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WEDDING BLOG

Why You Shouldn’t Negotiate with Wedding Vendors

August 18, 2020 | brooke


photo by Sergio Alcala Photography

Have you noticed the infinite amount of wedding planning information on the internet? Yeah, us too—it’s kind of our thing. The Junebug team made a commitment to equip our couples with real, honest advice. So, when we read articles about negotiating with wedding vendors—specifically how to “ask for discounts like a boss” and “friendly haggle”—we wanted to set the record straight.

If you don’t read any further—though we hope you do—here’s a simple summary: You really shouldn’t negotiate with wedding vendors.

Stay with us here…You can and should discuss your budget with them. In fact, we highly recommend asking vendors—especially wedding planners—about their best wedding budgeting tips. Some vendors may even be willing to help you brainstorm ways to adjust your budget. However, we never recommend you ask them to devalue the cost of their services.

We Feature Vendors

You should also know Junebug proudly features a carefully selected bunch of the world’s best photographers, planners, florists, DJs, and more. We work with them to curate helpful advice we can provide to our readers (you!) at no cost. Whether you stumbled upon this blog post wondering if it’s ever okay to negotiate with the team responsible for creating your day, or you’re simply interested in our two cents, we hope you’ll find the—seriously—unbiased answers you’re looking for.

A Few Tips to Consider Before Meeting With Vendors:

  • Research the market. There’s a vendor for every budget, style, and experience you’re looking for—it just takes time to find them. Not sure where to start? Visit our vendor directory for a carefully curated list of wedding industry pros. 
  • Determine your must-haves. Make a list of your priorities. Vendors will help you know where to allocate the majority of your budget and where you can cut back.
  • Make a budget. When making your budget, keep in mind must-haves and market research. Know what you can afford before making any calls. 

Once you’re ready to meet with potential vendors, we recommend reading these tips for making the most out of your meetings—even if they’re virtual.


photo by The Bold Americana

Professional Vendors Will Enhance Your Wedding Experience 

We know you care about working with the best-of-the-best wedding vendors. Keep in mind, these vendors are small business owners. Your payment keeps their business running, feeds their family, and allows them to serve you with the professionalism and attentive care that inherently comes from working with a small business.

We understand it can be difficult to think of a vendor—especially a solo person—as a business, so here are a few scenarios to help frame your thinking:

  • It’s the end of the month. Your boss asks if they can keep a portion of your paycheck because they can’t afford to give you the full amount this month. Your boss really loves the work you do for them and hopes you’ll continue to work for their company regardless of how much you’re paid.
  • There’s a local restaurant in town everyone’s been raving about. The chef has even won awards for some of the restaurant’s specialties. Would you call beforehand to ask for a discount because you want to try their food but can’t afford the price?

If you’ve found a wedding vendor whose business would make your dreams come true prepare to pay the price for the expertise, time, and value they bring to your wedding experience. 

Vendor-Client Relationships are Important

There are certain vendors who you spend a great deal of time with on the day-of—and before—your wedding. For example, you’ll likely spend more time with your photographer and videographer than anyone else on your wedding day. It’s important to choose vendors you enjoy speaking with and can form a genuine relationship with before your big day. 

The fastest way to make sure you’re starting off right is also the most simple. Kick off your client-vendor relationship on the right foot by showing you respect the price of their invaluable services.

Surely you don’t intend to, but when you ask for a discount or try to negotiate with wedding vendors, the message you often inadvertently send is: “the value of your service or the work you will do for me is less than what you think it is.” Ouch.

Being Upfront About Your Budget is Okay

If you love a particular vendor’s work, you can reach out to them and be upfront about your budget. It’s pretty difficult to offend someone by telling them you admire their work! Keep your message short and sweet by letting them know you’d love to work with them and what your budget is. If they aren’t able to meet your budget, they might be able to recommend another vendor with a similar style.


photo by Phylicia Willis Photography

Instead of Negotiating with Wedding Vendors, Balance Your Budget

Remember earlier when you prioritized the services that are most important to you? Let’s revisit that list. We are confident you’ll find wedding professionals who match your dreams, needs, and budget. It might just take a little rearranging in your budget plan. 

For example, if lush, enormous floral arrangements overflowing with the world’s most stunning blooms have been something you dreamed of since you were 12—we want you to have those super stunning floral creations. However, the right florist for the job might fall outside of your original budget. 

Now is the time to look through the list and see if there’s another area of the wedding that you can cut back. Maybe those top-notch ceremony chairs (a detail you and most guests won’t notice on the big day) are worth sacrificing to make your floral dreams come true. Don’t be afraid to get creative and check out the advice from our real weddings to see what couples remember most about their wedding day.

We hope this advice has been helpful to you. Navigating wedding etiquette is stressful but it doesn’t have to be—that’s why we’re here. Our dream is that you hire a wedding team who will be a perfect fit for you and your budget. Wondering whether or not you should tip the vendors you hire? Work those tips into your budget ahead of time. We cover all of your questions in this post about tipping your wedding vendors here. 


photo by Sergio Alcala Photography

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Should I Tip Wedding Vendors?

August 4, 2020 | brooke


photo by Karra Leigh Photography

Imagine this: It’s the end of your wedding night. You’ve just exited the venue and said “goodbye” to all of your guests. A getaway car whisks you away—hopefully headed to a cozy hotel or maybe out to a bar with the closest members of your crew. You did it! Whew!

Back at the venue, your photographer and videographer are packing up their things, the florist scurries around to gather leftover arrangements before everyone has to get out (your vendors will refer to this as the strike time). There’s still a buzz of excitement in their hearts—and, realistically, a bit of relief and exhaustion from the diligent work they’ve done to make your wedding dreams come true. In the middle of the hustle and bustle, your planner hands them an envelope.

What’s in the envelope? A tip. Or, maybe a handwritten note. We’ll get into those details in just a minute.

We Feature Vendors

Before we continue, we wanted to make it clear that Junebug proudly features a carefully selected bunch of the world’s best photographers, planners, florists, DJs, and more. We even talked to a few of them for the purposes of writing this article. So, whether you stumbled upon this blog post wondering about the etiquette of tipping the team responsible for your beautiful day, or you’re genuinely interested in our two cents, we hope you’ll find the—seriously—unbiased answers you’re looking for.

In this article we cover the following questions about tipping your wedding vendors:

  • Should I tip my wedding vendors at all?
  • Which vendors should we tip?
  • How much do we tip each vendor?
  • What are some alternatives to cash tips?

You should leave this article feeling confident about tipping—or not tipping—your wedding vendors.


photo by Los Ébano; see more from this real wedding here.

Tipping Wedding Vendors Internationally

When we sat down to write this all-encompassing totally helpful article for you babes, we got to thinking about our international couples and jetsetters who tie the knot abroad. Since Junebug is based in America—Austin, Texas to be precise—we took to our trusted planners around the world to provide their two-cents on tipping. As expected, tipping varies quite a bit by country.

Wherever you choose to get married (have we mentioned we love destination weddings?), make sure to familiarize yourself with the country’s tipping practices. Ask your planner, venue, or other vendors about gratuity expectations. If you’ve chosen your team responsibly, we’re sure they will provide you with all the information you need—without taking advantage of you.

Here’s What Some of Our International Planners Had to Say:

Henny, The Wedding Mood — Bali, Indonesia
The wedding and event industry in Bali doesn’t get tipped at all. As an independent planner, we can’t rely on tips, and since the entire wedding is fully paid off before the event even starts, neither the guests nor the couple carry cash with them.

“Cash and carry” beverage bars on private, high-end events are an almost unheard of thing. The guests of a destination wedding pay so much for their flights and accommodation to celebrate with the couple that it’s an unspoken rule that guests would never be expected to pay for their drinks at the bar, for instance. I could imagine that a guest or couple would tip maybe the wedding singer, DJ or other performers if they were absolutely over-the-top amazing, but again, if it’s an expat I don’t think they would do that.

Mango Weddings — Riviera Maya, Mexico
Tipping is an ambiguous topic here in Mexico. While everyone of course is happy to get tips anytime, it’s not a common practice by local customers. What we tell our international clients usually is that they are welcome to tip anyone they feel provided exceptional service.

Transportation drivers do rely on tips to survive. Tip depends on the distance, but anywhere from $5 to $10 USD per trip is considered generous.

Marie Alsleben Wedding Planning & Design — Düsseldorf, Germany
Well here in Germany, it’s very relaxed. It’s common that you tip the service in the venue. Normally, in Germany it is 10% in a restaurant, but as we are talking of thousands of Euros, it’s common that the couples give about 3-4€ per guest. So, if they have 100 guests, they would tip the service with 300/400€.

A lot of couples invite the photographer, DJ, and wedding planner for the dinner, so that can be seen as a kind of a tip. Also, a lot of couples write a short letter to the vendors and give them a little present.


photo by Madison Katlin Photography; see more of this real wedding here.

Wedding Vendors You Should Always Tip

If you’ve ever gone to a restaurant or enjoyed a drink at a bar, you probably didn’t think twice about tipping your server or bartender. The same should apply for those services at your wedding. Some companies will include gratuity in their bill—be sure to thoroughly read all contracts!

Vendors who expect a tip:

  • Hair & Make Up Artist (15-25% per person)
  • Officiant (donation up to $300 to their organization or a tip of $50 to $100)
  • Caterer (usually tip is included as part of the service fee but if it’s not, 20% of the bill—before tax)
  • Wait Staff (15-20% of the total bill)
  • Bartenders (10-15% of the pre-tax bill)
  • Transportation (15-20% of the bill)
  • Band ($25-50 per band member)
  • DJ ($50-150)

Some Vendors Aren’t Listed Above

There may be some wedding vendors who don’t require a tip, but would be honored to receive one. Here’s the thing when it comes to tipping your wedding vendors: a tip, or kind gesture of appreciation, is always appreciated.

Photographer and Videographers

When thinking about whether or not you should tip wedding vendors, you likely thought about the vendors who are with you the entire day—the ones who you likely spend the most time getting to know. Depending on the size of your wedding, they might have hired staff to shoot the wedding with them. They put in effort to be physically present on your big day and then do more work after to ensure the images they captured reflect the beauty of it. Their work is reflected in their invoices, but tips or other gestures are always appreciated.

Wedding Planner

Your wedding planner and team are also likely to be your saving grace throughout the entire wedding planning process. They are there to make your lives easier, and we hope they exceed your expectations with flying colors. Again, they would greatly appreciate a tip or kind gesture of appreciation of their hard work—especially if you feel they went above and beyond to make your day special.

Florist

If you’ve invested in florals, especially large floral installations, your floral team will be hard at work to make sure they look picture-perfect for your day. In some areas, it’s expected to tip the installation crew (the people who load everything in and out). However, your florist likely covered that in your bill. A tip would surely be appreciated, as would a “thank you” letter or small gift.


photo by Catalina Jean Photography; see more of this real wedding here.

Cash Tip Alternatives for Wedding Vendors

For other vendors, sometimes a cash tip just isn’t in the budget. That’s okay! We get it, and so do they. After years of talking to thousands of wedding vendors, we can confidently say there are things that can mean even more than a tip. For example, a handwritten thank you note.

You’d be surprised how many wedding vendors—especially those who own their own small business—will hang on to these notes and revisit them often. Expressing gratitude and appreciation truly does go a long way.

If you’re trying to think of a few other ideas, here are ways to show appreciation for your wedding team:

  • Reserve a seat for them at your reception.
  • Send them a thoughtful thank you note.
  • Leave a review on their website or vendor profile.
  • Gift a spa day or your favorite relaxation candle.
  • Recommend their services to family and friends.
  • Share about their business on your social media accounts.
  • Tag them in social media posts about your wedding.

While we’re on the topic of showing appreciation, it’s always great to learn about common wedding vendor etiquette before the big day.

When and How to Tip Your Wedding Vendors

Prepare your tips in advance! Trust us, you don’t want to be scrambling around for cash at the end of your wedding night. Grab a few envelopes—we really love these compostable options—and label them according to each vendor. You could choose to include a note with the money or simply stash the cash and seal the envelope! Some vendors might also have an option to tip on your final invoice (if they use a system like Honeybook), however, it’s not required to add the tip there. Feel free to wait until the night-of to hand them a cash tip.

While we like to assume every boss is a responsible one, we have heard stories of tips not making it to the appropriate person. If you’d prefer to tip your vendors at the end of the night, we recommend having someone you highly trust hand the envelopes to each vendor. This could be a parent or your wedding planner—just make sure you trust them with delivering the tips accordingly and simply remembering to do so.


photo by Daniela Nizzoli

Junebug Reader Questions about Tipping Wedding Vendors

Question: Do I need to tip my wedding vendors who offer small specialty services (bar rental, coffee car, photo booth)?
Answer: For services such as bar rentals or coffee cars, we recommend you tip as you would if you were a patreon of their establishment. So, yes.
It’s also important to inform your guests if there will be a cash bar and tip jar. If you don’t want your family and friends to worry about tipping for their beverages, make sure you take care of the vendors directly. For photo booths and other small, specialty vendors, use your discretion. If they totally knocked your socks off and provide an exceptional service, a tip or kind gesture is going to be appreciated.

Question: Do the bridesmaids tip the makeup/hair people or is that the bride’s job?
Answer: This depends on who’s paying for the services. Have you asked your bridesmaids to pay for their own hair and makeup? If so, they’re responsible for tipping. It might be nice to remind them that’s common practice—especially if they haven’t been a part of a wedding before!

Question: Should independent vendors be tipped differently than those who work for an owner of a company?
Answer: Follow the guidelines based on the vendor category for this one. For example, if the vendors are working for a large catering company, it’s likely more appropriate to tip each member of the wait/catering staff versus the owner of the company. Use this same rule-of-thumb for the other vendor categories, keeping in mind the size of the business. Small businesses may have employees working for them, but the owner of the company likely contributes just as much to the day as their staff. 

We hope you’re feeling confident about tipping your wedding vendors appropriately. As always, feel free to reach out to us on social media with more questions, and be sure to stay tuned for our weekly wedding advice posts!


photo by Karra Leigh Photography

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Red Flags to Keep an Eye Out for When Hiring Your Wedding Vendors

June 30, 2020 | nicole

photo by Kape Photography

Wedding planning should be as fun and stress-free as possible! One important way to reduce anxiety from the start is to only hire professionals you trust. Sounds obvious, but some couples end up regretting their vendor choices for things like mediocre customer service before the big day, or worse, an unsatisfactory performance on the big day or even after all is said and done. To avoid one of those horror stories of your own, we recommend keeping an eye out for these red flags when hiring your wedding vendors.

Before you read on, here’s a quick roundup of red flags to keep an eye out for when hiring your wedding vendors:

  • Poor Communication
  • No Reviews
  • An Out-of-Date Website
  • No Full Galleries of Their Work
  • The Feeling in Your Gut

photo by Phylicia Willis Photography

Red Flag #1 – Poor Communication

During the planning process, you should always feel that your wedding vendors are treating you as a top priority. It is especially important to be on the lookout for red flags for poor communication during the inquiry period because it can be a sign of underwhelming customer service to come. If your vendors are taking weeks to email you back or are flaky about setting up Skype meetings, you may want to go another direction. Do keep in mind that the vendors you’re talking to are running businesses and may not be able to always respond within just a few hours, but if you’re following up with them before they follow up with you in a week’s time, that’s not a great sign!

photo by Lilly Red Photography

Red Flag #2 – No Reviews

No reviews to be found across the entire Internet is a major red flag, but it’s equally unsettling if a vendor only has reviews available on their own site. It’s awesome if a vendor wants to highlight the great experiences of some of their past clients on their personal website; however, it is very important that you can read reviews on an unbiased platform. It usually isn’t as malicious as this sounds, but what are they hiding as a professional if they don’t allow public reviews?

photo by Melissa Marshall

Red Flag #3 – An Out-of-Date Website

Professionals should be keeping their website up-to-date for many reasons. First, a seriously out-of-date website can be a sign that a vendor is no longer providing services, which isn’t great news for you! Second, it’s important that you are seeing the latest work from the professional as their style may have slightly changed since they last updated their site. A professional’s website helps you set a certain level of expectations about them and their work, so the hope is that these expectations are based on what is current and not what used to be.

photo by Jordan Voth

Red Flag #4 – No Full Galleries of Their Work

When it comes to hiring your wedding photographer, be sure to request full galleries to get an idea of how they capture the entire wedding day. Just because a professional produces beautiful work on Instagram doesn’t necessarily mean they have consistent coverage throughout a wedding. You should know that you are hiring someone who will provide the same attention to detail on candid photos of Grandma from your reception as the images they post on Instagram.

While non-photographers may not have full galleries of their work to show, it’s still important to have access to a more in-depth look at their work than what social posts can provide. For instance, for a florist, what does their full wedding design look like versus weddings where they only designed the bridal bouquet? Remember, you aren’t asking too much of vendors to see more of their work before making your decision!

photo by For Love & Light

Red Flag #5 – The Feeling in Your Gut

Above all else, you have to trust that feeling in your gut if you sense something is off. That’s the biggest red flag of all! Does something about the professional’s work turn you off? Did they make you feel unimportant or like you weren’t “cool” enough during your Skype call? Would you not be friends with this person in real life? You may not end up being best buds with every one of your vendors after the I do’s are done, but there is something to be said for feeling comfortable around a person and being a good fit personality-wise.

Looking for credible vendors with rave reviews!? Be sure to check out our vendor directory!

RECOMMENDED READING:

Everything You Need to Know About Hiring Your Wedding Vendors

15 Wedding Planning Mistakes to Avoid Before Your Big Day

photo by Peyton Rainey Photography

Sponsors
Email [email protected] to advertise on Junebug Weddings

200+ Amazing Black Wedding Vendors to Follow on Instagram

June 3, 2020 | nicole

From Atlanta to London and beyond, Black wedding vendors are producing some of the most stunning weddings on the planet. To help you celebrate your day as beautifully and as true to you as possible, we’ve rounded up over 200 Black wedding vendors to follow on Instagram. These professionals, many of whom have won awards and have features in publications like Junebug Weddings and Vogue, include photographers and videographers, planners and florists, hair and makeup artists, food and drink vendors, DJs and celebrants, stationery designers, and even one must-see wedding bounce house. Whether you’re looking for a talented professional to hire in your area or you want to add a little extra beauty to your Instagram feed, we hope this list of amazing Black wedding vendors is a useful starting point!

P.S. In case you missed it, here is our promise to you, our readers, to show up now and always for Black couples and artists.

Update: We hear how much you would love to see images from these fantastic Instagram accounts in this post! Due to page load time and the variety of vendor types included in our list, we’re not able to include an image to represent each artist’s work. If you are reading this and want to find professionals who inspire you, we recommend starting with by checking out the accounts for vendors located in your area!

Black Wedding Photographers + Videographers

@adonyajaja – Denver

@aliciawileyphotography – Baltimore

@ambermarlow – NYC

@amyanaizphoto – NYC

@andrebrownphoto – Atlanta

@averiesunphotography – DMV and Pennsylvania

@avonnephotography – Philadelphia and NYC

@bigg_ayo – UK

@brichphotography – Fayetteville

@brimcdee – Seattle + Atlanta

@by.darius – Southern California

@caliviewfinders – California

@carlathomasphoto – UK

@chettaratphotography – Detroit

@chipdizard – DMV

@cliveblair – UK

@crystal_artis – Atlanta

@derustudios – UK

@dlvenniellc – Charlotte

@elizajanephoto – Los Angeles

@em.tog – Chicago

@flashbibbs – California

@fotosbyfola – Atlanta

@gione.silva – UK

@goodbodieskc – Kansas City

@heytayphoto – Kansas City

@honeysagephotoco – Kentucky

@igordemba – UK

@itsannaleona – Japan

@joelvis_photo – London

@joes.photo.co – New England

@jonathanephoto – UK

@joshua_dwain – New York and Washington D.C.

@joyandeverettephoto – East Coast

@jscreativegroup – Atlanta

@keshalambert – NYC

@kiyahc – Atlanta and Washington D.C.

@lajoyphotographyllc – Atlanta

@lavishlyluxstudio – Dallas

@leeshawilliamsphoto – UK

@lightvisualsco – Austin

@liningerroodphoto – Nashville

@loveluella – UK

@lovenpixelsfilms – New York and Northeast

@marni_v_photography – UK

@mccreamultimedia – DMV

@mharris_studios – Washington D.C.

@michelle_davina_photo – Atlanta

@modavisphotography – Louisiana and Alabama

@phylicia.willis – North Carolina and New York

@pinxitphoto – St. Louis

@quintoncharles.photo – Louisiana

@raphaellionelphoto – Alabama

@relmphotography – UK

@reneehphoto – Florida and DMV

@rheawhitney – Houston and Washington D.C.

@samjasperweddings – Alabama

@savannahlinnphoto – Ohio

@shiramariephoto – Arkansas

@siezethemomentstudios – Toronto

@silver.paris – Nashville

@socal.standard – San Diego

@sophiabarrettstudios – Atlanta

@taylorfieldsproductions – Atlanta

@theamberstudio – Dallas

@thecabrand – UK

@thedvimage – NYC

@theowlweddings – Los Angeles

@tweekesweddings – UK

@ubaraweddings – Philadelphia

@vassellweddings – UK

@wolfshootsweddings – London

@yameanstudios – NYC + New Jersey

@bigg_ayo

Black Wedding Planners + Florists

@aflairtorememberevent – Surrey

@afmenaevents – UK

@alishasimone_ – New Jersey

@andrewrobyevents – Washington D.C.

@atlantawep – Atlanta

@beaucoupdamourevents – Vancouver

@bemerryevents – Charleston

@bemyguestevents – St. Louis

@benessamyweddings – UK & in the Caribbean

@blueoliveevents – South Africa, France, and Italy

@bmooreevents – Atlanta

@byavecreations – London

@bychenai – UK

@carmelaweddings – London

@celebrationeventsmgmt – Canada

@cheers_events_london – London

@chicbynicole – Montreal

@cmproductionatl – Atlanta

@codaevents – St. Louis

@creativeflowco – San Francisco

@davisrow – NYC

@dejanaeevents – Chicago

@divineeventsstl – St. Louis

@dureevents

@elopeinatlanta – Atlanta

@enrapturedevents – Atlanta

@envisionedeventsbysuzette – New York and New Jersey

@eow.planner – UK

@event_shoppe_chi – Chicago

@eventsbyjes – Atlanta

@_eventsbymesita – Atlanta

@eventsbysalt – London

@eventualconcepts – Illinois and California

@fabulousfox_designs – Atlanta

@falloncarterevents – NYC and Los Angeles

@flawlessweddingsevents – Los Angeles

@floralsbyladybuggs – Los Angeles

@ileevents – Miami and NYC

@imperialevents_inc – Atlanta

@infiniteluxeweddings – South Africa

@jamaicaweddingconcierge – Jamaica

@janeleliseevents – Atlanta

@j.hillevents – Atlanta

@justwighteventplanning – Tampa

@katewrenflowers – UK

@kayciarhoneevents – Atlanta

@kbellesdesign – NYC

@keshevents – Chicago

@kimberlyrosedesigns – UK

@kis_wedding – Paris

@latitude_concierge_travels – Toronto

@lasoireechic – Atlanta

@leilaniweddings – California

@lilyvevents – Pennsylvania, NYC, Atlanta, Los Angeles

@livchicevents – Toronto

@lovegushevents – Austin

@lottofevents – Austin

@luxebyminihaha – UK

@maggieroseevents – Maryland

@manolaluxeweddings – UK

@mdawnfloral – Detroit

@memories4uweddings – UK

@michelleharrisonevents – Georgia

@michellenorwoodevents – Louisiana

@monicarelyeaevents – Hudson Valley, Connecticut, and Massachusetts

@mrsweddingplanner – UK

@mypartydivas – Atlanta

@mysimplyperfect – Atlanta

@nataliesolankeweddings – UK

@nulyweds – Portugal

@offerings.co – Los Angeles

@officialeminentevents – UK

@ohnikioccasions – Florida and New York

@onieesengagements – North Carolina

@p3events – Las Vegas

@pearlineevents – London

@perfectlyplanned4you – UK

@petalsstudio_ – Tennessee

@queenofheartsfloraldesign – UK

@raedanielle_designs – Dallas

@roeweddings – UK

@royaleventsandservices – Tampa

@salsabilmorrisonphotography – England

@sherocksevents – Houston

@skeventdesignrentals – Georgia and the Southeast

@socialshotphotos – Atlanta

@studio1524 – Tennessee

@studiochiweddings – London

@teantona_event_connoisseurs_ – Ontario

@temsdelightevents – Toronto

@theperfectcreation – Atlanta

@theroadtomarriage – California and Texas

@thewildmother – Oklahoma City

@tmichelleweddingsandevents – DMV and Pennsylvania

@trulyewers – Dallas

@umberbridegroom – DMV

@winzlovesevents – UK

@__whitelinen__ – Caribbean

@ynot_images – Atlanta

@yourdayyourwaycoordinators – Southern California

@luxeflora_

@soiree_andco – UK

Black Wedding Hair + Makeup Artists

@beautybybijan – Los Angeles

@beautyIIbehold – Atlanta

@blushedbynaomie – Atlanta

@bridesbyaina.m – UK

@charishair – UK

@chatelnoire_hair – UK

@fabelleinc – Atlanta

@gele_master – Toronto

@hair2thethronebridal – London

@hairbyabike – London

@joyadenuga – UK

@joyceconnormakeup – London

@kemikingsmakeup – UK

@kimberlyyasmine – Memphis

@makeupologybrides – London

@nxb.studio – Edmonton

@salonphilosophie – San Francisco

@tniquejhair – Los Angeles

@triphina_michelle_mua – DMV

Black-Owned Cake, Catering + Beverage Businesses

@afternoonteaatfifi – Liverpool

@applebutterbakery – Atlanta

@berryandbrie – London

@bubblesandbrewsca – Temecula

@bubblesandbrewsphilly – Philadelphia

@cakesbybims – UK

@cakesbylamaleeka – Georgia

@choquettestl – St. Louis

@debrahjevents – UK

@delacremestudio – St. Louis

@elegantfruitevents – Toronto

@forgoodcakes – Georgia

@fromscrathwithlovecatering – Bay Area

@groovydeliciousness – Philadelphia

@letustoastja – Jamaica

@lhcocktails – Atlanta

@littlecakegarden – UK

@monanniecakes – UK

@nicolebakescakes – Los Angeles

@notacrumbcakeist – Atlanta

@olumade – Toronto

@plumbandrabbittscakestudio – UK

@raamonamakescakes – Cheshire

@shmoreboards – Atlanta

@sophisticateddelights – Texas and Louisiana

@sugarspoondesserts – Minnesota

@sweetdetailsatl – Atlanta

@teesbakeryuk – UK

@thedulceexperience – Detroit

@thehunterscocktails – UK

@womcatering – Austin

@teesbakeryuk – UK

@sugartableslondon – London

Black Wedding Officiants + Celebrants

@celebrantscollective – Europe

@choosehumanweddings – Atlanta

@holdfastceremonies – UK

@jamiewalkercelebrant – UK

@jennifer_patrice_celebrant – UK

@londonhumanistwedding – UK

@marriedbyrevroxy

@michelle_funkycelebrant – UK

@sharonburtyourcelebrant – UK

@yourcustomceremony – Southern California

Black-Owned Wedding Fashion Businesses

@BridesbyNona – Atlanta

@couturegirl17 – New York

@curvaceouscouturebridal

@detroitbridalhouse – Detroit

@dollycouturexo

@dreamersandlovers_ – California

@edmonsonbridalcouture – London

@elitesecretsbridal

@felisitigreis – UK

@garnishboutique

@iconic.bride

@jeanralphthurin – New Jersey

@joyabendmodebridal – Michigan

@julieharrisdesigns – Los Angeles

@leeannesluxurybridal – Detroit

@lifestyledbyabbria – Online

@naama_and_anat_bridal

@naomiderubridal – Kent

@ouimadam1 – London

@pantorabridal

@ritacolson – London

@su.reina.bridal – Houston

@unlikebride

@kabiruabu – Italy

@bridesbynona – Atlanta

@yemikosibah

Black Wedding Bands, DJs + Emcees

@djantronatl – Atlanta

@djblitzevents1 – UK

@djchuckdsupreme – California

@djdaveb1 – UK

@djgregofneckwerk – Minnesota

@djwillgill – Los Angeles

@exquisitesoundsent – Atlanta

@honeyandvinyl – NYC

@mobile_dj_services – Dallas

@onesoundandent – Georgia

@onesounddmv – DMV

@say_i_tru – NYC

@vivabanduk – UK

Black-Owned Stationery Businesses

@amandareiddesigns – Austin and online

@brandedbybernel – Online

@chloecreative1 – UK and online

@ivelissedesigns – Online

@lepenndesigns – Detroit and online

@mademoiselled.design – Canada and online

@PaperedWonders – Atlanta

@polkpaper – New Jersey and online

@robbinsnestdesignstudio – NYC

@sandispells – Online

@studiooudizo – UK and online

@sytinvite – Canada and online

@taaenoelleandco_branding – Online

@thesocialpage – Calgary and online

Other Black-Owned Wedding Vendors

@angebdesigns – London Jewelry Designer

@bridalfitnesscoach – San Fransisco

@datbouncehouse – Toronto Wedding Bounce House Rental

@dceventrentals – Washington D.C. Rental Company

@immaculateballooncreations – Georgia Balloon Installations

@nolrambakeng – Atlanta Signage and Decor Designer

@maggisimpkins – Los Angeles Jewelry Designer

@primandpreux – Long Beach Tableware Rental Company

@sassyphotobooth – Florida Photo Booth Service

@sweetseats – Atlanta Rental Company

@tablemadeco – Atlanta Luxury Tableware Rental Company

@thepersonaljeweler – Michigan Jewelry Designer

@diyashajones – North Carolina

@jasonjet – North Carolina

@designerchaircoverstogo – London

@leilaniweddings

Know any Black wedding vendors missing from this list? Leave a comment below with their Instagram handle and we’ll keep updating this resource!

Are you a Black wedding professional who wants to join our vendor directory? Learn more and apply here!

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8 Tips for Productive Video Meetings with Your Wedding Vendors

April 23, 2020 | brooke


photo by Love, Anneliese Photography

It’s official! Video meetings with your wedding vendors is the next big thing. Well, at least until we’re all able to leave our homes again. We’ve been quite impressed with how quickly wedding vendors of all kinds—from florists to planners and even catering teams—have adapted to keep their couples’ afloat during this crazy time. If you’re new to video meetings, or just unsure where to start, we’ve come up with eight helpful tips to have you rocking video meetings with your wedding vendors!

Here are our eight tips for video meetings with your wedding vendors:

  • Create a vision board
  • Write down a list of questions, and send it beforehand
  • Test your video conference system
  • Ask for samples
  • Determine an appropriate time limit
  • Speak up about concerns or ask for more images after the call
  • Set post-isolation meeting goals
  • Trust your team

Be sure to scroll all the way through for explanations and additional advice!

Create a vision board.

We love vision boards! If you’ve been dreaming of all the little details for your day, now is the time to head over to Pinterest or Instagram and start grabbing all the inspo. Having a mood board will help you articulate your desires to your team and gives them something to “take away” after the call.

RECOMMENDED READING: 5 Steps for Making a Wedding Mood Board


photo by Adri Mendez

Write down a list of questions, and send it beforehand.

Take the time to write down questions you have for each of your vendors so you can stay on track. As a courtesy to them, it’s a great idea to send over your questions via email beforehand so they can prepare accordingly. If you don’t know what questions to ask, that’s OK! Most vendors will know the general things to go over with the two of you during the call. And, if nothing else, just get to know them and see if it’s a personality fit.

Here are a few common questions to ask that are related to COVID-19: 

  • Have you updated your contract to cover future pandemics or situations similar to COVID-19?
  • How are you currently handing rescheduled wedding dates?
  • Can we put a soft-hold on our date until more certainty comes surrounding recent events?

Test your video conference system.

Whether you’re using Zoom, FaceTime, or any other video conferencing system, it’s helpful to test it out beforehand so you can work out any kinks to the system! Make sure you’re in a room without too much background noise so you can hear each other clearly. Bonus tip: If you’re video chatting during the day time, face toward a window (so that the light is shining on your face versus behind it). That way, they can see your beautiful faces most clearly!

Ask for samples!

When it comes to vendors like catering, cake, and cocktails. Ask if your preferred vendors have any offerings for delivery. Then, set up a date-night table and get ready to video conference your tasting! Keep in mind that vendors may require a fee for this, but it’s a great way to support your wedding industry team (and get a totally amazing date night meal).


photo by Sean Money and Elizabeth Fay, cake by ABCD Cakes; see more from this wedding here!

Determine an appropriate a time limit.

It’s safe to say we’re all grasping for human contact these days, and it is easy to chat wedding planning for hours! To respect everyone’s boundaries, determine a time limit you all are comfortable with before the call. That will help you stick to the most important information and, hopefully, still leave a little time for some extra conversation!

Speak up about concerns or ask for more images after the call.

When it comes to meetings with your design teams (planner, rentals, florist, venue, etc.) make sure you speak up if you’re having a hard time viewing something on the video call. It’s totally OK to ask for more images of the examples when you’re finished with the video call.

Set post-isolation meeting goals.

Start planning on tentative in-person meetings with all of your vendors so that you can get things moving once stay-at-home orders are lifted. This will also help you have something to look forward to and know the big decisions you’ll need to make as soon as you can.


photo by Michelle Agurto Photography; event planning by Etica Events; see more of this wedding inspiration here!

Trust your team.

At the end of the day, we’re all in this together. Your wedding vendors are in this industry because they love to see your day become everything you dreamed of. When it comes to video meetings with your wedding vendors or any decisions that may follow, trust your gut and trust your team!

We hope you’re feeling confident as ever for video meetings with your wedding vendors! Looking for more COVID-19 related content? We’ve got you covered:

Wedding Planning During COVID-19: Advice for Couples

Change the Date Cards + Tips for Announcing Your Wedding Postponement

Bridal Loungewear for Comfy Wedding Planning at Home

 


photo by Love, Anneliese Photography

 

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This Laid-Back Couple Allowed Their Vendors to Arrange Every Detail of Their Ohio Wedding

August 2, 2017 | gabby

When Bridget and Joseph announced that they were planning a no-fuss city hall wedding, Bridget’s friend who operates an event company offered a unique experience for the couple to try instead of the courthouse. Enter: The Campfire Experience, an event company that specializes in crafting adventurous luxury campground experiences! The Campfire Experience curated a talented vendor list to take charge of the couple’s wedding decor, and we can’t believe how beautiful the results were! Between the fully furnished bell tents, mid-century modern decor, incredibly vibrant florals from Bear Roots Floral, and fabulously moody photography from Addison Jones, Bridget and Joseph’s Ohio wedding was a true collective effort in which each vendor’s talents shined.

The Couple:

Bridget and Joseph

The Wedding:

The Barn at Moots Run, Alexandria, Oregon

We had a very nontraditional wedding of sorts. Originally my husband and I were going to elope or get married at the court house as I had no desire for a large wedding or wedding planning. My closest friend since childhood started an amazing company called The Campfire Experience. They create these enchanting outdoor events with furnished bell tents and when she heard we were going to elope, she offered to put everything together for us to create a small wedding instead, so we could avoid the stressful parts of wedding planning but enjoy celebrating the our close family.

I had no involvement in planning other than picking my wedding dress and food to be served (wood fired pizza from a local pizza restaurant, GoreMade, with a traveling pizza oven).

On the day of the wedding, I arrived at the location for the first time (a family farm with a huge field and finished barn), met the photographer (Addison Jones Photography), florist (Bear Roots Floral), and makeup artist (La Prima Beauty). Each person created what they thought would be best for the day, allowing for their creativity to come through. It turned out more beautiful than I could have ever designed.

Our wedding vibe was all about not choosing and letting everyone else create their most beautiful product. From the boho vibe of the tents, to the flowers and gorgeous photographs, everyone designed what they wanted to bring to the table which created a casual unique wedding that felt so perfectly us.

Our wedding planning advice: The small details don’t matter. Allowing others to be creative and not boxing them into your vision can allow something more unique and beautiful to occur.

Our wedding day meal fit the wedding vibe perfectly: casual, local, unique, and delicious. A local pizza restaurant, GoreMade, catered the wedding with their traveling wood fire pizza oven. Each person could request what they wanted on their pizza then the pizza was layed out as it came out of the oven for everyone to enjoy. The GoreMade team was opening their first restaurant the next day and still stayed late just to make us the last pizza once everyone had left and brought me flowers hand picked from their garden. Their restaurant is located down the street from us and we still go there once every couple of weeks because it’s just that good.

At the end of night my husband and best friend who planned the wedding sat around the bonfire drinking hot whiskey and bourbon and staring at the stars. No one makes me laugh harder and it was such a relaxing and beautiful way to end the night. My new husband and I camped that night in one of the furnished tents surrounded by outdoor candles.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Addison Jones
Event Planning & Rentals – The Campfire Experience
Venue – The Barn at Moots Run
Floral Design – Bear Roots Floral
Catering – GoreMade Pizza
Makeup Artist – Natalie Wilcox of La Prima Beauty
Videography – Rachel Joy Baransi

 

A heartfelt congratulations to Bridget and Joseph, and a special thanks to Junebug member Addison Jones for sharing their day with us. Feeling inspired by this wedding’s campground vibes? Take a peek at these 6 ways to style your campground wedding venue!

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Everything You Need to Know About Hiring Your Wedding Vendors

August 4, 2016 | nicole

photo by Maggie Grace Photography

Here at Junebug, we know a thing or two about outstanding wedding vendors. In case you hadn’t heard, you can find the best of the best wedding professionals from all around the world right here on our site! So many people go into making your day the very best, but finding those people can seem like a daunting task. From tracking them down to aligning your budget and design aesthetic to bringing your vision to life, we’re here to help you hire your dream team of wedding vendors — with as little stress as possible!

photo by J Olson Weddings

How to Find Your Wedding Vendors

As I mentioned, Junebug Weddings is the first stop along your vendor search. Whether you’re looking for the photographer you just click with, the planner and designer who can bring your vision to life, or the makeup artist who’ll make your best gals feel like a million bucks, we take pride in only showing you only the top professionals in your area. In addition to our vendor directory, every post on the Junebug blog is chock-full of talented professionals, just waiting to take on your wedding.

Similarly, the images you re-pin on Pinterest didn’t come out of thin air; a group of awesome vendors designed the table setting, bridal bouquet, wedding cake, or hairstyle you added to your mood board. When you click through the pin, you’ll likely be taken to a wedding blog or professional’s website where you can find the vendors who created it! Even if you don’t add that particular vendor to your list, you might check out more of their work to see if it’s a style you like. Chances are, someone in your area is doing something similar!

photo by Erin Trimble Photography

What to Look For in a Wedding Vendor

With so many professionals’ websites and social media accounts to pore over, it can be tough to know what you’re even looking for. The first thing, of course, is that they have a website. If the professional is simply using Facebook for their entire business, that can be a red flag that they may lack experience or professionalism. Once you’re on that website, there are a couple of important pages you should browse. The first is their portfolio, which is going to give you a feel of what they believe their best work is. Here you can get an idea of the types of weddings they enjoy producing or capturing, as well as a feel for their overall style. You may notice a consistency in their work, and if it resonates with you, keep them on your list! You may also find that there isn’t a common thread through the work you’re finding in their portfolio. This may mean that they are versatile and are able to adjust and tailor their work to different clients, or it may mean that they don’t yet have a strong sense of what they’re best at. If you’re interested in seeing more of a certain style, make note of what you liked in their portfolio when you reach out and ask if they have similar work you can take a look at.

The second part of their site you want to peruse is their blog. One of the things you’re looking for here is that it has been recently updated, showing that they’re actively booking clients and putting out exceptional work. Another thing you should look for is yourself. No, obviously you won’t literally be on their blog, but you should look for couples and celebrations that feel like they could be your own. If you’re able to see yourself in this professional’s work, it’s a good chance they’re a fit for your wedding.

photo by Kenz & Nick

The In-Person Interview

Now that you’ve narrowed down your list to just a few prospects, the next step is an interview. While you don’t need a sit down with every single one of your wedding vendors, meeting a few of the major players — your photographer, planner, videographer, and florist, perhaps — is important. You’ve exchanged a few emails, but what you’re really looking for in this interview is how comfortable you feel with the person behind the business. Like with any interview, the vibe you get from the person is just as important as the questions you ask. Would you feel comfortable having this person follow you around with a camera all day? Do you feel confident when this person tells stories about past weddings they’ve done at your venue? Does this person share a similar design aesthetic?

In addition to bringing some basic questions to the interview, it’s a good idea to bring along a mood board with some details you’ve envisioned for your day. First, you want to know if the professional can execute your vision. Are they inspired and excited by what you’re showing them? Do they feel confident this is something they can produce? Second, you need to know if they can make your dream come true within budget. This one is all about expectations. If the answer is no, either the professional requires more than you can afford in order to bring your ideas to life, or you may need to be more realistic about what can be accomplished within your budget. You’ll get a better sense of which is the case after meeting with multiple vendors!

photo by Matt Lien

Building Your Dream Team

One of the perks of hiring an established professional is the connections they have in the industry. Every weekend, your favorite photographer or florist works with a team of other wedding vendors. This can be helpful because they know which of your local suppliers does a quality job time and time again, and which you may want to avoid. Another bonus? Having previously joined forces,  all of your vendors will function as a well-oiled machine on your wedding day, knowing already how to work together as an actual team.

So how do you put together this dream team? First, check your venue for preferred wedding vendors. This is a great way to find professionals who know the ins and outs of your wedding spot, giving you less work down the road. Second, ask your photographer or wedding coordinator for recommendations to find out whom they’ve collaborated with successfully in the past. These industry relationships can take a lot of time and effort off of you, which is why finding a core team of professionals you trust is even more important in building your ultimate dream team.

Our hope is that every couple is able to find the wedding vendors who feel like family as they craft your special day. Though, we know that it’s not just the professionals who make a wedding possible! If your friends and family have been asking how they can help, here’s what to delegate to your loved ones during the wedding planning process.

xoxoNicole

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This Spain Ranch Wedding Stuns in Terracotta and Mustard

December 4, 2020 | riley

When you have a wedding planner organizing their own special day, it’s going to be good–Lauren and Josiah’s Spain Ranch wedding is the perfect example. After their venue fell through a month before their “I do’s,” Lauren kicked into planner mode, and the final product turned out totally Insta-worthy. 

The couple’s lovefest featured the warm colors of the sunset contrasted against the venue’s white walls, over-the-top floral and pampas grass arrangements—put together by Anthousai—and two truly unique cakes from Laurannae Baking Co. The beauty didn’t stop at the decor, either. In fact, Josiah’s rust-colored suit perfectly matched the terracotta and mustard decor as well as Lauren’s coral denim jacket she threw on for portraits and their sparkler exit.

Every photo captured by Peyton Rainey Photography will have you feeling inspired, so get ready to save these images because this is one you’ll want to remember.

The Couple:

Lauren and Josiah

The Wedding:

Spain Ranch, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Recommended Reading: The Best In Etsy Wedding Invitation Suites

Shop similar robes: Lace Bridal Robe ($19.97); Silky Lace Trim Bridal Robe ($17.99); Lace Robe For Bridesmaids ($28.99)

A Custom-Made Bridesmaid Gift 

Aside from being a wedding planner, I hand make clay earrings on the side. I made a unique pair for each of my bridesmaids to wear on the wedding day that coordinated with their dresses. It was such a sweet surprise for them!

A Memorable First Look

Our first look was such a sweet and raw moment. I was so nervous and excited! Josiah immediately cried, and it was so dang sweet. At that moment, there was so much love in the room and it felt like we were the only two people in the world. I am so grateful to have pictures of that moment to remember the feeling forever.

The Venue Mishap Led To A Spain Ranch Wedding

The absolute craziest thing about our wedding was that we were forced to change venues a month before! Our original venue double booked an art exhibit the same weekend and didn’t inform us until we were 30 days out. We were completely crushed, but I’ve never been more grateful that I chose a career in wedding planning. I immediately reached out to every venue I had connections with and—somehow—Spain Ranch was available for our date. I am so grateful for how accommodating their team was and how amazing our vendors were for adjusting to the last minute change. I essentially had to replan my entire wedding in 30 days. It was so wild but everything truly worked out for the best.

Shop similar jackets: Levi’s Pink Original Puff Sleeve Trucker ($79.50); Lucky Brand Tomboy Corduroy Trucker Jacket ($99); Gap Cropped Utility Denim Jacket ($39.99); Topshop Denim Jacket in Blush Pink ($55.50)

Modern Yet Earthy Wedding Day Vibes

I am a wedding planner and have been dreaming about my own wedding for so long! After spending the past three years designing weddings for others, it was so surreal to design my own. I knew I wanted a day that felt intentional and authentic to us. Our style is a mix of modern, whimsical, and earthy. Our main inspiration for the day was hues of terracotta, golden mustard, peach, full and textural florals, intentional details, and warm feels.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Peyton Rainey Photography
Event Planning –  Ivory Rose Event Co.
Venue – Spain Ranch
Day Of Coordinator – Ever & Ivory Events
Floral Design – Anthousai
Catering – Dixies Cafe
Cake – Laurannae Baking Co.
DJ – DJ Connection
Videography – French Film Co.
Invitation Design – Laurel and Marie
Makeup Artist & Hair Styling – Hannah Miller Artistry
Wedding Dress – BHLDN
Groom’s Apparel – Express
Rings – Point No Point Studio
Rentals – Telluria

 

Congratulations again to Lauren and Josiah on their Spain Ranch wedding! Thank you to Peyton Rainey Photography for capturing the day and sharing it with Junebug. Feeling inspired to rock a bridal jacket for your big day? Check out these cool jackets that will warm up your wedding look! 

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Elegant Ranch Wedding with Touches of Rustic Chic

December 3, 2020 | olivia

When you can’t decide on a venue, sometimes it’s best to go with a place that you’re sure to be comfortable in—like your own backyard. Thankfully for Aubrey and Dimitri, their backyard is their family’s private estate in the mountains of Escondido, California. The gorgeous natural colors of the ranch mixed with some beautiful pops of pink made this couple’s I do’s picturesque, to say the least. 

Almost every inch of this wedding was a “do it yourself” project—making it the ultimate DIY wedding. From a handcrafted arch to the bar inside the barn, this couple created an elegant, rustic, chic wedding with their two hands—and some help from their families too. 

Keep scrolling to see some seriously gorgeous photos captured by Tayler Ashley Photography that include a donut bar, a beautiful red barn reception, and a star-embellished reception gown. 

The Couple:
Aubrey and Dimitri

The Wedding:
Escondido, CA

A Backyard DIY Wedding

The entire wedding was pretty much  DIY since a wedding had never been hosted there before. My dad built the circular arch used for our ceremony. We painted things, we grew flowers, and we added power for lighting in some areas. We also built the deck over the pool to have the ceremony on top of it and then we built the bar inside the barn. We pretty much did everything ourselves.

Two Dresses Are Better Than One

My wedding dress had a little bit of every style that I loved. Wedding dress shopping was definitely a highlight, but it was very difficult because I really liked every dress I tried on. I wanted something A-line, but also fitted—something with 3D flowers and sparkle. The dress I chose had it all. My Wedding gown is Muse by Berta in the style “Caroline.” I got it at The Bustle store in Del Mar, California. This store is the only location in San Diego that carries designer Berta dresses. My Reception gown or “Cake Cutting Dress”  was a Willoby by Watters Orion gown that I got from Bhldn. I fell in love with it because of the stars. Knowing this would be one of the only opportunities to wear such beautiful gowns, I decided I might as well take advantage and wear two!

Backyards Are A Perfect Venue

My family’s ranch was always in the back of my mind as a venue option. After touring a few different venues, none of them felt special. I wanted our wedding to be one-of-a-kind and knew that hosting it at my family’s ranch would be incredibly unique, and meaningful to me. It’s where I grew up and I wanted to create more memories in that place.

What Planning An Elegant Ranch Wedding In A Backyard Really Means

As far as planning a wedding “in your own backyard” versus a normal venue—it’s a whole new world! There are many details that you have to think about when having a wedding at your own home. Like, “how many people can you fit in this area? Is there power, lighting, restroom availability, wheelchair access, shelter for bad weather, parking?” The list of questions you have to think about goes on and on. However, there are a lot of positives too. We were able to work on it whenever we wanted, try our ideas out, have rentals delivered a day or two earlier, basically there are none of the limitations. My favorite bonus is that you get to put so much of your time, money, and effort into your own place.

Don’t Stress The Small Stuff

It’s not all going to be perfect. At the end of the day,  it feels like it was perfect though. Go over your timeline a bajillion times and then do a walk through at the actual times to see what your lighting, etc will be like in those moments. I didn’t think I needed to say this, but remind your vendors that you’d prefer they dress to blend in with the background or with your guests. Otherwise, you might end up with vendors drawing attention in a way that you didn’t expect.

Wedding Advice For Nearlyweds

Research vendors carefully! Don’t feel pressured to choose someone you’re not excited to work with just because they are all telling you that you’re running out of time. If they aren’t exactly what you are looking for, don’t commit.

The Wedding Team:
Photography – Tayler Ashley Photography
Floral Design – Ruby Bloom Floral Design
Catering – URBN Catering
Cake – VG Donut and Bakery
DJ – Leeds Entertainment
Videography – Shutter and Sound Films
Invitation Design – BlushandBloomArt
Makeup Artist – Lindsay Ann Makeup
Hair Styling – Hair by Kayti
Wedding Dress – Berta
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Show Me Your Mumu
Groom’s Apparel – The Black Tux
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Men’s Warehouse
Rentals – Platinum Event Rentals
Transportation – Royalty Limousine

 

Congratulations to Aubrey and Dimitri on their beautiful ranch wedding! Big thank you to Tayler Ashley Photography for capturing this ceremony and for sharing it with us. Need more backyard wedding inspiration? Check out this rustic fall backyard wedding and this cozy backyard boho wedding.

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Colorful and Opulent Castell de Sant Marcal Wedding

December 1, 2020 | olivia

Once upon a time there was a beautiful wedding at a castle—no seriously, Selene and Yang’s ceremony in Barcelona was right out of a fairytale. This couple was not afraid to bring bold colors and whimsical details to their Castell de Sant Marcal Wedding. 

Their wedding was a beautiful carousel of colors. With the help of Elaine & Lauren of Caelian Events, they created a Spanish destination wedding that will send hearts fluttering. Keep on scrolling and get ready to see how their talented photographers, and Junebug members, Dallas & Sabrina captured this happily ever after fantasy!

The Couple:
Selene and Yang

The Wedding:
Castell de Sant Marcal, Barcelona, Spain

Adventurous And Unafraid Of Bold Colors

We chose orange as our main wedding color. It’s definitely not a common color to choose for weddings, but we don’t like rules, we don’t like to play safe—we’re adventurous. We thought that orange would match the castle’s natural sandy beige color scheme and would really pop. Other colors we chose were pink, champagne, rose gold, beige, tan, and white to compliment the orange. The final outcome was surreal. These colors meshed perfectly together, the dirty orange and rose gold pink were a magical match. The result was elegant and chic, with the groom’s dashing orange suit tying it all together.

Planning A Dream Castell de Sant Marcal Wedding

The most important thing about planning our wedding was having the full support of each other from beginning to the end. We were running on a tight schedule and it’s never easy to plan a wedding, especially a destination wedding. We were both equally involved with the planning process and respected each others’ opinions. For a destination wedding, we cannot emphasize how important it is that you get a reliable local wedding planner that you can communicate well with. Our wedding was in Barcelona, we had only visited once at the beginning when we decided the venue and the execution was done entirely by our wedding planners Elaine, Lauren, and their awesome team at Caelia Events. They were from the UK but have hosted in Barcelona for years so they were able to communicate well with us, but also had strong relationships with local vendors. We couldn’t have had our dream wedding without their help!

The Bride’s Favorite Wedding Memory 

The most memorable part of the day for me was our first dance because we had prepared a surprise dance performance for our guests. I was so nervous because we had spent a month practicing the dance and neither of us are dancers. However, the dance was perfect and the crowd went wild. I felt so relieved and amazing afterward. It was such a rewarding feeling that I will never forget. After being married, I always go back in time to relive this beautiful memory, it always brings joy to my heart.

The Groom’s Memorable Moment

The most memorable part of the day for me was when my beautiful bride descended down from the castle, like an angel from the skies. Her walk was magical, I held my breath the entire time. The angelic image of Selene in her beautiful white wedding dress with the castle backdrop was an image I’ll cherish forever.

Wedding Advice for Nearlyweds

Our advice is have a number of different wedding venues ideas and themes, start a mood board, and understand your priorities for your wedding. Write down the must-haves and listen to yourselves only. It is paramount to not get distracted by the outside noise. This is your special day and you get to design your dream wedding the way you want it.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Dallas & Sabrina
Event Planning – Caelian Events (Elaine & Lauren)
Ceremony & Reception Venue – Castell de Sant Marcal
Floral Design – Rita Experience
Catering – Esther Conde
Cake – Soraya Sweet Mama
Officiant – Toby Harper
DJ – DJ Affani
Live Music – Courtier Music via FixTheMusic
Videography – Maru Films
Makeup Artist & Hair Styling – Teresa Snowball
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Mozart Bespoke
Rings – Tiffany

Congratulations to Selene and Yang on a beautiful, picturesque wedding! Big shout out our Junebug members Dallas & Sabrina for capturing this ceremony and for sharing it with us. If you’re loving the images that this photography duo captured, check out this Cortal Glan wedding and this Casa Leocock wedding. 

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