welcome to the wedding suite
It's time to plan a wedding! Now what?
We're so excited for you!
You're engaged!!!
We are so stinking excited for you
AHHH you get to join the married club! Yay you! Marriage is the absolute greatest gift, and we're so excited for you to get to experience it.
We know how hard wedding planning is because...well, we've done it! Both as the ones getting married and the ones helping others get married. Every time we see an engagement announcement, we have to fight the urge to word vomit everything we know to you, which in reality just overwhelms you.
So, to solve that problem, we've created this handy dandy page to walk you through things to think about as you're starting to dream up your wedding day. There's no pressure, and no rush to devour all of the info asap. But it's here for you in case it's a helpful tool throughout the journey of planning your dream day. We hope it helps!
So you're engaged!
Now what?
First things first
The first step? Freaking RELAX and take it all in! You're likely having a million and two people giving you a million and three opinions. At this point, the biggest tool in your arsenal should be the following phrase: "Thanks so much for being so excited for us; we are PUMPED! We're taking some time to relax and soak up engagement, but we love that you're so passionate about XYZ and we'll reach out if we have more questions :)"
ok...then what?
Once you're ready to start the planning process, you'll want to start the process of securing vendors. Vendors are any person that has a part in making your day happen. Photography, videography, catering, venue, florist- those are all vendors! But, as you've likely already figured out, there are so. many. vendors. out there, all at so. many. different. price. points. So before you can start locking those vendors in, you have to make your order of operations.
And uh...how do I do that?
The first step to nailing your order of operations is making a list- yeah, a long one. You're first going to figure out your all-in budget. Once you've done that, make a list of every single thing contributing to your day, including (not obviously not limited to) your outfits, photo and video, location, florists, invitations, and so, so much more. Sit down with your partner and rank all of those items from number 1 to number however many things that you have down. Our advice is to make the items at the top of your list your financial priority- don't skimp on the things most important to you. There are amazing vendors for every budget, so by putting them in this type of list, you're able to put your money where the importance is, and make things work with what you have left in your budget as you work through the list. It's much less overwhelming that way as opposed to trying to book ALL of your vendors at once and juggle tons of quotes. Is there a date that you're SET on because it was your anniversary? Maybe a photographer that you HAVE to have? A venue that you haven't stopped dreaming about? Number one on your order of operations list should be your that important vendor- and thus, the person you should communicate with first.
Next steps
Once you identify what your top vendor is, you'll want to reach out to who/whatever it is. Your top vendor can be WHATEVER you want, but in our experience it's typically either a date, a photographer, or a venue. It's important to know that most photographers won't be able to put you under contract without a set date/venue, but if a certain photographer is your #1, you need to communicate with them before you start in on date and venue. For example, when someone identifies us as their #1 must have vendor, venue for #2, and a specific date range #3, the typical process is that they first reach out to get our pricing and availability. If the date and location is still TBD because they aren't sure their overall vibe yet, we'll hop on a $500 (which goes towards your deposit if you decide to book!) vision call where Kayla helps them identify their overall vibe and vision for their day and recommends 4-5 venues/locations to look into once that vibe is established. Then, couples go look at those venues and armed with our availability calendar, will set a date with one of them that we are also available on. THEN we can go under contract. If they already know what venues they want, they get our availability first, then go to their venue options and find a date that matches up between us and their venue. Other couples might prefer to make the venue their #1 vendor if they know the vibe they want already, and then work everyone else in around that. In that case, you would sign a contract with the venue THEN reach out to your other vendors in order of importance.
The afterparty
Once you’ve got your key vendors identified, if your wedding is further than 3 months out, you get to relax for a little bit! Other vendors typically have more date flexibility, so if you’re feeling exhausted from planning after securing your big three, take a break to focus on your relationship before you get back to it. Once you’re ready to start the ball rolling again, chat with your big three! They’ll likely have SO MANY tips, tricks, and recommendations for you based on your vibe that will help you in the process. Focus on the little things now! Color scheme, ask your people, design invites, get your engagement photos done. This is the fun part of being engaged 🙂
Time to Party!
The key takeaway from this process is to always, always communicate with your top few vendors before signing anything if you have any vendor who you can't live without. Oh, and the other key takeaway? HAVE FUN!!!! The goal here isn’t having the perfect party (though that will happen, promise!), it’s creating a foundation for a wonderful marriage and celebrating with your favorite people, and that starts by not letting the stress of wedding planning put strain on your relationship. Lean on your vendors, plan weekly or monthly “No wedding talk allowed” date nights. Keep the main thing (uh, YOU and your love!!!!) the main thing, and everything will be perfect.
selecting vendors
Picking vendors is so hard. There are so many of them!!! And they're all awesome!! And how do you choose?!
You'll likely be getting recommended vendors from 293141 people, so we don't want to inundate you with more of them. Not just because it's overwhelming, but because once you identify your venue & photographer and sign with them, they'll likely have their own list of recommended vendors who they know and love and do their best work beside.
That said, it can be so hard even deciding between photographers and venues, so we wanted to provide some of our favorite ones all across the world all with different styles & offerings to get your search started. Pro tip: analyze everyone's package offerings to make sure they offer what you're looking for, because comparing photographers are not apples to apples.
Photographers
Based in Chicago, IL but travels. Associate starts at $2,800, Morgan has an average investment of $5,400.
Based in Arizona but travels. Coverage begins at $6,000 for photo and video.
Based in Chicago, IL but travels. Associate coverage averages at $4,500, Rach has an average investment of $6,500.
Traveling husband & wife team. Packages start at $4,500.
Based in Indianapolis, IN but travels. Average investment is $4,800.
Based in Indianapolis, IN but travels. Investment begins at $3,500.
Based in Fort Wayne, IN but travels. $4,600 average for photo, $7,200 average for photo and video.
Venues
Indiana is our home base, so we know that a lot of you beautiful people who will be reading this are Hoosiers and are looking for Indiana venues. The following recommendations are for you.
As for those of you who are looking to get married elsewhere, the world is your oyster! And...it is too big to provide a list of recommended venues for every single place that we've shot at and/or would love to shoot at. If you aren't sure where you want to get married yet, schedule a Vision Call! We'll talk through some ideas of locations, then provide you with a curated list of amazing places that will fit the overall vision for your day.
Seasons of Love
Seasonal Considerations for your wedding
Spring
The sunset time from early spring to late spring differs drastically, which will impact your photos. For example, sunset is at 6:40PM on March 1st, so you could do a late afternoon/early evening ceremony and still have time to finish with some outdoor photos before the reception really gets going.
Sunset is closer to 9:00PM in late April and in May. If you want those beautiful, glowing sunset portraits, you’ll want to block off some time during your reception for those photos, and you can really do your ceremony at any time that you want.
If you’re doing photos at a venue with little to no shade (like open fields or in a city), consider a late afternoon ceremony with a longer cocktail hour before dinner so the majority of photos can be done in the early evening in soft, pretty light.
Photos in the late morning/early afternoon are harsher because of the direct and bright light. That doesn't mean they won't be gorgeous! But you do run the risk of shadows and squinting and being limited on different photo spots since the sun will be so high in the sky.
summer
Summer provides, hands down, the most flexibility with your wedding day timeline. With sunsets close to 9:30PM, it’s super easy to sneak away from your reception to do some really beautiful sunset portraits without compromising time with your guests or the order of events at your reception.
That being said, since you’ll likely want us at your reception later, you’ll want to think about when you want to get things started. Working backwards, if we stay until 9:30PM and you booked an 8-hour package, we’ll start at 1:30PM. You would want your ceremony to be no earlier than 3:30PM to give us ample time for detail and getting ready photos.
Reinforcing what we said about spring, mid-day photos are even harder in summer than they are in spring, because not only is it even harsher light, but it’s also so hot during the day (even if the temp isn’t, the direct sun will make it feel that way), and unless there’s ample shade, it’s really hard to do wedding party photos in the afternoon. Again! That doesn't mean they won't be gorgeous! But you do run the risk of shadows and squinting and being limited on different photo spots since the sun will be so high in the sky.
Fall
Our favorite season! People often ask what our personal favorite wedding season is, and it’s September and October hands down. It’s warm enough to not be shivering, but cool enough to not sweat while you’re outside. Don't get us wrong, EVERY season is so wonderful and has it's perks, but as Midwesterners at heart, fall is our first and truest love.
Sunset starts getting earlier, usually in the 7-8:00PM range. If you want sunset photos (AND YOU SHOULD), we often have to do those during dinner, which isn’t a problem, but something to be aware of. It’s generally easier to take photos in the afternoon in the fall as well, as the light is typically softer and more overcast. This can make timeline planning easier.
winter
Winter weddings are so cozy and beautiful, but they can be really hard to plan from a photo perspective. Sunset starts to dip down at 5-6:00PM, and if you don't do a first look it can get difficult to fit all of the photos in during daylight. That doesn't mean you HAVE to do one if you don't want to! You just need to be aware that without one, the majority of your photos will likely be with flash or indoor lit settings.
If you’re planning a wedding from November-February, make sure that your ceremony is early enough to get all photos done by 5:30PM, which means the ceremony needs to be over by 3:30-4:00PM at the latest. If you’re doing photos at a venue with little to no shade (like open fields or in a city), consider a late afternoon ceremony with a longer cocktail hour before dinner so the majority of photos can be done in the early evening in soft, pretty light. Photos in the late morning/early afternoon are harsher because of the direct and bright light.
You've got questions
Yeah, we've got answers
What are ways that we can save money?
Flowers are a big one! Do them yourself, Pinterest in the best! Also, look into wood flowers. They’re totally gorgeous, much cheaper, and last literally forever. We also HIGHLY recommend Borrowed & Bloomed. She's a rent & return silk florist (and a former TLC bride!) and her work is in a word, unparalleled. Other great ways include doing food buffet style, not having an open bar, DIY wedding favors. You can even DJ yourself (aka have a friend do it off of your phone).
I really love (xyz) vendor but after putting together our budget, i don't think the can afford them. is it rude to ask for a discount?
While asking for a straight-up discount isn't likely to work, there are absolutely ways to negotiate in a respectful way.
What not to say: "I really want to work with you, but we can't fathom spending $x,xxx on xyz service. Can you give me a discount?"
Instead, try "I so value your work and think you are incredible, but our budget for this vendor is $x,xxx. If you're willing, we'd love to see a custom quote for $x,xxx, and we know that likely means less hours, less package inclusions, etc."
It's important to note that most vendors have a bottom-line profit number that they need to make per weekend in order to put food on the table, so if you're looking for a custom package, you're likely to have better luck if you're flexible on date.
For example, if we have a full-price booking on Saturday, we would absolutely entertain a custom package on Friday. It's also important that you know that not all vendors are in a place where they can offer custom packages, so expect to hear no and be pleasantly (and graciously) surprised if they say yes.
Do vendors offer off season discounts?
Saturday discounts are rare no matter the season, because there are only 52 of them in a year. Some, but certainly not most, vendors may offer discounts for off season non-Saturdays. Again, expect to hear no and be pleasantly surprised if they say yes, and always be respectful when asking.
What if we get off schedule?
Most importantly: Not Instagram DM's (unless their Instagram bio explicitly says DM to book). Many reputable wedding vendors, with the exception of Hair & Make-up, use something called a CRM to get information in your hands efficiently and in a format that's easy for you to digest. Always, always submit via the contact form on their website. If no contact form is available, look for their email in their bio or on their website and get in touch that way.
Okay...I've read this all, now what?!?
Pssst- if you read over all of this (and the rest of our site!) and decide you're interested in working with us, hop on over to our contact form so we can chat more, eeeek! And if you were sent this page from someone who's worked with us before, make sure to mention their name in your inquiry- if you book, you AND your friend will get a 16x20 canvas on us!!
