Dear lovers! Are you about to start booking vendors and want to make sure you are making the right decisions with your lack of wedding experience? Perfect! I got you covered!
This post is through the help of Easy Weddings, as they release a report annually based on the wedding industry, which is SUPER handy so I will also add that document at the end of the post as well!
Let's get into it!
Firstly, let's talk budgets and date picking!
Are you struggling to come up with a budget for your wedding? It may be handy to know that the average wedding cost in Australia is $34,715! This does not mean that a cheaper wedding cannot be done, but through recent surveys, it is essential to remember that couples are spending over 26% more than their original budget on average!
Speaking of cheaper weddings, are you wondering what is a good time of year to get married? It is true that having a wedding in the off-season is cheaper! These would be months such as June (7%), July (3%), and August (7%). What is interesting, however, is that December (5%) and January (6%) are amongst the less popular months to get married, presumably due to all the Christmas and New Years celebrations as well as people on holiday! The most popular months to get married are March (11%), April (11%) and September (13%).
Although, you might not be amongst the 25% of people that chose their date because of the season! You're not alone, 30% made the wedding date decision based on venue availability, 9% have a special meaning to the date and then 19% for a range of other reasons!
Big Supplier No.1 - The Venue
Okay, keep this in perspective a wedding can be expensive, however, choosing a venue and date is super important because the data shows 43% of the wedding budget is actually spent on the reception venue, which is CRAZY!
So how much is that going to cost me?
Be prepared to spend an average of $14,758 on the venue.
But how do I know if the venue is right for me?
Venue GREEN FLAGS:
Had the venue coordinator check in regularly in the days leading up to the event!
They offered a list of preferred and recommended suppliers, that weren't required to be used!
They were flexible on their cancellation and date change policy.
Had open ears about your ideas and worked at making them happen through suggestions.
Had a clearly experienced wedding coordinator that made a smooth process.
Open to unique setups and arrangements.
Venue RED FLAGS:
These are things to ask and think about before booking your venue, despite how beautiful is.
How much time do they give themselves to set up so details aren't left out?
Are the staff experienced and likely to get in the way of the photographer and videographer?
How do the managers and staff treat your suppliers? Are you going to receive negative feedback?
Are they going to put a sufficient amount of people working the night or likely be understaffed?
Is there guarantee extras in your contract will actually be provided?
Is the food from the tasting menu going to be presented the same way on the night?
Bring these things up with the coordinator!
Big Supplier No. 2 - The Celebrant
My favourite part, obviously! hehe
Current trends include -
88% of people are booking a civil celebrant,
rather than a religious celebrant for their wedding!
74% of ceremonies are now 'unplugged' where guests are asked not to use their phones!
50% of people are writing their own vows, whereas 29% like to have a mix of personalised and traditional!
You should be choosing your celebrant based on the vibe you'd like at your wedding. For example, if you are wanting a youthful and fun ceremony, then you probably won't be going for someone introverted, older and very traditional. However, if you're wanting a serious and traditional ceremony then they would be perfect! Above all though, you will need to get along with your celebrant. They will be telling your story, guiding you through your marriage vows and the one you'll be working with for a while.
The most popular vibe for a celebrant in 2023 is someone warm (46%) and funny (27%)!
How much a celebrant cost in my state?
The data varies a bit so I am just going to list every state for you! Keep in mind these are averages, some celebrant charge as low as $600 for their service or as high as $1500+
VIC - $932 ACT - $717 NSW - $833
QLD - $796 NT - $1400 TAS - $593
WA - $730 SA - $666
Celebrant GREEN FLAGS:
Celebrant offer a stress-free and effortless service.
They are engaging and lively in their speaking.
Allow couples to contribute as much as desired in vow writing.
Educated couples on cultural traditions they weren't aware of.
They offer MC services on the side.
Have the option of video calling for meetings.
Celebrant RED FLAGS:
Bring up these topics with your celebrant before booking!
What date the ceremony draft will be received? Ensue not a couple days before!
Are they going to help personalisation in vows and allow these changes?
Will they be adamant and pushy about following ceremony traditions?
What is their response time like with clients?
Are they likely to go off script on the day?
Big Supplier No. 3 - The Photographer
The last of the big three, which is fair enough - 93% of couples are hiring a professional photographer for their wedding!
The average cost of a photographer is $3,164 in Australia with smaller differences amongst each state.
Photographer GREEN FLAGS:
Past couples have thought their photographer has excelled as they have been as excited about the wedding as them! I'd say that should go for celebrants as well, but anyway back to the real bosses of the day:
They have scouted the venue before the big day!
Coordinated with your videographer to create a day 'game plan'.
The written confirmation is sent directly after verbal agreement.
They provide advice about the best way the day should be run.
Double check the experience of your photographer regarding weather conditions and a range of environments and if that suits your wedding location too!
Photographer RED FLAGS:
Ensure your contract is definite so there are no add-ons in the final invoice you weren't aware of.
What is their communication like post-wedding? And how are the final photos delivered?
Do they have a confident and extroverted personality that can direct the wedding party for photos?
Are they going to discuss your personal issues with guests? Make clear what information is off-limits.
Ensure the photos you specifically request are not missed on the day.
Are they going to delete the photos that are blurry or the back of someone's head or send absolutely everything?
That's it!
I hope you have gotten a bit out of what you should be looking for in these big vendors.
Use this as a template of questions to ask venue coordinators, celebrants and photographers before booking!
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