Finding the Best in the Biz

How do you know when you have found the one? No I don’t mean “The One” romantically (I already found him!) rather the one supplier that will fulfill your wedding dreams? With so many options, how is a girl to know?

I have always had people in mind who will help bring our wedding day to life, but, for fear of opinions from others I generally kept quiet on my preferred suppliers. When a close girlfriend of mine became engaged we began sharing our ideas. Initially I was worried I would be overloaded with information but in actual fact it opened my eyes to other options and also allowed me to narrow down my preferred suppliers and realise exactly what we were after for our big day.

The wedding industry is filled with incredible suppliers for all budgets and styles. Smaller scale suppliers or those not specifically known for weddings can open up amazing opportunities. This is great for the bank balance and can also allow you to have all the little extras you might have dreamed of. The Knot forum and magazine is a wealth of information. Hearing experiences from past brides and super organised Knotties helps you to discover those hidden gems. It is also a great idea to speak with other suppliers you are intending to use as they may be able to recommend others they regularly work with. This can be a fantastic help in keeping your day running smoothly.

Speaking with my fellow brides-to-be has greatly helped me to prioritise. Many years ago the standard list of “must haves” didn’t stretch much past a photographer but today with so many different options where do we draw the line? I am of the belief that you only get married once so if you can fulfill all your wedding dreams, then do (obviously within the budget). Many of our friends have had photo booths, candy bars, a few forms of entertainment (DJ, live band, feature act), signature cocktails, seafood bars etc and we are currently saving for a few extras that aren’t “necessary” but would be nice. The question that I have had to ask myself many times is, “do we really need it?” This can be a tough one. Trying to be objective is difficult because we all have dreams of how our big day will be and no one really wants to look back and wish they’d done it differently. My biggest help in this area has been my Knot budgeter. Having our budget laid out in front of us, correctly calculated, allocated and updated every time we make a payment has allowed us to see where we can afford to splurge, where we need to make adjustments and whether we are over or under our pre-determined budget. Without this incredible tool I think I would be back to square one in a sea of suppliers, price lists and big dreams.

Have you found any hidden gems in the wedding world? What has been your saving grace while planning?