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Wedding vendors and how to choose them
- merakimariages
- Mar 5
- 5 min read
On average, couple hire 14 vendors to manage different parts of their wedding day. And this number goes up fast! This means you'll have to source, select, negotiate with, brief, manage, communicate with and handle a plethora of different people. And they'll all remind you of one thing: neither of us is a wedding planner, nor should they be expected to! In this post, we take a look at which vendors you may need on your big day and tips to nail your wedding vendors selection.
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Yoël Reboh
Your venue (duh!)
The venue is one of the first decisions you'll make - and perhaps the most important one! Beyond being the theatre of the most important day of your life, it will also dictate the mood, style and atmosphere of your wedding and heavily influence your budget.
Venue questions
Refine and prioritize your non-negotiables: Did you want a view? A swimming pool? An outdoor ceremony space? Do people need to sleep there? Does it need to be close to the city, or an airport?
Check for restrictions around certain activities, decibels or venue use: for example, most venues near a city will only allow an outdoor party until a certain time; or will work with certain vendors exclusively.
Is any furniture included (tables, chairs, lounge areas...)? Depending on the type of venue, this may not always be the case and will require you to account for additional costs.
Check for additional fees: Most venues will require a security deposit to be wired to them before your event; or apply fees for a second event if you're planning a brunch the next day. In some regions, you may have to consider the cost of adding a generator, additional guest toilets or more (this is fairly common in Costa del Sol).
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Studio Oh La La
Catering
If your venue doesn't impose its own menu, you'll need to choose a company to feed and delight your guests. More than food on a plate, catering can elevate your entire wedding experience. A great caterer will adapt their menu to your vision and needs, and orchestrate the service around your day. Beyond a chef, you are setting up a temporary kitchen for your event, which requires logistics experience and comes with a price tag.
Catering questions
Do you want to serve a buffet, family style meal or a sit-down dinner?
Do you expect food to be presented a certain way? Talk to your catering about who they work with for tableware rentals and ask to be involved. (Plan on extra $$$ for elevated linens, cutlery or lighting).
When it comes to drinks, check what is possible. Would they serve champagne you brought or is there a corkage fee? Can they do cocktails? Is open bar an option where you are getting married?
Do bear in mind your wedding cake will most likely have to be ordered separately from a pastry chef!
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Studio Oh La La; Antonio Ordonez
Photographer, videographer and content creator
Images are the only tangiblething you'll have left after your wedding, so you'll want them to match your vibe, style and vision. When it comes to choosing your image team, you're not just buying pictures. You're hiring people with years of experience, a distinct eye and the technique it takes to capture memories that'll last forever.
A few tips
Do you tend to gravitate towards clean, editorial imagery or more of a reportage style? Many photographers will do both but with one prevailing style.
Would you like to spend a lot of time posing at your wedding, or would you rather the team captures events as they happen?
Take your time to review their galleries: do you like their edits and treatment of images? Make sure to choose a team whose style resonates with you.
Review the deliverables to avoid disappointments: number of photos, delivery timeline, number of crew on-site, etc.
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Antonio Ordonez / Studio Oh Là Là
Florist
Flowers are totally optional! But if you're into them, choosing a florist with the right expertise is essential. Much like for the image team, you're not just buying flowers. The right floral artist will translate your vision into a symphony of shapes and colors, guide you through seasonal choices and flower varieties and have a solid team to ensure a technically sound and timely installation.
Some guidance
Look for the styles they have previously executed. Some florists only work with flower-heavy installations while other work with more fruits, or greenery. To each, their specialty!
Flower budgets can range from 1,000 euros to hundreds of thousands, so be realistic about your expectations. Want specific varieties that are out of season? Exotic flowers? Full flower arch? Chances are, your budget will go up.
Ask about their approach to floristry. Can they proactively offer alternatives, adapt to the climate and interpret a loose brief, or do they need lots of guidance?
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Nomadic Prod / Mitova Photography / Studio Oh La La
Rentals
This is where it starts to get a bit mystical for many of our couples. Rentals are all the items you may need to rent to complete your wedding set-up, from lounge furniture to ceremony arch structure, tableware, candle holders and decoration items. Without the help of a wedding designer, you may need to sift hundreds of pages and quotes to find the right one.
Hot tips
If your venue doesn't include furniture, you will, at the very least, need to consider your dinner essentials (tables and chairs), ceremony chairs and comfortable lounge areas for your guests to be comfortable.
Choosing your rental company starts with your moodboard: what items do you need to source? While there's a great variety of vendors in this category, the exact things you had in mind may not be available and you may need to resort to a combination of vendors.
A big part of the cost of those is transportation, handling and cleaning, do not overlook it!
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Studio Oh La La / Antonio Ordonez
A/V production company
Good light and sound is a full part of your wedding, and helps ensure your celebration is heard, seen and felt. Sound, lighting, power and technical set-up are especially critical for outdoor weddings or to achieve a moody look.
Where to start
If working without a planner, you may ask your DJ or venue to recommend a production company. Sometimes, they will also cover basic requirements themselves.
A production company can provide anything from lighting up the facades of your venue to ambient lighting, smoke, microphones and loudspeakers throughout the ceremony space or bigger productions such as stages, tressels, ambient lighting or projections.
Planning and design: Meraki Mariages | Photography: Antonio Ordonez / Nomadic Prod
DJ, entertainment, stationary, hair & make-up artist, celebrant, stylist... There are so many more we could name, and these people need careful selection, briefing and management. If you're looking for help organizing and planning your wedding in Paris, Costa del Sol or the UAE, we're here to help!
Wedding planning tips | Wedding reception in Paris | Wedding in Dubai | Malaga wedding planner | Wedding vendors
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