Searching for Your Vegas Wedding Vendors

Coordination: Siello Weddings & Events | Photographer: Susie Olzen Photography, Scotland | Hair & Makeup: Glammed Up Vegas

So, you are getting married in Las Vegas and have chosen to plan it all by yourself. Is this possible? Of course! For smaller celebrations and elopements you can absolutely plan your own Vegas wedding - however, just because you are choosing to have a simple wedding experience, do not expect for the planning process to be simple. There are a million options here so you will be spending hours researching and communicating with potential vendors. Sounds daunting? It is, but hopefully this blog will provide you with some helpful information.

Let's dive in.

Wedding vendors are often solo entrepreneurs and as solo entrepreneurs they do screen potential clients just as you screen them. An email that lacks detail or personality may lead vendors to fell less inclined to learn more about you and your wedding. The Vegas wedding industry is a small industry with an abundance of couples traveling here from all parts of the globe (including our very own locals getting married), so it is essential your message stands out in the sea of other incoming inquiries. We are creatives, but we have service hearts so we crave connections. Give us a little more than, "What are your prices?"

If you are searching for your Vegas wedding vendors within the months of March through May and September through November, be prepared for potentially longer response times. These are our peak wedding months and again, since most of us are solo entrepreneurs we are spending most our hours in the field working events. Patience will be needed in this phase of planning - we are in fact humans and not robots.

SOME HELPFUL TIPS

• Pick three or four favorites from each vendor category and start by sending emails to your top two. If they are not available, out of budget, or maybe they just don't pass the vibe check, then reach out to your number three and four choices. Refrain from sending a mass quantity of inquiries - this is not efficient and will overwhelm you.

• Allow up to one week before sending a follow up or giving them a call. From there give it one more week and then move on.

• Have your venue booked before you reach out to any vendors. Some venues do require you to work from their vendor list or they may have strict policies when outsourcing. For example, chapels tend to have an outside photographer fee as high as $500. There are also some who do not allow an outside photographer at all so it's just best to have your venue locked in and know what those policies are before you go down the rabbit hole of looking for the perfect "vintage Vegas photographer".

• Paper trails are important to wedding vendors, so yes an email (or submitting an inquiry via their website inquiry form) should be your first form of outreach. From that point they should provide you with in-person or phone/virtual meeting availability.

ORDER OF BOOKING

When should you book your photographer or hair & makeup artist? Below is a general order to follow based on how far out and how soon that vendor category books up. If you have a vendor who you just LOVE and 100% want them to be a part of your wedding vendor team, go ahead and book them - most of us take bookings up to 18 months out.

Reminder: Book your venue before starting your vendor outreach.

1.  Photographer & Videographer

   • These vendors book out the furthest and the fastest. As soon as you have your venue locked in, this is your very next step!

2.  Caterer & Bartender

   • This category takes up a huge chunk of the budget so start on this next. Once you have locked in your contract and expected cost based on approximate guest count you will know how much you have remaining to spend of your wedding budget.

3.  Specialty Food Vendor

   • This is going to be a food vendor that is hired outside of your venue or caterer such as a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream truck, specialty coffee vendor, or In & Out Burger for a late night snack. Check with your venue first to confirm they allow such vendors.

4.  Ceremony Musician + DJ and/or Band

5.  Specialty Entertainment Vendor

   • This is going to be your photo booth, cigar roller, hat etching, beer burro, ring acrobat, magician, etc.

6.  Officiant

   • If you are choosing to have a guest officiate your wedding and they are not legally ordained in the state of Nevada, have them start their research on what is required of them right away. If anything were to happen and they cannot get their paperwork finalized you will have adequate time to find a replacement.

7.  Florist

8.  Decor and Rental Vendors

   • This will include everything that needs to be rented or built such as the dance floor, lighting, champagne wall, seating chart wall, flooring or carpeting, tables, chairs, linens, China, glassware, lounge furniture, draping, etc.

9.  Wedding Cake

10.  Hair & Makeup Team

    • Get a head count from your wedding party and family/friends to see who wants their hair and makeup done before you reach out to any artists.

11. Transportation 

    • Once you have your pick up and drop off locations confirmed and your venue timeline set you can book your transportation. 

Still overwhelmed and just want to hop on a call to talk with someone? I do offer a one time complimentary consult call for non-clients so feel free to hop over to my Calendly linked here to schedule a time to chat. I am more than happy to walk through a few things to get you started on the right foot on your planning journey!

Coordination: Siello Weddings & Events | Photographer: Susie Olzen Photography, Scotland | Wedding Chapel, Sure Thing Wedding Chapel

Las Vegas Wedding, Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, Destination Wedding, Elopement, Micro Wedding, Las Vegas Wedding Planner