Paying for Wedding Vendors: All You Need to Know + One Big Warning

Paying for Wedding Vendors: All You Need to Know + One Big Warning. How vendor payments are structured, method of payments, when you pay, and one big warning if you're paying with credit cards!
Buy my book for brides: A Bride's Guide to a Picture Perfect Wedding - bitly.com/CEPbook
Visit my San Diego wedding dress boutique: www.thewhitefl...
Instagram: @cavinelizabeth
Website: www.cavineliza...
I'm a wedding film photographer based in San Diego, serving worldwide. My passion is educating couples on all things related to wedding photography, including plans you might not think impact photos but do! My work has been published on Style Me Pretty, Magnolia Rouge, Wedding Sparrow, Martha Stewart Weddings, Ruffled, and more!
Music: Joakim Karud, Bensound

[@dreamingofbooks9]

Love the hair! It looks so pretty with the emerald sweater too 💚

[@cavinelizabeth]

:)

[@sarahwaddell8136]

Personal experience, video inspo.😊 Love the length (not too long) and the keeping yourself on-track! Discipline always pays off in the long run! Also thank you for thinking of how to keep your cost efficient by keeping your own payment methods simple!😊

[@Cindyannapolis]

Wow! That is a drastic new look but it suits you very well- you look so good 🤩

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thanks so much Cindy, it is still shocking looking in the mirror a week later!

[@baileytodtenbier1367]

LOVINGGGG the hair oh my gosh!! So natural looking

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thank you so much Bailey!!

[@melissamiller1433]

Love your new hair color, its beautiful! For more content, maybe some ideas on how to DIY or elevate decorations that look elegant but are low cost for budget brides. The weddings you photograph are so pretty but are probably very expensive haha.

[@cavinelizabeth]

Most of mine these days are average to upper average if I had to guess. Every now and then I do get an "expensive one" for sure ;) Sometimes you can make a wedding look "expensive" with tricks which I *think* I did a video on haha!

[@wildbelles]

Cavin, you’ve been SO SO SO helpful for me! I can’t thank you enough for your videos! also, your hair 🤍🤍

[@cavinelizabeth]

Happy to help! and thank you so much!

[@Marie_Garwood]

What a helpful video, Cavin! The credit card dilemma never even occurred to me-makes perfect sense! P.S. You look beautiful!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Yay! Thank you!

[@summern8157]

Wow! You look so different with red hair! It suits you well though, particularly with your skin tone. Looks good!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Oh thank you!

[@ClaireLillywhite94]

Love the new hair Cavin!! It really suits you ☺️ great tips, as always - thank you!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thanks so much!

[@victoriae6311]

Hi Cavin! Thank you for all your videos! I appreciate all the good information you pack into them. A video idea I was hoping for was just a Basics Video (how to get a marriage license, timing, marriage certificate, civil ceremony process, getting a friend ordained online). I know these can be state-specific, but if you could go over the process in California, that would be amazing!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Great idea! I'll have to do some research, but it'll be a good thing to fill my time as I have been very bored these days ;)

[@victoriae6311]

Thank you in advance!!

[@ticild4181]

I love it!! I'm so glad you went red!!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thank you!!

[@KristynRaeV]

Thank you! Your videos are amazing, well produced, and super informative! I have been binging as a I plan a year out now from our wedding lol. Could you do a video on rings, different ways people present them for the ceremony and how the photographer might like to photograph them?

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thank you so much! I can definitely consider that :)

[@lovelyisabelle2028]

The red hair suits you sooooo good!! 🤩

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thank you so much!

[@summern8157]

As far as video ideas, I'm curious from a photographer's perspective, what you think are some options to cut decor costs without sacrificing a nice aesthetic. Like maybe flowers that look nice but aren't normally too pricy per stem, alternative centerpieces, etc. Aesthetics are very important to me, but I have a feeling that most of the weddings you see on Pinterest ran about $100,000+.

[@cavinelizabeth]

Invest all the decor budget on the head table and skimp on guest tables then tell the photographer to focus detail shots on the head table! Such an easy way to get the most for your money in photos. Also, heavy on greenery (I prefer Southern Smilax instead of Silver Dollar Eucalyptus - so overdone and has less shape)

[@angelaclarke5734]

Great video. A video about wedding "splurges" that are totally worth it for budget weddings would be super helpful!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Great idea!

[@hiilaning298]

Your hair looks beautiful 💚

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thank you so much 😀

[@sangmeeko8465]

Awesome video, thank you!! Could you do one on wedding rings? Specifically, how to handle interlocking wedding rings. I've read that usually you either put the engagement ring on your right hand and slip it on top after the ceremony OR don't wear it at all. My engagement ring inserts into the wedding band, so I wonder how that could work/look and also what option is the least awkward.

[@cavinelizabeth]

Great suggestion!

[@chy6523]

Little late watching this video but your hair looks lovely!! ❣

[@cavinelizabeth]

Thank you so much 😀

[@ekalbach999]

Great video, Cavin! If you could talk about wedding insurance, that would be awesome!

[@cavinelizabeth]

Awesome idea!

[@Jule03747]

Can you do a video on ways to make your wedding look and feel elegant? It’s been done before but I feel yours would be so much better! Lol

[@cavinelizabeth]

I kind of have a video like that! I hope this helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppDFn5mqlM2fmdk

[@melissamoeller6823]

Thank you for your great videos! This was really helpful. Would you consider doing a video on where to find wedding shoes for women? What about gifts for the bridal party? Any thoughts on having some black and white photos of your wedding?

[@k.kathleenswanson2089]

Maybe make a video about the orgin of wedding traditions. Also I love your wedding more info about your flowers please 🙏

[@cavinelizabeth]

:) I can definitely dive more into those!

[@ivana0606]

Do ceremony rehearsals please and thank you for your awesome content!

[@dcampbell6548]

You look beautiful!! (Regardless of hair colour.)Any suggestions on wedding jewelry?

[@cavinelizabeth]

I can definitely make a video on choosing accessories!

[@Kris10Swilley]

First, like everyone else, I LOVE the hair, and I think I have a decent content idea. What all should I bring the day of the wedding to help my photographer create the perfect flat lay? I'll obviously have my invitation suite and jewelry, but what other details should I include? Anything unusual you'd like to see more of?

[@cavinelizabeth]

Love this idea, Kristen, and the enthusiasm for the flatlay! Definitely adding to my list ;)

[@malindasherman7487]

Can you talk about watermarked photos?

[@RGerber1993]

In my country the law for deposits is 10%. You can charge more than that for a deposit but clients can claim $$ back in court. Say deposit is 20% then the client can get half of it back.... I like my country's way of things lol. Not that I plan on doing it, it's just a good piece of mind.

[@cavinelizabeth]

Interesting, that certainly isn't very business friendly at all. If a client cancels on the vendor and it's too late for them to rebook that date, then they are in a very unfortunate position :(

[@RGerber1993]

@@cavinelizabeth luckily ppl here don't really bother going through the courts. 95% of the time people just let it go and move on. That's probably the good part for small businesses here as we very seldom sue anyone, but I would definitely have to think very hard to set up a business 😬

[@zenaharding581]

I didn't know I could pay my vendors ahead 😳 that would save so many discussions with my fiance 😅

[@cavinelizabeth]

hahaha!