not get my dj from there, Thumbtack.com was a great way for me to get information about makeup and limo. I didn’t get get my dj through Thumbtack.com. I went with someone I knew. Thumbtack.com was able to show me reviews, price, how long they have been in business etc. I used the catering through my venue. It was easier for me to use them as to using an outside caterer (due to budget). Do your research regarding catering with a venue or bringing in a caterer to your venue if they allow it and how much it will cost you.
For invitations, I ordered my invitations bc easier to do that so that I can keep track of who is coming and what they or choosing to eat. Plus, I took in consideration that everyone may not be as tech savvy and I didn’t want any confusion about it. Sometimes there can issue to try to keep track electronically. Everyone is different when it comes to doing their invitations (personal preference). Find what works for you when doing your invitations.
For my photography, I found my photographer through my in-laws birthday party. I was able to get some information and inspiration through him. I was able to check out his business as well. I pretty much stayed within my budget. I did go a little over not much. I did have people work with me when I hired them.
When you do your research regarding venue and vendors, make sure that you get all the information that you can so that can make the best possible decision for you and your wedding