The content in this blog post first appeared in my monthly newsletter in October of 2024. Sign up here for first access to more content like this!

Hi Friend!

This month’s newsletter is about how to search for your wedding vendors by keywords, and I’m also giving you examples of popular keywords that you can use to help you find the vendors of your dreams! For most of this list, you will be able to type “[location] [keyword] [vendor]” into your search engine (I recommend starting with Google and Pinterest) and see what comes up! *I am including keywords of several different styles, that way you can pick and choose which keywords to use when searching for your vendors!

P.S. If you want a list of awesome vendors local to Northwest Arkansas, I’ve got you! Click here to see my full list of recommended vendors.

Vendors

Venue

The venue you choose for your wedding or elopement really sets the tone for the whole day. It’s the only thing that is guaranteed to be in every single photo. Whether you have a specific aesthetic in mind before you start researching venues or whether you fall in love with a venue first and it then establishes the aesthetic for the rest of your wedding planning, I think we can all agree that the venue is one of the most important pieces to the puzzle of wedding planning. 

Keywords

Photographer + Videographer

When it comes to your photo/videographer, there are two different things you need to look at: their photography style and their editing style. These will be the photos and video that you will look at to remember your wedding for years to come and that will be passed down from generation to generation; it is so important that you do your research when selecting these (and, honestly, all) vendors, understand what each photography and editing style is, and choose a photographer and/or videographer based on examples of their previous work. It also helps to communicate exactly what it is about their photography and editing style that you love so that they can keep that in mind while they are shooting and will be able to deliver a gallery that you absolutely love. 

Keywords (photography style)

Keywords (editing style)

Invitations, Paper Suite, Calligraphy Artist

Your announcements, save the dates, and invitations give your guests the first impression of your wedding. Whether they are made of paper or sent digitally, be intentional with the design process. Perhaps you can include your wedding colors, or they could follow a similar theme as your wedding (mountains, forest, beach, summer, fall, winter, etc.). 

Keywords

Caterer

For larger weddings, hiring a catering company is necessary if you are planning to provide food for your guests, but for intimate weddings and elopements another option would be to order food from your favorite restaurant or hire a private chef. Whichever option you choose, I recommend sampling the food beforehand to make sure it is up to your standards. 

Keywords

Florist

Florists certainly are experts at transforming any space into a garden-like atmosphere. By communicating your vision clearly while also understanding the limitations of location and season, you will be able to find the perfect florist for your wedding. 

Keywords 

Decor

Many venues and florists will also offer decor rentals, and there are also standalone rental companies that offer everything from tables and chairs to photo backdrops and table centerpieces. 

Keywords 

Hair + Makeup Artists

Your hair and/or makeup artist(s) will likely be the first vendors you see on your wedding day, and their work will have a significant impact on how you feel for the rest of the day and how you look in photos. Choosing an artist or artists who offer trials will help you make sure you love how you’ll look on your wedding day, which will help you feel comfortable and confident with your guests and in photos. 

Keywords

Entertainers

From bands to DJs to photo booths to live artists to hiking guides and helicopter pilots, hiring good entertainers really makes your wedding. A good entertainer will not only be able to do the literal job you hire them for (singing, playing their instrument, etc.), but they will also be a performer. They will engage their audience, infuse their personality into their work, and go the extra mile for you on your wedding day. 

Keywords

The keywords you use will really depend on the kind of entertainment you want, but just know that there are so many options out there for you! Maybe you want a band that specializes in jazz music, the blues, or 90s covers. Maybe you want a DJ who will remix theme songs from your favorite TV shows with popular music from your college years. Maybe you want a photo booth with vintage-inspired props from the roaring 20s. Maybe you want a caricature artist who will draw caricatures of your guests in real time that they will be able to take home as party favors. Maybe you want a hiking guide who can take you to a secret waterfall that not many people have ever seen. Maybe you want a helicopter pilot who can take you to land on glaciers. The sky’s the limit, just keep searching until you find exactly what you want! 

Officiant

Did you know that in Colorado, you do not even need an officiant? In fact, you don’t even need any witnesses to your wedding. It’s called self solemnization, and the only signatures necessary to validate your wedding license are you and your spouse’s. Other states have different requirements for making your wedding legal, although most states and counties do require an officiant of some kind – religious or not – to sign your wedding license. I photographed a very special elopement this last spring where the couple decided, as their unity ceremony, to do handfasting. The officiant they chose had done this ceremony several times before, and she did a gorgeous job for my clients; the way she tied their ribbons left them with a beautiful memento to keep in their home for years to come. 

Choosing the right officiant, and communicating to them exactly how you want your ceremony to go – whether you write your own vows, say the traditional vows, have a mini sermon, or get straight to the point – will help you feel comfortable on your best day ever. 

Keywords

Final Thoughts …

Surrounding yourself with amazing vendors who you fully trust to make your dream come to life on your wedding day can really help to relieve your stress in the days and weeks leading up to your wedding, allowing you to sit back, relax, and enjoy your wedding day with the love of your life. I hope I’ve provided you with some new tools to help you as you plan your wedding. This newsletter goes hand in hand with my blog posts from earlier this year titled “How to Choose Your Elopement Vendors” and “How to Find Your Perfect Photographer“. I definitely recommend you giving them a read as well.  

If you have any questions about the keywords in this post or about searching for wedding vendors in general, I’d love to help you out! Just leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to answer!

November’s newsletter will be on how to write your own vows, be sure to subscribe to my email list so you can be the first to read content like this! There’s never any spam, just a monthly newsletter all about wedding planning.

*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!

I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!

*If you’d like to subscribe to my blog so that you won’t miss any future posts, enter your email and click the button below!