Most brides are familiar with searching for wedding cake vendors, photographers, DJs and florists. But what about specialty vendors? If you’re planning an elaborate wedding reception or you have unique needs, look into specialty vendors to help make your big day memorable. Here’s a brief look at some specialty wedding vendors to consider.

Specialty Transportation
Traditional formal weddings often involve limousine transportation for the bridal party and parents of the bride and groom. The limo generally takes the bridal party from the ceremony location to the reception location and may bring the bride and groom to their wedding night location. For extra romance, try alternatives like a horse-drawn carriage or classic-car rental.

Expert Bartenders
Creative cocktails and mixology are trendy across the United States. Add an elegant element of style to your reception by hiring specialty bartenders to serve your guests. Consult with the bar staff ahead of time to create one or two unique cocktails that coordinate with your wedding’s theme. Give the specialty drinks playful names.

Live Music
Whether you hire a harpist to play during your ceremony or a live band to entertain your guests with dance music during the reception, live wedding music is always memorable. When searching for live music performers, ask your church and reception hall for recommendations. Many church performers can sing or play music during your ceremony for a reasonable price. Full band ensembles are pricier, so choose wisely and be sure to view a full demo video before booking.

Specialty Lighting
Throwing an extravagant formal reception? Go way beyond a disco ball. Let the experts light your dance floor with creative and whimsical lighting. While some reception halls include built-in lighting, others require you to rent lighting or have your DJ bring basic lighting. For large areas, tents and upscale events, specialty lighting and lighted décor really tie together all of your decorating efforts.

Photobooth Rentals
Want to add a memorable, fun activity to your wedding reception? Rent a photo booth and allow guests to take fun pictures. Photo booths are becoming popular with young, trendy couples. While rental can be costly, you can offset that costs by allowing guests to take printed photos home as wedding favors. If you plan on renting a photo booth, tie in the fun retro activity with photo booth picture save-the-date cards.

Chocolate Fountains and Fondue
In addition to a wedding cake, treat your guests with a beautiful chocolate fondue fountain. Chocolate fountains delight guests and offer an alternative to cake for guests who prefer a lighter dessert. Unlike traditional fondue, chocolate fountains do double duty as sculptural décor. Work with a specialty vendor that can arrange fruit and other dipping items in addition to setting up the fountain.

While specialty vendors can be expensive, their unique services can elevate your wedding reception to a true event to remember. As with any wedding vendor, do your homework and rely on testimonials from previous clients. Whenever possible, inspect the specialty wedding vendor’s product ahead of time, whether that means meeting with a mixologist, watching a demo DVD or trying some fondue.

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