Local Wedding Vendors Offer Advice to Newly Engaged Couples

The festive, family-filled holiday season is an increasingly popular time to pop the question, resulting in the new year rush to plan the perfect nuptials.

According to WeddingWire’s 2018 Newlywed Report, Christmas Day is the most popular day for engagements, with Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, and New Year’s Eve following closely behind. Throughout the year, the study shows proposals ranging between 7%-9% per month, but in December, the number spikes to 16%.

Once the excitement of the engagement wears off, couples begin the equally exciting but often overwhelming task of planning the perfect wedding day. Valley News recently talked with two local wedding experts to seek their advice for newly engaged couples.

Laurie Hatfield, Owner and Event Planner of Acquaint Gathering, a historic wedding venue in Grain Valley, emphasizes that “communication is key”. “Before you visit with a wedding venue or vendor, make sure you have a list of questions and discussion points, and a budget worked out,” Hatfield said.

Diana Luppens, photographer and owner of Switch Focus Studios, agrees that communication between the couple and with vendors is essential.

“I would encourage newly engaged couples to talk with each other and make this your day. It is the one day that is all about them, and there will be a lot of people trying to suggest things for the wedding. They need to do what they want to do and have the entire day represent their love,” Luppens said.

Part of the planning process is deciding on the type of wedding the couple envisions. Both Hatfield and Luppens advise couples to tread carefully when looking to Pinterest for inspiration.

“Every wedding planner loves and loathes Pinterest. Pinterest can provide great vision, but people often believe that they or their vendors can recreate elaborate themes and decorations. Brides also tend to think that they can pull off a DIY wedding and do a lot of the work.”

“This can create a lot of stress and brides often underestimate the cost and time involved with DIY projects. Brides need to be realistic about what is going to work, and also realize that many of the small details they obsess over will not be noticed by your guests,” Hatfield said.

“There are a lot of DIY ideas on Pinterest. Some turn out great and others do not turn out so well. Pinterest boards can be a great peek into a vision for a wedding but sometimes cannot be duplicated very well,” Luppens said.

Once couples decide on the type of wedding they envision, and the budget is set, the search for a venue and vendors can begin.

Hatfield encourages couples to focus on their photographer and DJ once the venue has been secured.

“The DJ and photographer are the most important vendors to consider if you want to have a good reception. I really advise against leaning on a friend or relative to handle photography. I have seen this not work out many times, and you cannot recreate the memories a good photographer will capture.”

“And if you want to have a good reception, get a good DJ. They really help move the party along and skimping on this by leaning on a friend or just plugging in a playlist can really backfire,” Hatfield said.

In looking for a photographer, Luppens suggests couples ask for references or read reviews from other couples and book a photographer well in advance.

“Book your venue then your photographer before they get booked with someone else. Many photographers are booked out a year in advance,” Luppens said.

Luppens also cautions couples who are thinking about enlisting a family member or friend to photograph their wedding in an effort to save money.

“You don’t get do overs in a wedding, and you’ll want these pics for years to come. I can’t tell you the number of times I hear stories about devastated couples hating their wedding pictures because they decided to let someone inexperienced save them some money. There are ways to cut costs in weddings but do not cut photography,” Luppens said.

In addition to the DIY trends, Luppens said she is seeing an increase in the number of couples who are looking outside of the popular Saturday time slot to save on reception costs.

“A recent trend I’ve seen is choosing a Sunday or some Friday dates and getting small discounts for non-peak dates from vendors,” Luppens said.

Beyond the DJ and photography, Hatfield said the venue can recommend vendors for catering, decorations, and other reception needs.

“The Knot (theknot.com) is a great resource and will help couples find vendors,” Luppens suggested.

Hatfield also advises couples to remember gratuities to vendors in their budgets.

“Couples remember to tip the typical vendors such as DJs, limo drivers, and a gift for the officiant, but often don’t realize that vendors such as the catering staff do not include gratuity in their invoices. It is important to remember to budget for a tip for these important vendors,” Hatfield said.

Laurie Hatfield with Acquaint Gathering can be reached at 816-598- 6001 or laurie@acquaintgathering.com. Acquaint Gathering is located at 512 Capelle. More information on the venue can be found at www.acquaintgathering.com.

Diana Luppens with Switch Focus Studios can be reached at 816-809- 8868 or online at www.switchfocusstudios.com.

Photo credit: Diana Luppens, Switch Focus Studios