This has such an incredible week here. Not only did I get to attend a wedding last weekend as a guest (which was so fun), I also celebrated nine amazing years with my husband. As wedding planners, we never miss the opportunity to celebrate love around here. So I just have to give a huge shout out to Brian. He’s my absolute rock and I wouldn’t want to do all of this with anybody else. If YOU are currently planning wedding with your person, make sure to contact us here. Our team of wedding planners plan weddings all around North Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and beyond! And today, we are going to share everything we know about vendor communication!

This last week has been incredible, but I wanted to talk about what I learned attending a wedding as a guest this weekend. It’s always nice to have a refresher and see things from the other side. So today’s post is a reminder for all of you currently planning a wedding – we need to talk about what you need to make sure to communicate with your vendors before the day. Some of these are kind of awkward so just remember, that’s exactly why you hire a wedding planner.

Talk to your vendors about dress code

This one is probably the most awkward so let’s get it out of the way. It’s one thing to have a personal style and it’s another thing for your vendors to show up to your wedding in sweatpants or something else ridiculous. I know so many of our couples are the sweetest people, and you will act like it doesn’t bother you, but it will. You want your vendors to look professional because the reality is, even though they aren’t attending as a guest (you definitely don’t want them to attend in cocktail dresses!), you also don’t want them to look out of place. This is especially true if they are going to be in the background of some photos (I am always specifically thinking about vendors that might get caught in the photos like photographers because we know so many of your guests are going to be taking their own photos).

I recommend that you (or your wedding planner) have an open candid conversation with your vendors about dress code ahead of time. If they are going to be public facing, you can always mention what the dress code for the wedding is to be so they are aware. Even though you don’t expect them to show up in black tie, letting them know that’s the wedding dress code can be a helpful reminder that they will look out of place if they show up looking unprofessional. Trust me. I know it might be a little awkward, but your vendors will actually appreciate getting a heads up and you’ll appreciate that dress appropriately.

Before you hire your vendors, ask when they would show up on your wedding day.

Before we even get to the day of, when you’re booking your vendors, don’t be afraid to ask how early they show up. We work with some of the most incredible vendors in Georgia and North and South Carolina so most of the vendors we work with are always really upfront about when they show up. For example, the DJ’s we usually recommend for our clients always plan to arrive with plenty of time to setup and always alot for extra time in case there are any issues. No professional vendor wants to be the cause of any delay. Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors – what time do you typically show up on the wedding day? How much time do you need to get setup? If they don’t have a smooth answer, it probably means they show up right on time. Think about if that is going to cause you stress on your wedding day. And if it is give that vendor a pass before you hire them.

Communicating your Day Of Timeline

In my opinion, if you are organized enough, you can’t over-communicate with vendors. Usually the confusion occurs when you over-communicate and make a lot of little changes. It’s easy for things to get lost! When it comes to what you NEED to communicate with your vendors, a lot of it will be found on the timeline. Who should they ask if they arrive and have questions? Are there special moments they need to be present for? Often, your vendors will have specific questions they ask (ie. your photographer will ask about family photos and your DJ will ask for your “must play” list), but really, it always helps your vendors do have an overview of the day of timeline.

Keeping your vendor communication organized.

Obviously your wedding planner will help with this but here’s another tip for you! Don’t be afraid to ask your vendor what their preferred communication style is and follow it, honestly, it’s for your benefit. I generally believe in handling everything via email and in writing, and a lot of vendors are adopting a ‘no texting’ policy. It’s not because they don’t want to hear from you, but it’s so easy to pick up your phone, see a text and forget to actually implement it. Do yourself a favor and hire a wedding planner to handle the vendor communication!

Those are just a few of the things that you want to make sure to communicate with your vendors before your wedding day in order to assure everything is smooth sailing! For more wedding planning tips, make sure to check out our blog here. If you are in the North Georgia, North Carolina or South Carolina area, and you’re looking for a wedding planner to handle all of this and take it off your plate, contact us here, This is what we do all day everyday so trust me, we can handle it. You can find more information about our wedding planning services here.