Finding the right vendors

When we started looking for vendors, I scoured the internet but mostly I was planning on relying o recommendations from friends. Turns out this wasn't as great a plan as it sounds. Although I was able to get some great recommendations, we kept thinking we could find a better price. We stayed diligent and were able to find great vendors at a fraction of the cost of what some others had paid.

So the best advice I can give you is to keep looking until you find a great vendor at the right price. It may seem impossible but it's not!

When it came to our photographer, I knew exactly who I wanted. This amazing photographer that is the sister-in-law of my Fiance's best man. I've had my heart set on them photographing my wedding since I met them and started following their page. I was warned that they were pricey, but when I inquired and found out just how pricey my mouth dropped. There was no way we could possibly afford them, their cheapest package started around $5,000. I was devastated, but I picked up and started looking at other photographers. Nothing seemed to compare and everything else I found that I liked was either nearly just as expensive and therefore not worth it. I decided to put this search to the side and move on to the next one.

The music - one of the most important aspects of the wedding for me. I love to dance, so I was looking for a great DJ that can keep the party moving. My sister had a fantastic DJ, we were dancing all night long, which is exactly what I wanted. The catch - her DJ cost about $1500. I knew we could find cheaper, so I asked some other friends. Shockingly, the prices only kept rising - one spending almost $4,000. Just when I was starting to think that I wouldn't find one cheaper or as good as my sister's, I wen to a DJ Showcase and found what I was looking for.

If you get the opportunity to go to something like this, do it! A local DJ company hosts a showcase every couple months in which they have multiple DJs come and provide a little sample of their experience. It was great, I went with one of my bridesmaids, we had lots of fun eating food and dancing, and I even found a couple of DJs that I liked. The showcase also made me think about some aspects of the wedding I hadn't realized I'd need to figure out, like the music to walk down the isle to. Surprise surprise, there are options other than the classic wedding march. At the end of the showcase I got some additional information including some on pricing. Their DJ services would be about $900, I was excited. As an added bonus it turned out this company, DJs Available, also offers photography services. I scheduled an appointment that night to check them out.

A few weeks later my fiance and I went to meet with DJs Available and it went great! We settled on a DJ that I had seen the night of the showcase. I really liked one of the mixes he played and she agreed that he would fit what I'm looking for. After looking at lighting, we sat down and talked about photography. She told us about the photographer she thought would be best for us that was available our wedding day. His photographs were awesome, I was excited but nervous about what the package was going to cost. She slid over the price sheet and we nearly fell out of our chairs. The photography package was $2500 and he was awesome! My fiance and I looked at each other immediately knowing exactly what the other was thinking "where do we sign?"

In all our total cost will be about $4,000 for our DJ, lighting, and photography. A price far better than we expected. We signed the contract and put down our deposit that night. With that my wedding was finally coming together. Just a few more vendors to book - florist, possible photobooth, someone to marry us... We're feeling more confident and excited that everything is taking shape and seemingly staying within our budget! Just remember, don't settle for the first good option or deal that comes your way. Keep searching, you very well might find something much better!