Hey all you Sacramento wedding planning people! We thought we would create a roadmap for anyone in the beginning stages of planning your wedding, and not sure where to start. We know the struggle (as we had that same issue when we did our wedding), and now being in the industry we have so much more insight. Starting this process one whole year out from your anticipated wedding date is recommended. If possible, vendors should be booked 6 months before your wedding date. Of course, there are people who do it faster. We planned our wedding in 9 months, and we know people who have done it in 2 months. But if you want to guarantee that you will get the vendors and venue you want, then book early! PSP typically books between 10-12 months prior to a wedding date, but due to COVID, there is a big demand for late 2021 and 2022 weddings, so booking even earlier for 2022 wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Hear Philippe’s thoughts on this topic in his own words:
The Steps:
Book your venue!
It’s probably obvious, but the first thing you want to do when planning your wedding is book the venue. It can take quite a bit of time to find a venue that feels like ‘you’ and also meets other logistical and budgetary constraints that you might have. The date in particular is the one vital piece of information that you need to book all your other vendors, so we recommend starting here.
Wedding Coordinator and/or Photographer
Second and third in line is the wedding coordinator and photographer. A coordinator because they can help you identify other vendors, and a photographer because they will help with engagement photos and save the date notices. What we love about being a photographer is that we get to be with you from the beginning of the planning process and then afterward as well. It’s the same for the wedding day. We are there with you from the morning until the night, so we come in contact with all the vendors. Therefore, your photographer can help you identify other vendors they know will deliver quality. If you choose to forgo a wedding coordinator, a photographer can even help you with the timeline of your day as well. But nothing beats a coordinator (just saying)!
Your Other Vendors
After that you will want to identify the other vendors. Here is our ideal order of hiring, but it can vary –
- Dress (because it can take a long time to order and shipped to you, plus the altering).
- Catering & Bar Service
- DJ/Band
- Officiant
- Cake Artist
- Rentals (Chairs, tables, linens, center pieces, etc.)
- Florist
- Hair and Makeup Artist (HMUA)
PSP has a webpage dedicated to helping brides and grooms in various stages of Sacramento wedding planning to navigate the wedding planning process. We publish regular blogs and have a list of our favorite vendors we work with. Be sure to check it out.
