Hey, newly engaged couples! Are you excited to announce your engagement this holiday season? Have you been engaged for a while? I am here to help you with some prep work for your big wedding day! Check out and go through these prep tips for brides-to-be. Whether you want to hire an event manager or plan the celebration yourself, you’ll need some expertise and tips to have a good planning strategy.

Let’s talk about all the steps to plan a wedding

So, as a disclaimer, I am not a wedding planner. I have to assure you that if you have a professional wedding planner there will be less headache, and you will feel even more fortunate while enjoying the waiting time of your big day. A good wedding planner knows how to make any bride, as well as any other wedding vendors including members of the creative team like photographers and videographers, happy!

Where can you find a good wedding planner?

Online technology is so powerful nowadays, you could work your research while lying on a couch or in bed. One of the most powerful tools for any business research is Facebook. Using a search engine, find local vendors’ groups and ask for recommendations. Experienced brides will always share a few links. Easy job, right? All you need to do is to follow pages, read reviews and ask questions. Any good, successful, business will have a lot of online resources to get clients engaged and cared for.

A wedding vendors list to be aware of

So why did I start with recommending a wedding planner? Because if you decide to go with one, you don’t really need to do a lot of work yourself.

That being said, most brides want to follow their personal unique dream, and plan a wedding day themselves. In this case, here is a wedding vendors list that you will need to be aware of. It will touch upon the most important stages of the prep:

• Let’s start with a commissioner. Is it important to look for a good commissioner or would any commissioner work? According to my experience, I recommend researching and choosing a good one. Experienced and popular commissioners know their job. They cooperate with photographers and videographers, and know the best moments to be in or out of the picture frame. Trust me, photography-wise, a good choice of commissioner is best.
• Choosing the photographer is crucial. You should really think about it ahead of time. Photographers are booked all year through, especially good ones. If you are getting married in the summer, book your preferred photographer a least half a year before the wedding. Last minute booking is not the best option in finding a good specialist. Spend some time on Instagram or Facebook following creatives that you really like before making a final choice.
• Videographers are the same as photographers. But, here are a few specifics: the photographer and videographer sometimes work together during the wedding, so it would probably be easier to look for a professional team or ask your photographer for recommendations. It is very important that your creative team works well together. Time management is very important at the wedding, your creative gang should use your time carefully.
• Wedding venue. This one depends a lot on your taste and budget. I have a previous article about a few most popular wedding venues in Calgary. But there are lots more, and I will use my list of favourites when working as a wedding photographer. I have experience working with small restaurants as well as big wedding halls, so it all depends on your plans and visions. Follow my professional facebook page to stay tuned.
• A wedding dress is a lifetime dream for any girl! I know you probably have it all in mind: style, fashion, colours, etc. Etsy, Pinterest are very helpful resources to get an idea of contemporary bride styles. I’ve got an article for brides on a budget, so if this is your case, fell free to check out what you can do.
• Caterer. This choice might depend on the venue. If you choose a restaurant, like for instance Haute Q, which I’ve worked at a few times already and which I love, they will have their own menu with an exceptional quality of food. But big venues can have caterers invited according to your choice or theirs, so the menu will have to be coordinated with you.
• A florist, one that can underline your dress the best way possible. Don’t take this step lightly, as talented florists are on demand and know how to speak to a bride. I don’t really think that any bunch of flowers can work if you already spent a lot of time choosing a dress and/or fiancé/e’s costume. Beautiful and tasteful bouquet and boutonniere would add a lot of charm to a couple.
• Hair and/or makeup artist. Before booking any services with them, ask the makeup artist of your choice about a trial makeup. Make sure you are 100% happy about your look, how heavy or natural you want it to be, and whether the makeup can resist a whole wedding day of unexpected factors such as heat/cold/rain/champaign/etc…
• Dj or music entertainment. I am pretty sure you want your party to be fun and sentimental at the same time. Dj Barbu Entertainment can definitely help you! You’ll get your favourite love songs as well as popular tunes to get your guests excited on the dance floor.

Now let’s talk about money.

Getting ready for a wedding is a big financial step. Being on a budget is a good thing, but choosing quality services is necessary to get the best memories. Here are a few resources to read if money is a stressful factor.

More about my wedding preparation tips

My article is an experienced professionals’ step by step road. What are some other wedding preparation tips? Wedding wire is a very helpful website where you can find all the wedding vendors you need as well as read more articles about getting ready to a wedding. Prep guides for wedding couples include some tips and ideas to start with.

Get some help!

If you want to pursue the dream of self-planning your own wedding, know that it might be overwhelming. So here you would need some help! Your
Mom, your bridal party, your best friends can all share responsibilities and help you out. And importantly: don’t stress! There are a lot of things that can go wrong, but your mood can stay calm and happy.

I used to talk to my couples on how to stay happy and organized during your wedding day. The photographer is probably the only person that will follow you the whole day through, so, I know what I am talking about! Let’s have a chat about your wedding… I will guide you through your wedding photography with all my knowledge.

The best way to reach me is to call me or send me a message through my contact form at the bottom of the page here: https://weddings.photont.ca/

Check my other blog posts here: https://weddings.photont.ca/stories/