Planning a wedding can be a rewarding, yet confusing task. Once you’ve hired all of your vendors for the celebration, what’s next? When do you need to give a head count to the venue? When do you need to get a menu setup for the caterer? When do you need to get information to your entertainment or your photographer?
The best recommendation is to talk to your vendors and find out when they want this information. Most vendors have years of experience in weddings, and therefore, they know best as to what they need and when they need it.
When reserving your vendor, ask them when they need information from you next. For instance, as a DJ, we ask for details on the reception about a month in advance, and like to receive it no less than 2 weeks in advance. Why is this time frame important to us? We need that 2 weeks to be sure that we have the songs that you want to hear, we have the proper equipment that you need (in the event there are special needs), and we have proper pronunciations for the bridal party introductions.
Remember, you’re wedding is probably not the only wedding for the weekend that your vendors are responsible for. If you give them last minute information, you’re taking a chance on whether or not they’ll be able to properly prepare for your celebration.