Figuring out how to choose wedding vendors for your Washington State elopement can be stressful. Especially if you don’t know where to begin, and that’s exactly why I created this guide to help you when it comes time to choose wedding vendors for your elopement! Here are 5 key factors when choosing your wedding vendors: 

#1. Are your wedding vendors inclusive? 

This is something I’m super passionate about, and  we have to ask these important questions when finding vendors. After all, we want to support inclusive businesses and for them to support us. You want all of your vendors to make you and your partner feel safe and celebrated on your day! This means choosing wedding vendors that work with BIPOC and LQBTQ+ couples. This includes hair and makeup artists who know how to work with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ clients. 

We’re also asking important questions like: “Can my makeup last for hours? While I’m getting all sweaty hiking to my wedding destination? Through the wind and possible rain?” Ask it all, and make sure you and your partner feel comfortable. The priority here is for you to have inclusive vendors, and for you to look your very best for your elopement. 

#2. Do they have experience with elopements?

Another question you’ll need to ask your vendor is if they have experience with elopements. Planning elopements versus traditional weddings can look a little different. If you’re choosing to have an outdoor elopement, you’ll want to pick a florist with experience in creating durable bouquets for hiking and weather elements. It’s also important they’ll help you choose a bouquet to compliment your surroundings. This goes for all vendors, not just your florist!

You’ll need a photographer with experience shooting in the elements, as well as a hair and makeup artist to create a look that will last throughout the day. They can suggest hair and makeup styles that can last longer through the elements. After all, you want bomb photographs to remember!

#3. Ask for examples of their work

Most vendors are more than happy to show off their previous client work. This is especially important to ask if their website or Instagram pages are limited. Ask for photos of past elopement client work they’ve done, and this goes for all vendors you’re planning to hire, from your florals to your dessert (did someone say cake??). Their portfolio will give you a good idea of what to expect, as well as some examples of work they’ve done that you may want to include in your own wedding! When it comes to quality, consistency is key to look for when viewing their past work. 

#4. Look for Reviews

When choosing a vendor looking at reviews are important, and you definitely don’t want to skip this step. Reviews are a great way for past clients to offer their experience with vendors and businesses, and to give honest, thoughtful feedback. Past clients will offer a behind the scenes look at working with the vendor you are considering, it’s a good way to get a taste of how that vendor works before actually working with them.

If the vendors for your Washington State elopement have lots of reviews (yay!), I would recommend looking back a year or two. This way you’ll get a full-scope of what past clients have to say. If the vendor’s reviews are few to none, you can reach out to the vendor and inquire if they have any past client reviews they’d like to share! A good place to look for reviews is Google, as well as that vendor’s website. You’ll want to look for reviews about communication, timeliness, receiving the correct services they anticipated. You can also check out their Facebook reviews for more testimonials (you can check out mine here!).

You’ll also want to be on the lookout for any red flags that vendor may have, which would include multiple bad reviews about the vendor’s lack of communication, negative communication, or if the client was disappointed with the final product. If you discover one or two bad reviews out of hundreds, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. However, if you start to see a clear pattern of issues, you may want to look elsewhere. 

#5. Do they offer bundles with other elopement vendors?

I love a good bundle, and sometimes photographers and other vendors will connect with each other and offer bundle options for elopements! A good example of this would be a photographer and a florist creating a bundle where the florist offers a discounted option on your bouquet and/or boutonnière, when you book the photographer in which they are connected. This means a discount for you (which is always a big plus!), plus being able to support another small business. It’s the biggest win-win! This is great for the vendors as well, as they get to connect and support one another. It’s all-around a great idea to ask about bundles, and since the vendors have already worked together before chances are you’ll get an amazing service! 

Ready to choose wedding vendors for your Washington State elopement?

There you have it! Choosing elopement vendors doesn’t have to be difficult when you know what questions to ask. It makes the process A LOT easier than choosing elopement vendors blindly. After you’ve chosen your vendors, you’ll begin to get a better idea of what your elopement will look like, and then it’s just the waiting game! 

If you need help in finding the perfect wedding vendors (or want me as your photographer), please feel free to reach out to me! I’d be happy to help you along your wedding planning journey. 

Need help with more than just vendors for your Washington State elopement?

I’ve got you covered! Check out this blog post for all my juicy tips and tricks for planning your elopement.