Are you a bride looking to have your destination wedding in the beautiful mountains of Utah? Or what about the one-of-a-kind red rocks down south? We don’t blame you. There’s nothing quite like the jaw-dropping natural backdrops of Utah’s finest wedding venues and destinations.
Here’s the inside scoop though—the incredible scenery isn’t the only thing that makes Utah weddings so unique. Did you know our liquor laws are different than in other states? What are bridal photos and why are they included in so many local photographers’ packages?
Take it from the experts in planning Utah destination weddings, you’ll want to know all of this and more when it comes to your dream day. We’ve created some of the most incredible relationships with local vendors of all kinds, from venues and caterers to florists and videographers. We know who the best of the best is for your wedding day, and we want to make sure we bring your vision to life in the best way.
Here are some of Aspen Events’ best tips and need-to-knows when it comes to interacting with Utah wedding vendors!
Bridal Photos
Wedding photographers often have packages available for their clients, with different things included like engagements, rehearsal dinner photos, ceremony photography, reception photos, and more. Something especially unique about Utah wedding photographers is their option for bridal photos, sometimes just called bridals.
Bridals are an additional photoshoot that’s separate from your wedding day, either before or after. Basically it’s your bridal portraits done on a different day. It’s a great option for a few different reasons!
Because of Utah’s incredible diversity in scenery and gorgeous locations, a lot of couples like to put on their wedding attire and drive out—or even hike out—to one of these locations to capture the incredible beauty of our favorite state’s best landscapes. Whether they’re up in the mountains or out on the salt flats, Utah’s backdrops provide the most incredible bridal photos you could ever imagine. Here’s another great tip—go out at sunrise or sunset to get the most breathtaking results.
It’s a great alternative to first look pictures—or the same idea, just in a different location.
Another reason bridals are so popular is because it helps relieve some of the stress of being in a time crunch on the day of your wedding. Rather than being worried about getting every shot, or running out of time before you need to move on to your next event, you’ll be able to relax knowing you already took or will take your bridal portraits.
Typically couples will get their bridals done a few weeks before the wedding, giving them time to print out their photos to use as decor on their wedding day. Most Utah photographers include bridals in their packages, and many of them will have the best locations in mind for the most romantic, breathtaking backdrops.
How Early Can You Book Your Caterer
It’s all over TikTok and other social media platforms that you need to schedule your vendors as soon as possible—and that’s correct! But something unique about many Utah wedding vendors, caterers more specifically, is that they don’t often book until it’s within one year of your wedding date, or within the same calendar year.
There are a few different reasons for this, the biggest one being that it’s difficult to predict the prices of food too far in advance. When your caterer is giving you a quote or trying to stick with your budget, they want it to be as accurate as possible. It’s hard to know how much the price of chicken will fluctuate between now and next summer, for example. If you book a caterer too far in advance and the price of ingredients changes, you’ll have to rework your menu and budget before your big day, which no one wants to do.
Luckily for you, we know of all the best local caterers for every kind of need, and all of them are experts in feeding the hungriest of bridal parties!
All Day DJ
Many Utah weddings only have receptions—meaning, they have their ceremonies elsewhere and the reception is the only thing they need to book with their vendors. When you’re looking for a wedding DJ in Utah, make sure you’re asking about all-day pricing, or looking into the packages they offer and whether ceremonies are included. This applies to many other vendors too, like photographers and videographers!
Venues: Alcohol, Wines, and Send-Off Times
When you’re searching for the perfect venue for your Utah wedding, keep an eye on which ones do or do not allow alcohol on the premises. Because of Utah’s unique liquor laws, some venues prohibit it altogether. But don’t let that deter you—if anything it will make it so much easier for you to narrow down your options!
Additionally, the venues that do allow alcohol are going to have different rules about where, when, what you can have, and more. Have your wedding planner double-check the rules before you order all those cases of wine!
Something else to keep in mind is that you can’t have alcohol in your bridal suite, waiting room, or other places at your event until there is a bartender on-site. So if you want to pop some champagne with your bridesmaids in your cute matching robes, or pour some whiskey with the groomsmen, make sure the bartender is at your venue while it happens!
Another unique aspect of Utah wedding venues is the earlier end times for event space rentals—the usual send-off time for a Utah wedding is around 9:15 pm. A lot of venues offer 12-hour rental periods between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm. If you want to extend that time or go past 10:00, there may be an additional fee. Keep this in mind when you’re coordinating your order of events!
Aspen Events, Utah Destination Wedding Planners
Your wedding planner will be an expert on working with Utah’s vendors and the unique parts of planning a Utah wedding. We know all the quirks and tricks to navigating our laws, practices, and local vendor preferences when it comes to planning your dream wedding. Trust us, you’ll want to have the expertise of the best local wedding planners and coordinators, from the moment you say yes to the moment you say, “I do!”
You can book a call with us at any time and we’ll help you navigate the fun and unique experience that is planning your wedding in Utah!