When it comes to weddings and where to spend money, the sky is the limit. As a recent bride and photographer, here are three items you should bake into your budget

1.

Day of Coordinator

I only answered the following questions on my wedding day

"Do you take Hayden to be your husband?" I do!

"What do you want to drink?" Um, first water, then maybe a glass of wine? Thanks!

"Are you really smoking a cigar right now???" Yes, yes I am.

I did not answer any question dealing with wedding day logistics. That was all taken care of by my awesome day of coordinator! My catering service had the DOC as an add on. It was perfect, as it was one fewer vendor to keep track of, they already knew what the caterer's plan would be and, as a bonus, they had already worked a ton with my photographer (even catered her own wedding). It was a worthwhile investment to keep your wedding day running smooth, and reduces your stress. If you are in Northern California, Butte Creek Catering Company is the way to go!

2.

Extra Hour of DJ

My dad always told me "Always be the one that dances the hardest at weddings!" and I married into a very fun family. An extra hour for our reception was a must. I didn't want the night to end, and could have kept right on dancing!

3.

Extra Time with Photographer

On our wedding day, we had the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. Unfortunately, our photographer's time was up and she had to go. Luckily, I brought out my own camera to take a few extra photos, but not every bride can do that. Additionally, since we opted for extra portraits, we missed out on some great photos of our guests dancing and having fun. I did a 6 hour wedding package and wish I would have bumped it up a bit. You will be sad to miss out on the pictures from such a fun party!

Photo from mine and Hayden's wedding! Photo credit: Circle Bar Co.