There are a lot of different vendors involved in pulling off a successful wedding. It’s up to you to find the ones that work best for your vision of the special day. Some vendors need to be booked ASAP after you pick a date, while others can wait a little while. Our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville has a few tips to help with the vendor hiring portion of the wedding planning process.
Beginning the Search
When you begin picking out the people that will provide wedding day services, you’ll want to start by doing some research on each one. Take a look at previous work each one has done, and also read customer reviews about them on trusted wedding sites, like Wedding Wire or The Knot. (Be sure to go back to those sites after your wedding and leave reviews for future brides to use for their research too.)
Once you find a few in each category that you like, reach out to them to find out if they have your wedding date open. If they do, set up an interview to see if their personality and style are compatible with yours. Chemistry between the couple and many of the wedding vendors hired can make or break a smooth ceremony day. As soon as you both agree on the vendor in each category that you like best, book them right away before another couple swoops in and snatches them up.
Suggested Timeline For Booking
The timeline below is a suggestion for the best time to look for each type of vendor so that you have the best chance on booking your favorite one. Any that can only handle one wedding at a time, such as wedding planners and photographers, need to be hired as soon as possible so that another couple doesn’t book your date. The vendors that are capable of handling multiple weddings on the same day, like cake bakers and florists, can be booked a little later in the planning stage. The sooner you book each one, though, the better chance you have for getting all of your favorite vendors before their schedules are full.
· Wedding
Planner – 9-12 months
This should be the first vendor that you book as soon as possible, because this
is the person that can help make the entire planning process a lot simpler.
They can guide you along the way and make helpful suggestions for qualified
vendors, saving you a lot of time and effort.
· Venue
– 9-12 months
Once you have a date picked out, give Country Jewell a call and get it booked
on our calendar before another bride and groom do. If you have your heart set
on getting married at our scenic wedding venue in Knoxville and your dates are
flexible, give us a call we’ll pick the perfect wedding date together.
· Photographer
– 9-12 months
The very best photographers always book up first, and they can only be in 1
place at a time, so if photographs are important to you, pick this vendor as
early as possible. Another great reason to book them early is because many
packages also include engagement photos, which you can use for save-the-dates,
engagement announcements, and wedding websites.
· Videographer
– 6 months
If you have a wedding video made, there’s a good chance the photographer that
you choose also offers this service. If not, they will most likely have some great suggestions for you.
· Wedding
Dress – 10 months
Occasionally a bride will get lucky and find a sample dress in her size that
she can buy right off the rack, but in reality, that’s a rare thing. Most of
the time the bridal gown that you choose will need to be ordered, and once it
arrives alterations will most likely be necessary. Start searching for the
dress at least 10 months before the wedding date so you have plenty of time for
all of that to happen.
· Officiant
– 9 months
This is another wedding vendor that can only be in one place at a time. Some
officiants will book multiple weddings on the same day, but it could affect the
time that they are available for your ceremony. If you have a particular one
you really want for your wedding, book them early.
· Entertainment
-9-12 months
The type of musicians that you will have at your wedding make a difference in how early you will need to book them. Bands usually have their
calendars booked up at least a year in advance. As for DJs, unless they have a
team of people that they work with, they can only book one wedding a day.
· Caterer
– 8-9 months
Country Jewell offers some wonderful catering packages provided by the
incredible team from Bradford Catered Events. You do have the option of
providing your own food if you prefer. Our remodeled wedding barn has a
warming/serving kitchen for you to use with a refrigerator, oven, and
microwave.
· Baker
– 6-9 months
Wedding cake bakers have the capability of baking more than one cake a day, but
they do have their limits. If you have a bakery you already love, book them. If
not, enjoy the free cake samples while you search for the perfect one.
· Florist
– 6-9 months
Much like bakers, florists can handle more than one wedding a day. Be aware,
though, that during “wedding season,” particularly mid-summer and fall, their
calendars fill up quickly.
· Rentals
/ Décor – 4-6 months
If you will be ordering items to decorate the ceremony and reception, do it
early enough that they will arrive with plenty of time for you to make changes
if it’s not exactly what you expected. For any items that you will be renting,
such as tablecloths, candelabra’s, etc… put your order in early enough that the
items you want aren’t already reserved.
· Invitations
– 6 months
Your wedding invitations need to be addressed and in the mail about 2 months
before the wedding date. Start searching for them early so you can find the
design you love, get the wording the way you like it, and receive them in the mail so they can be addressed.
· Men’s
Attire – 4 months
At about 4 months, you need to have all the men in the wedding measured for the
tuxedos or suits they will be renting and get the order placed. If they will be
wearing their own clothing, 4 months out is a good time to make sure everyone
has everything they need.
· Transportation
– 4 months
If you will be shuttling guests, or just hiring a getaway limousine for the two
of you, get the transportation booked no later than 4 months before the wedding
date.
When you book our beautiful wedding venue near Knoxville, we are always happy to make suggestions for highly qualified wedding vendors in the area that we love to work with. Some of our wedding packages are even set up to include catering, music, the officiant, photography, and more. When you come by Country Jewell to take a look at the magnificent venue that we have for you, let us know which vendors you are still looking for and we'll do our best to help you find the right people for the job.
A delightfully quaint Knoxville wedding
& event venue.
6550 Hickory Valley Road
Heiskell, TN 37754
865-494-0552
