So this is the last part to my series of blogs on this particular subject. You probably have three to four months left to go and now emotions are starting to build. There is excitement, anticipation, stress, wonder and quite possibly a little exhaustion from the whole experience. This is where you start tying up all the loose ends and hiring the vendors that you felt could wait until the home stretch for your wedding reception. Three of these vendors are your invitations/print materials vendor, videographer and hair and makeup.

All three vendors are very important but by this time most couples go over their budget and have to start making decisions on if these vendors are really important for their event. Let me shed some light and it will probably help you in the decision making for your final round of spending.

Invitations: This is yet another DIY category and it can go either way. I personally think that printing your own invites is not the way to go. They look homemade and this is your formal invitation for your wedding day. Even going on line can be a little unpredictable and sometimes costly because what is mailed to you may not be exactly what you ordered on line like color or actual size. When you hire someone to do your invites it’s up close and personal. They will spend the time to design something special for the two of you. There are some really talented invitation vendors that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Occasions to Celerbrate is by far my favorite vendor for invitations.

Videographer: This is a decision you really need to think about because it is the memory of your special day. From a personal standpoint, I wish I had a video of my wedding day. All I have are little snippets in my mind of what I remember about the day because I have nothing documented. I wish I had our vows, grand entrance, 1st dance, parents’ dances and mostly the toasts that were given that night. With each year that goes by the memories get shorter and shorter. Food for thought.

Hair and Makeup: For the bride this is a must and you need someone who is versatile. Someone who can “do you up” for not only for the live experience but for print as well. He or she should be able to create exactly what you envision and most likely that vision will be shown through pictures you bring to that very important run through meeting. This way you can see their talents and also get an idea of what your hair and make up will look like before the big day. My all time favorite hair and makeup artist is Kathleen Hagen Beau Ideal

So that’s it in a nutshell. I hope this was valuable information. Remember, start early! If anyone pokes fun at you because you are starting the planning process early, just ignore them. This is your day and ultimately you want it to be a great memory from start to finish.

By Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg