What comes to mind when you think about your dream wedding day? Maybe it’s a stylish dress, picturesque venue, or how special it’ll be to have your family and friends in one place. You’re probably not thinking about how it’ll happen.
The truth is, planning a wedding doesn’t happen overnight and it usually involves more than you and your partner. Wedding vendors play an important role in turning your dream into reality — for a price.
According to our research, more couples are choosing to DIY traditional wedding services than in years past due to budget concerns and evolving expectations. Keep reading to learn when it makes sense to hire a vendor and when you can get by with doing it yourself, based on our findings.
Photography
In the past, photographers were the most popular wedding vendors to hire. 78% of wedding planners in the past 12 months hired a photographer, compared to just 58% of future wedding planners. The 20% drop can likely be attributed to budget cuts or an increase in non-traditional wedding aesthetics.
When to hire a vendor: if you want professional-level photography to display in your home, store in a scrapbook, or look back on in years to come. You might also decide to invest in photography if you’re eloping and want photographic evidence.
When to DIY: if you care less about polished photos and want candid shots of your friends and family.
For the best of both worlds, hire a photographer for the ceremony and give your guests disposable cameras to use during the reception.
Catering
Following photography, 62% of past wedding planners hired a catering vendor for their wedding compared with just 40% of future wedding planners. Instead of hiring traditional caterers, couples are getting creative with food from their favorite restaurants or casual meals.
When to hire a vendor: if you’re planning a large wedding with multiple courses and food stations.
When to DIY: if you’re hosting a smaller reception or micro wedding. You could also DIY parts of catering — like the wedding cake — if you have a reliable friend or family member who’s a cake boss.
Floral Arrangements
Florists are another popular wedding vendor, according to 53% of past wedding planners. They’re also one of the more expensive, averaging around $2,800 per wedding. Luckily, flowers are one of the easier wedding tasks to DIY. This may account for the considerable drop in future wedding planners expecting to hire a floral vendor, to just 31%.
When to hire a vendor: if flowers account for most of your wedding decor, you’re planning a destination wedding, or your ceremony and reception are at two different locations.
When to DIY: if you are up for a creative challenge or care about sustainable floral options. Making your own floral arrangements can be a fun way to destress with your bridesmaids on the big day — and learn something new!
Live Music
There are many ways to entertain guests during your reception. In years past, 36% of wedding planners hired live musical entertainment. Looking ahead, 15% of planners expressed interest in hiring a live band or performer.
When to hire a vendor: if you want to treat your guests to dinner and a show.
When to DIY: if you care more about background music than a live production.
Equipment
One of the least sexy but most necessary items for your wedding day: AV equipment. In today’s tech world, every event requires speakers, microphones, and other gadgets to run smoothly. 35% of past planners hired an equipment vendor compared to 13% of future planners.
When to hire a vendor: if your wedding venue does not include AV equipment in the rental fee.
When to DIY: if you’re hosting a backyard wedding or small reception. You may be able to rent equipment for cheap from a local church or community group.
The Bottom Line
To DIY or not to DIY, that is the question. Before you add more wedding duties to your plate, think long and hard about the total cost of a service. If something saves you money but costs you valuable time or creates unnecessary stress, it might not be worth it.
To learn more about planners’ changing vendor expectations, download your free copy of What Planners Really Want.
Rachel Kauffman is a Detroit-based content writer, bookworm, and cat mom to two feisty felines.
