Sit down with us for a Scotch as we discuss practical steps for hiring your wedding vendors! We've found that much of the wedding planning advice that is found out in the wild doesn't provide actionable steps for successfully processing through vendor options and coming to the point of knowing who you want to hire. Here we start with sourcing your initial list of vendors, how to cull the list down, and questions to ask as you interview your top picks.

Step #1: Compile list of vendors servicing your wedding region.
You can create this list from Google searches, The Knot searches, or any vendors that you've already hired. Make a list of 15-20 vendors to start.

Step #2: Cull your list. Go through each vendor's website, checking out visual representation of their work. Check out their reviews and look for any red flags regarding communication or customer service. Don't check pricing! Remove any vendors who you aren't excited about. Your goal is to trim each category down to 3-5 vendors.

Step #3: Email your top contenders. Introduce your story briefly and ask the vendor about their availability for your wedding date (or season if your date isn't chosen yet). Provide the vendor with a few times that you have available for a phone call with the best number to reach you. This step also gives you the chance to further filter vendors based on the speed and clarity of their response.

Step #4: Talk with any remaining vendors on the phone. This conversation mainly will be serving the purpose of acquainting you with the vendor and assessing how comfortable you feel with them. At the end of the conversation talk about pricing and how to fit the budget pieces together.

Step #5: Confirm with your vendor choices that you are indeed hiring them and take the necessary steps to sign the contract and pay the deposit. Courtesy tip: send a quick email to the other vendors who you won't be hiring to thank them for their time and inform them that you're passing on their services.

Extra tips:
Hire your highest priority wedding vendors first to prioritize allocating your budget to areas that you're most willing to spend. Check with your venue before hiring further vendors to ensure that you aren't looking at vendors who are not allowed to work on premises.

Have fun with this process!

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Ria Hy (Wedding Planner)
  Website - www.radiantevents.net
  Facebook - Radiant Events
  Instagram - @radiantevents_flx

Joe Hy (Photographer)
  Website - www.joehy.com
  Facebook - Joe Hy Photography
  Instagram - @joehyphotography