Top 10 tips for choosing suppliers for your wedding

Natasha Grant

Choosing suppliers for your wedding

Hand shot with black groom and white bride holding hands resting on white table

If you've started planning your wedding you're likely aware of the amount of choices out there when it comes to selecting wedding suppliers. You could have 10 or more suppliers working on or at your wedding, that's numerous decisions to make. As a wedding planner, I have the experience and privilege of working with talented wedding suppliers who cover many types of services from photographers, musicians, florists, DJ’s and so much more. It’s important for you to select suppliers that fit in with your overall wedding style, budget and other preferences. But how do you choose suppliers for your wedding, read on for 10 top tips.

1. Know your priorities

You will need to decide (if you haven’t already) what 3 key things you want to spend more money on. For example, this could be the venue, dress and your honeymoon or venue, flowers and great food or entertainment. Whatever it is, assign more of your budget to these items and then less money to the others. Look for the very best supplier in that category that you can afford and book your chosen one.

2. Think logically when choosing your wedding suppliers

Consider what needs to be in place first, and which parts of your big day rely on others. For example, don’t book a DJ or band until you know your venue can accommodate a dance floor or stage. Want family-style sharing platters for dinner? Don’t commit to your catering until you know what furniture you’ll have at the reception – you don’t want people trying to balance a three-course meal on their laps. If you have a wedding planner we will guide you through this.

3. Professionalism

Your wedding is not the time to ‘test out’ your friends skills at say photography or cake making. I always advise getting professionals involved in your wedding. You will benefit from our knowledge and experience. We will not be at your wedding doing half the job. You pay us to deliver, creativity, great customer service and most of all professionalism. Trust that the suppliers you choose will do just that.

4. Wedding supplier feedback

Do your research. Take time to check out suppliers' galleries or portfolios, this will give you a clearer idea about their creativity and the types of weddings they have worked on before. Read suppliers testimonials, particularly ones that others have written, such as google reviews. This will give you a great insight into the clients gushing with praise. Is there evidence of some of the feedback you would expect to see? For example as a wedding planner you may expect to see things like, she over delivered, she got our vision, she helped reduce any stress, we were able to fully enjoy our day. Do you get a good feeling from reading all this? Also look for the supplier's response, that will help you to know that they value the feedback provided. As a customer you want to feel valued.

Gold cutlery and white plate on a table setting with a clear wine glass

5. Communication and connection with your supplier

During those first emails to potential wedding suppliers, see how they respond. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, including about your style, priorities and budget and how they work. Also note how they communicate. You want a supplier that is responsive. Yes we will have other correspondence from potential couples too but a timely reply (within a day or two) is not too much to ask. It’s also important to choose suppliers you genuinely get along with, so take the time to jump on a Zoom or phone or catch up for a coffee to find people you feel relaxed and comfortable around.

6. Preferred Supplier lists

Many venues require you to use their preferred suppliers, which may or may not suit your wedding style. So, find out about this before you make a booking. If the venue does work with specific suppliers, make sure that you’re happy with their experience, style, personality, and pricing. If not, it is worth bringing in your own suppliers, although note some venues may charge you for this. Say if you use your own caterer or bar staff so always check the venues terms and conditions first.

7. Be Flexible

Wedding suppliers get booked up, sometimes years in advance. If you have a Summer wedding at a weekend, know that waiting months to get back to a supplier after they send a quote could leave you most disappointed. Wedding suppliers are in high demand, particularly during the wedding season (April to September). I get that there is alot to consider and life can get in the way but don't take too long to decide. Also, if you can't book your first choice, go for your second choice or consider other options, that may be different from what you imagined but could work out brilliantly.

Black groom in light brown suit with gold ring holding up a glass of champagne to the camera

8. Consider your wedding season

When you get married can impact not only supplier's availability but other things too. For example your favourite flowers or or food might not be at their best on your wedding day, if they’re not local or seasonal. Also think about elements of your day, for example if you have a Winter wedding, it's best not to book outdoor entertainment. Your suppliers will be able to advise you on all of this, so make sure you build a strong relationship with them yourselves or via your wedding planner to get the best guidance.

9. Hire a wedding planner

As a wedding planner, knowing the right supplier team for my clients is crucial. I have a strong supplier network so for clients who book my full or partial planning services, I am able to recommend the best supplier fit for your wedding requirements, based on the knowledge I have of my supplier's strengths, style and expertise. It will save you having to sift through their credentials, we have already done all of that vetting for you. It is crucial to trust your planners' experience and judgment, we do this for a living. We know what works and who to choose. It can take considerable time to wade through emails, consultations, and reading reviews to pick your suppliers. You have busy lifestyles and won’t always have the capacity to take that on, why not save yourself that time and book a wedding planner to do that for you.

Also, if you are reading this thinking but my venue has a venue coordinator, please know that our roles are different. They will not cover all that we do. You can discover more explanation about this in my blog post called - The difference between a wedding planner vs a venue coordinator.

10. Trust the process

Once you’ve secured your dream team, simply trust the process and move forward with confidence! Remember, we are experts in the industry and work with engaged couples just like you for a living. With the right team by your side, you can rest assured your big day will be everything you envisaged and more.

If you have any questions or would like some help sourcing suppliers for your wedding, I would love to hear from you, drop me an email at natasha@pearlineevents.com

Natasha

< Older Post

Newer Post >

About the Author

Natasha is the founder and lead planner at Pearline Events, a London-based wedding planning business specialising in vibrant multicultural celebrations and dry-hire venues. With her background of over a decade of experience in Civil Service project management, she brings unparalleled logistics and problem solving skills, plus creative flair to create seamless, colourful weddings. Her work has been featured in numerous online and print publications.

Named after her late grandmother, 'Pearline' means precious, reflecting Natasha's belief that every love story is unique and deserves a wedding that reflects its true spirit and you. She helps couples fuse their cultures into an exquisitely elegant day, ensuring they arrive relaxed and joyful.

Ready for a relaxed, joyful planning journey? Get in touch.

Timeless Glamour: A Great Gatsby Inspired Wedding Shoot in Kent

by Natasha Grant • 12 December 2025

Step into the Roaring Twenties with this Great Gatsby wedding shoot in Kent. Featured in Your Kent Wedding Magazine, packed with black, gold, and white inspiration.

Black bride and groom holding hands walking towards their garden wedding reception table

Garden wedding inspiration: An elegant & colourful styled shoot at Eastwell Manor, Kent

by Natasha Grant • 5 December 2025

This elegant & colourful styled shoot held at Eastwell Manor, Kent provides garden wedding inspiration with colourful flower details to inspire you.

Bride and groom by ceremony flowers multicultural wedding London planned by Pearline Events

An elegant and colourful styled shoot at Chiswick House London

by Natasha Grant • 26 November 2025

Inspired by Chiswick House's grandeur, this elegant, romantic & colourful styled shoot featured a pink floral arch, Featured in Your London Wedding Magazine.

Afro French marquee wedding Kent black bride lifted up by her groom smiling and waving her hand

How we planned a bilingual Afro-French Fusion wedding in Kent

by Natasha Grant • 21 November 2025

Discover how we fused Ghanaian & French traditions for a bilingual Kent wedding. Get inspired by the fusion menu, design, and dry-hire logist

Multicultural wedding couple smiling whilst sitting at the reception table with colourful decor

Multicultural wedding decor checklist: The ultimate 2025 checklist for fusion couples

by Natasha Grant • 11 June 2025

Plan your dream multicultural wedding with my ultimate decor checklist. Blend traditions elegantly using these 5 key decor areas and free tips.

Heart shape made out of perfume bottles, flowers and wedding ring boxes

5 essential marriage tips for engaged couples: Building a strong and lasting relationship

by Natasha Grant • 23 February 2025

As a wedding planner I spend a lot of time talking about your wedding day. What I don’t talk about much is marriage. Amongst the busyness of wedding planning don’t forget why you are doing it all, to be married to your love, your partner. In this post I will share a bit about my own marriage and offer some advice, about what I believe are the 5 essential marriage tips for engaged couples for building a strong and lasting relationship.

Image of champagne flutes displayed on gold stands with green foliage and orange flowers as decor

7 tips for deciding drink quantities for your multicultural wedding

by Natasha Grant • 24 October 2024

Planning a multicultural wedding in London or anywhere else is an exciting opportunity to celebrate love and diverse traditions. One key aspect to consider is how much to serve when it comes to drinks. Making sure you have the right amounts of wines, beers and spirits for your wedding can be a tricky task - with lots of different factors in play. Here are seven tips to help you as engaged couples decide on the drink quantities for your wedding day.

How to plan a multicultural wedding

by Natasha Grant • 24 July 2024

Within this post, I will be focusing on planning multicultural weddings. It can be challenging when you and your partner have different traditions and customs that you may wish to incorporate. During my time as a wedding planner, I have worked with many couples to plan their multicultural weddings, they are an excellent way to embrace and blend both your different cultures and when it's done right it is beautiful. So here are my top tips on the best way to plan your multicultural wedding, to incorporate your cultures.

Peach wedding Invitation with an orange frame placed in yellow peach flowers

Top 5 wedding Stationery Tips

by Natasha Grant • 16 April 2024

Wedding Stationery is important to provide a clear idea about your wedding design or theme. Once you have agreed on your wedding guest list. You need to decide how to notify your guests about your forthcoming nuptials, this includes everything from the wedding stationery style, to the wording you use, when to ask guests to reply by and more. So here are my top 5 tips that you need to consider when deciding on your wedding stationery.

Pink wedding details flat lay including women's pink shoes perfume, and a wedding ring

Top 10 things to do the month before your wedding

by Natasha Grant • 7 April 2024

Tick, tock if your big day is fast approaching, the days may seem like they are flying by, but it can also feel hectic as there is plenty to do. Discover top 10 things to do the month before your wedding.