What Wedding Vendor to Book First

If you started with our first week of the Engagement Advice series, you’ve already determined your budget, communicated with all the parties involved, and now you’re ready to book your first vendor! If you’re just joining us, you may want to start with week 1 Where to Start Planning. This week you’ll learn what wedding vendor to book first when planning your Virginia wedding, or any wedding!

Many couples will begin with trying to book their wedding photographer, and as flattering as that is, it shouldn’t be your first move. You need to begin with your venue. The venue will determine the date of your wedding, time, and it may also be your largest budget item. You can however, reach out to your favorite photographer and let them know you’re in the process of booking your venue and would like to get information.

The venue you choose will set the scene for your wedding. There are endless possibilities; a garden wedding, urban rooftop, oceanfront beach, or vineyard. Before you begin booking tours at venues, I suggest having a discussion with your fiancé. Talk about the vibe you want for your wedding, the flow, and the overall look you wish to achieve. Then narrow down to 2-3 of your favorites. Don’t overwhelm yourself with looking at 15 different venues, and the golden rule: when you find the one, stop looking. This goes for all of wedding planning.

Some my favorite local venues here in Virginia:
The Lesner Inn, Virginia Beach VA
The Gala 417, Virginia Beach VA
The Raspberry Plain Manor, Leesburg VA
The Irvine Estate, Lexington VA
Pippin Hill, North Garden VA
Early Mountain Vineyard, Charlottesville VA

Cat DeLine is a Virginia Wedding Photographer specializing in luxury weddings, intimate weddings, and elopements. DeLine Photography is Virginia based and serves destination weddings.