A wedding vendor checklist lists every professional your celebration may need, from planner & venue to caterer, photographer, makeup artist, DJ & security, with a sensible order for booking them. Book the vendors who fix your date first, usually the venue & planner, then the people who can only work one wedding a day, & leave the more flexible services until later.
Not every wedding needs every vendor on this list, & a small, intimate celebration may need only a handful. Use it to decide what you need, cross off what you do not, & then work through the rest in order.
The complete wedding vendor checklist
Planning & venue
- Wedding planner or coordinator: full planning, partial planning or on-the-day coordination.
- Venue or event centre: for each celebration, including any separate venue for the traditional ceremony.
- Ceremony venue & officiant: church, mosque or registry, depending on your ceremony.
Food & drink
- Caterer: main meals for each event, plus staff to serve them.
- Small chops: sometimes from your caterer, sometimes from a specialist.
- Bakers: the wedding cake & any desserts.
- Drinks & bar service: if your caterer or venue does not cover it.
Photos, video & streaming
- Photographer: with a second shooter for large or multi-event weddings.
- Videographer or content creator: for your film, highlights & social clips.
- Livestream: for family & friends who cannot travel.
Style & beauty
- Fashion designers & aso-ebi vendors: outfits for the couple, the bridal train & family.
- Makeup artist & gele stylist: for the couple &, if you choose, family & the bridal train.
Atmosphere
- Decorators, florists & event rentals: chairs, tables, linen, lighting, staging & flowers.
- DJ, MC & live band: music & the flow of the programme.
Guests & logistics
- Security & ushers: to manage the gate, seating & crowd.
- Stationery & branding: invitations, passes, signage & souvenirs.
- Transport: for the couple, the bridal party & elderly relatives.
When to book each wedding vendor
Exact timings depend on your date, your city & how busy the season is. As a rough order of priority:
- As soon as you set a date: venue & planner, because both affect almost every other decision.
- Once the venue is confirmed: photographer, videographer & caterer, who often take only one wedding a day.
- Next: makeup & gele, DJ, MC or band, & decorators, especially if you are marrying in a busy season.
- Once your colours are chosen: fashion & aso-ebi, stationery & branding, & your bakers.
- In the final stretch: security & ushers, transport, extra rentals & final confirmations with everyone.
If your wedding runs over several days, confirm each vendor's availability for every event, not just the main day. Our wedding planning timeline shows how vendor bookings fit around everything else you need to do.
What to ask every wedding vendor
Before you pay a deposit, a handful of core questions apply to almost everyone on your list.
- Are you available for all our dates & venues?
- What exactly is included, & what costs extra?
- How many staff will attend, & for how many hours?
- What deposit do you need, when is the balance due & what happens if plans change?
- Can we see full examples of past work, not only highlights?
- Will everything we agree be put in writing?
Our guide to questions to ask before paying a vendor deposit goes deeper, & deposits & balance payments explains what fair payment terms look like.
Specific questions for key vendors
Caterers & small chops
Ask how they handle final headcounts, how food will be served, whether they feed vendors & what happens if more guests arrive than expected. Agree who serves what if you use separate vendors for meals & small chops.
Photographers & videographers
Ask about coverage hours for each event, second shooters, delivery timelines & how you will receive your gallery & film. Share a list of family photo groupings well before the day.
Makeup & gele
Ask how many faces they can finish before your call time, whether a trial is included & whether they come to you. Check how they handle touch-ups between the ceremony & the reception.
Fashion & aso-ebi
Ask how many fittings & alterations are included & the date each outfit will be ready. For aso-ebi, decide how orders & payments will be collected & when fabric will be handed out.
Bakers
Ask about tastings, how the cake will travel to the venue, who sets it up & whether it needs a cool spot. Share your colours & monogram if you would like them on the cake.
Decorators & rentals
Ask when they need access to the venue, how long set-up & breakdown will take & who is responsible for any damaged items. Check what the venue allows, such as open flames, hanging installations or confetti.
DJ, MC & live band
Ask what programme they usually follow, how they will work around your family's order of events & what equipment they bring. Confirm sound checks, power needs & any breaks.
Security & ushers
Ask how they check guests at the gate, how they handle people without invitations & how they will communicate with your planner on the day. If guests have entry passes, make sure the team knows how to check them.
Livestream
Ask about internet backup, camera angles & where guests will watch. Our wedding livestream runs on your wedding website with a guest chat, & our livestream crew add-on is available for weddings in Nigeria, with the couple covering crew travel & accommodation.
Keep your wedding vendors organised
A simple shared sheet with each vendor's contact, contract, amount paid, balance due & call time saves a lot of last-minute calls. Keep receipts in one folder & note who your contact is for each business.
During the final week, send every vendor the final timings & venue details in writing. Confirm again the day before, & give one trusted person the vendor list so they can answer questions while you get ready.
If you are reading this as a vendor, Vendor AI is an AI agent on WhatsApp that keeps your enquiries, bookings, payments & reminders in order, so couples get clear answers quickly.
Questions people ask
Which wedding vendors should we book first?
Usually the venue & the planner, because your date, guest numbers & layout depend on them. After that, book the vendors who can only work one wedding a day, such as your photographer, videographer & caterer. Flexible services, such as extra rentals & transport, can usually be confirmed closer to the wedding.
Do we need both a caterer & a separate small chops vendor?
Not always. Many caterers offer small chops, while some couples prefer a specialist. If you use two vendors, decide who serves what & when, how many guests each should plan for & who manages the serving staff, so food arrives in the right order without gaps or overlaps.
Should every wedding vendor have a written contract?
Ideally, yes. Even a simple written agreement should cover the date, venues, what is included, staff numbers, the payment schedule & what happens if plans change or the event is cancelled. A clear record protects both you & the vendor & helps avoid misunderstandings on the day.
