How to Hire Wedding Vendors: Where to Look and What to Ask

Hiring vendors is where wedding planning gets real. You’re not just shopping for a product. You’re choosing the people who will shape how your wedding looks, sounds, tastes, and feels.

The challenge: most couples have never done this before. You’re evaluating professionals in industries you don’t know, comparing proposals that use different formats and terminology, and trying to figure out who you can actually trust with one of the most important days of your life.

Here’s how to approach it with confidence.

Where to find vendors

Your venue’s recommendations

Start here. Your venue has seen hundreds of events and knows which vendors perform well in their space. Venue-recommended vendors often understand the layout, load-in logistics, and specific quirks (acoustics, power access, parking) that generic vendors might miss.

Wedding shows and bridal expos

These are great for meeting vendors face-to-face, seeing their setups, and getting a feel for personality and professionalism. I wrote a full guide on how to navigate wedding shows if you’re attending one soon.

Social media is one of the best tools for evaluating vendors. Look for:

Real event footage (not just staged shoots)
Consistent quality across multiple events
How they interact with clients in comments and messages
Content from local venues you recognize

Planning platforms

Platforms like Zola and other wedding planning directories can help you search by category, location, and budget range. They’re useful for initial discovery, but treat them as a starting point. Always follow up directly with the vendor rather than relying on platform profiles alone.

Referrals from other vendors

Once you book your first vendor, ask them who they love working with. Vendors who collaborate well together tend to produce better events. Photographers recommend DJs they trust. Planners recommend caterers they’ve seen execute flawlessly.

This is how strong vendor teams get built.

What to ask every vendor

Regardless of the category, these questions help you evaluate professionalism and fit.

Process questions:

What does your planning process look like between booking and the wedding day?
How do you communicate with other vendors on the team?
How far in advance do you finalize details?

Logistics questions:

Who will actually be on-site at my wedding? (Will it be you, or someone on your team?)
What’s your backup plan if you’re sick or have an emergency?
Are you insured?

Scope questions:

What’s included in your base package?
What are common add-ons, and what do they cost?
How many hours of coverage/service does this include?

Fit questions:

Can you describe a recent wedding that was similar to ours?
What’s your approach to [specific thing that matters to you]?
Can we see a full gallery or video from a real event (not just highlights)?

For entertainment-specific questions, I put together a detailed list: Questions to Ask Before Hiring Your Wedding DJ.

Red flags to watch for

After years of working alongside other vendors, I’ve seen what separates the pros from the problems. Watch for:

Vague about what’s included. If they can’t clearly explain their package, you’ll have surprises later.
Evasive about who shows up. The person you meet should be the person at your wedding, or they should be transparent about staffing.
No backup plan. Equipment fails. People get sick. Professionals have contingencies.
High-pressure sales tactics. “This price is only good today” is not how confident vendors operate.
No contract or unclear terms. A professional vendor has a clear contract with cancellation, rescheduling, and payment terms.
Can’t provide references or recent work. If they can’t show you what they’ve done recently, ask why.

How to compare proposals

You’ll likely get 2 to 4 proposals per vendor category. Comparing them can feel overwhelming, especially when each one uses a different format.

Create a simple comparison spreadsheet:

For each vendor, track:

Total cost
Hours of coverage/service
What’s included
What’s extra
Payment schedule (deposit, installments, final payment)
Cancellation/reschedule terms
Your gut feeling after the consultation

Compare scope, not just price. A $3,000 DJ package that includes ceremony audio, cocktail hour, reception, uplighting, and full planning support is a different product than a $1,500 package that covers 4 hours of reception music only. Both are valid, but they’re not interchangeable.

For more on this, I broke down what wedding DJ pricing actually covers.

The consultation matters more than the website

Websites and social media show you the highlight reel. The consultation shows you the process.

During a vendor consultation, pay attention to:

Do they ask good questions? A vendor who asks about your vision, your priorities, and your concerns is invested in your event, not just the booking.
Do they listen? Or do they talk the entire time about themselves?
Do they explain their process? You should leave the conversation understanding how they work, not just what they charge.
Do you feel comfortable? You’ll be communicating with this person for months. The relationship should feel easy.

I wrote about what a professional booking process looks like from start to finish if you want to know what to expect.

Timing matters

The best vendors book out months in advance, especially for peak-season Saturdays. Here’s a general guide:

Photographer, caterer, entertainment: 9 to 12 months out
Florist, videographer: 6 to 9 months out
Cake, transportation, rentals: 3 to 6 months out

If you’re on a shorter timeline, start with the vendors that have the most limited availability: venue, photographer, caterer, and entertainment.

For a full breakdown, see the Wedding Planning Timeline.

Key takeaways

Start with your venue’s recommendations. They know who performs well in their space.
Ask about process and backup plans, not just price and personality.
Compare proposals on scope, not just cost. Know what you’re getting for the money.
Trust the consultation over the website. Pay attention to how they listen and communicate.
Book high-demand vendors 9 to 12 months out for peak-season dates.