Wedding Vendors that are Worth the Splurge
It's no secret that weddings are expensive, like incredibly expensive. Many vendors charge premiums for their services, and while every vendor has their own justification for why they're worth a premium - some vendors just stand out above the rest. This is absolutely an opinion piece, but just hear me out! I've attended/photographed nearly 200 weddings in the past 5 years. I've seen some jaw dropping weddings, and I've seen some very bare bones weddings, but spending the extra cash on the below vendors is absolutely worth the splurge on your budget.
Photographer:
Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, but your wedding day is a once in a lifetime event. The planning that went into it, the decorations, the special moments, the people attending, and the memories of the day all slowly fade away. But your photos last forever. The moment you first see your fiancé, the moment your mom helps you into the dress, the moment you get handed over to your significant other at the alter live on forever through photos. I can't tell you how often I'm in the middle of a reveal session and hear the words, "I don't remember that happening!" exclaimed. Because the reality is, you can't be everywhere at once. Actually, it's entirely likely that you'll miss a lot of what goes on during your wedding day. Your photographers are there to capture those moments and share them with you afterwards.
I've never heard anyone say, "I spent too much on my photographer", but I quite literally hear every single day, "I didn't spend enough on my photographer". Brides on Facebook constantly share how bad their experience was with a cheap photographer and how disappointed they were with their photos. I'll let you in on a little secret: cheap photography isn't good and good photograph isn't cheap.
Cutting back on some of your other expenses in order to guarantee you have the best photographer possible is well worth it. A good photographer can make a budget friendly wedding look like a million bucks, but a budget friendly photographer can make your expensive wedding look like a disaster.
Videographer:
A high-quality wedding video has the power to evoke emotions even beyond what you experienced on your wedding day. The wedding videographer takes your love story and turns it into your new favorite movie. As someone who has yet to have their own wedding, I can tell you right now that a videographer will be on the forefront of importance. It's a shame, but videography is often an afterthought. It's usually one of the last vendors chosen and thought of as an - if I have extra money to budget, then maybe I'll add one on vendor.
But let's just stop and think for a second - if you had to choose between purchasing an item that lasts for a week or an item that lasts for years to come, which would you choose? Your wedding video will be shared among friends and family for years and will be passed down to your children and their children. How much are those memories worth?
DJ/Entertainment:
I'm going to be blunt, and trust me, it's necessary. A crappy DJ will ruin your night. I've seen it happen on more than a couple occasions. A direct quote from a bride I received this past year, "Justin, have you ever seen a bride strangle her DJ before?!" Needless to say, I'm sure you can imagine how she was feeling. Good entertainment is really a make or break if you're wanting to throw a party all your guests will rave about. DJ's are very much like photographers and come at a variety of price points and experience levels. It might seem like all they do is create a playlist for your night, but a good DJ is much much more than that.
I've seen DJ's heavily drink at weddings, announce bride and groom's names wrong, stand behind toasters in the background of photos, and even bring faulty equipment to the wedding and delay all the events of the evening. It's a risk you run when hiring an inexperienced or cheap DJ. On the flip side, I've seen DJ's get all the guests on their feet dancing, bring their own energy to the party that elevates everyone's experience and ones that have created custom wedding day mixes for couples using their favorite songs. Let me tell you, it's easy to tell who's a professional and who's not.
Bottom line, if you want your reception to be a fun party that everyone enjoys and remembers, hire a professional DJ, it's worth it!
Catering:
Following a lengthy wedding day, everyone eagerly anticipates the reception meal—a potential highlight of the day. However, the experience can be significantly marred by subpar catering. It's understandable that people opt for budget-friendly food choices, as catering costs can quickly accumulate, sometimes reaching a daunting $100+ per plate—yikes! Unfortunately, inexpensive catering frequently sacrifices taste and service, often leaving both you and your guests underwhelmed. In my experience I've seen and heard of some people getting sick from so-so catering, or dinners being delayed hours which can make the back half of the reception not so fun for anyone!
Some of my favorite alternatives to traditional catering are food trucks. It's often not as expensive as traditional catering and can make for a fun dinner for your guests!
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