Your Perfect Wedding Vendor Checklist

Planning a wedding can be hard. From the minute you have that engagement ring on your finger to the perfect moment you finally get to say “I do”, there’s going to be a whirlwind of emotions, appointments, to-dos, and everybody you know giving you all the advice they think you need!! It’s enough to make a person go crazy… and not the good kind! Luckily for you, I’ve put together the perfect wedding vendor checklist that you can use decide which vendors to hire in your budget, when to book your wedding vendors, what’s the most important things to you, and how to make your wedding planning as stress free as possible!

wedding vendor checklist print out

1. Wedding Photographer

Average Cost:

The average cost of wedding photography can range anywhere from $3000-$8000 for 8 hours of coverage on your wedding day.

When to Book:

You should plan on booking your dream photographer at least 8 months to even a year in advance. Photographers are only one person, which means they can’t double book days like other vendors might be able to!

What They Provide:

Booking a wedding photographer gives you the chance to have all of your memories documented to look back on in years to come. Some wedding photographers even offer to help with planning and coordinating!

2. Wedding Videographer

Average Cost:

Videography can range from $4000-$10000 for 8 hours of wedding coverage depending on if you want audio included and maybe even raw footage of your day.

When to Book:

Book your videographer at least 6-8 months in advance depending on who you want as your videographer. Some videographers have teams that can film on your day so even if they are booked on your day they can provide someone else to do the work!

What They Provide:

All wedding videographers are different, but most will give you a 6-8 minute video with all of your special moments captured to relive for the rest of you lives! Some videographers will even record the speeches and vows so you can re-listen later on.

3. Florist

Average Cost:

On average couples spend anywhere from $700-$2500 on florals for their wedding. This depends on how many pieces you’re going to want and whether you want real or fake florals for your day!

When to Book:

The best time to book your wedding florist is at least 4 months in advance. This will give your florist enough time to get supplies ordered for your day and even to create a trial piece that you can use for a first look or pre-wedding photoshoot!

What They Provide:

Florists provide you with the perfect accents to your ceremony and reception. Flowers can absolutely create the vibe you’re looking for on your wedding day, and a florist can help bring that vision to life!

4. Make-up Artist/ Hair Stylist

Average Cost:

The average cost of a MUAH is anywhere from $150-$600. This is because the cost of supplies can be hefty if you’re providing hair and makeup for your entire wedding party. If you’re only looking to get yours done, then the cost will be much lower.

When to Book:

You’ll want to book your hair and makeup artists anywhere from 2-6 months before your wedding day. Most of the time MUAHs have a team they bring along with them and they will need to make sure they have enough employees to work your day!

What They Provide:

Make up and hair artists give you the perfect look you want to achieve on your wedding day. A lot of the times you don’t have the products you would need to be able to keep your hair and makeup picture perfect all day long, and purchasing the products for just one day doesn’t make sense! Luckily a good MUAH will have all that you need to be perfect all day long!

5. DJ/ Live Band

Average Cost:

Music is one of the best parts of a wedding, and if you want the experience of having a dj or live band the cost can range anywhere from $600-$3500.

When to Book:

Depending on the dj or band, you’ll want to check to see when the best time to book them is. We suggest with higher end professionals booking at least a year in advance to make sure you get the person/band who will make your day run the smoothest!

What They Provide:

Some djs provide full wedding day coordination while also giving you an experience through music and audio. A live band and dj keep you and your guests entertained to make your wedding a night you’ll never forget! Some djs will even coordinate with other vendors before your wedding day to make sure everything runs smoothly the day of.

6. Caterer/ Cake Baker

Average Cost:

Depending on what kind of food you’re looking for, catering can cost anywhere from $1500-$8000! If you’re looking to save money, you can always try a buffet style food line or even just hire a taco truck! Cakes usually cost anywhere from $100-$600 depending on how much real cake you want and what design you want it to be!

When to Book:

You’ll want to book your caterers and cake bakers at least 2 months in advance so they’ll have time to create the food you’ve been dreaming of on your wedding day!

What They Provide:

Food is the way to all of our hearts, and it can really help provide you with the perfect accent to your wedding day! When you hire caterers, you don’t have to stress about your guests being able to eat, or making sure the food is in the right place at the right time. They do it for you!

7. Decorator

Average Cost:

Wedding decorators can cost anywhere from $300-$1000! This is including set up time and supplies, so the more extravagant you want to go, the more expensive it’ll be!

When to Book:

Some decorators are bigger companies that don’t need as much time, but others are small businesses that need a bit more time to prepare for your wedding day. We suggest reaching out to decorators 3 months in advance to make sure they have the right vibe for your vision and they have enough time to get things if they need to!

What They Provide:

Decorators are incredible because they give you the exact vision and vibe you are looking for on your wedding day. The last thing you want to do is forget the table placements and then be stressed about it the rest of the day. Instead your decorator will make sure all the finer details are taken care and picture perfect!

8. Wedding Planner/ Day of Coordinator

Average Cost:

Your wedding planner costs on average $2000 for the duration of planning your wedding AND coordinating on the day of your wedding. Some wedding planners offer just the day of coordinating as an option which would then be a lot cheaper!

When to Book:

To get the most out of your wedding planner, you should be booking them the second you start planning your wedding so they can take care of any of the stress and frustration that comes with planning a wedding!

What They Provide:

Wedding planners/coordinators are a god send for a busy wedding day. One of the biggest negatives to having a big wedding is the PLANNING! So why not hand over the worst part to someone who a. knows what they’re doing and b. have no personal ties to anything so their opinions are unbiased and catered completely towards making your wedding day perfect for you!

9. Venue

Average Cost:

Because there is a huge range of wedding venue styles, the cost of them can be anywhere from $1200-$10,000 especially when looking at things like tables and chairs, days of the week, and times of the year.

When to Book:

Your dream venue is probably another couples dream venue as well. If you want to skip the stress of changing dates or venues, we suggest booking your wedding venue at least a year in advance.

What They Provide:

Wedding venues are so special because they provide you with picture perfect areas to get ready in, say “I do”, eat dinner, and party until you drop for the rest of the night! Some venues even offer clean up so you don’t have to worry about anything when the night is over.

10. Officiant

Average Cost:

Wedding officiants vary in price, but typically you’ll pay anywhere from $100-$300.

When to Book:

You’ll want to book your wedding officiant at least a month in advance to make sure they can clear their schedule for your ceremony time and book hotels or anything else they might need for your day.

What They Provide:

It ain’t official unless there’s an officiant! A wedding officiant provides the legal documentation that says you are MARRIED!! They also perform the ceremony for you and most will even turn in the marriage license to the state for you too! No stress on your end, you just have to say “I do”!

11. Bartender

Average Cost:

To hire a bartender for your wedding it’ll most likely cost anywhere from $40-$50 per hour, not including the alcohol cost which is usually figured out at the end of the night!

When to Book:

Book your bartender at least 2 months in advance that way you’ll know what kind of alcohol they can provide and if you’ll need to get your own to give to them!

What They Provide:

Bartenders give your wedding guests an experience while also filling them up with drinks! They also keep your guests safe by using correct alcohol measurements for mixed drinks and shots. And if any guests need to be cut off, your bartender has got your back!

If this ultimate wedding vendor list helped you out and you want your very own vendor list to check off as you go, click the link below to get your downloadable wedding vendor list!

Click here for the downloadable version of the Ultimate Wedding Vendor List


Check out the blog posts below for more help planning your wedding!

5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Elopement Photographer

Why You Should Do a Sparkler Exit for Your Perfect Wedding

Elopements, Idaho Weddings, Intimate Weddings, Photography, Photography Education, Teton Elopements, Wedding Portraits, Wedding Tips

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1/09/2023

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Your Perfect Wedding Vendor Checklist

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