Find a wedding service near Clifton, NJ

A wedding planner is a professional service provider whose job it is to organize and execute all the details of a couple’s wedding. A wedding planner can be contracted at any stage in the wedding planning process to help to any degree the couple is willing to pay for. Wedding planning is similar to event planning in that a planning team handles the coordination of multiple wedding elements including catering, venue, guests, entertainment, decor, transportation and more. Anyone who has ever been involved in a wedding can confirm that wedding planning is hard work. Experience brings wisdom when it comes to avoiding or resolving day-of challenges. There is no legal regulatory body that oversees or certifies wedding planning as an industry. Anyone who chooses can call themselves a wedding planner. When looking for a wedding planner, be sure to read reviews, and make smart hiring decisions by asking about licenses and insurance.

A wedding videographer will create a lifetime memory for you from edited video footage of your wedding day, ceremony and reception. Choosing a wedding videographer starts with looking online at portfolios of their past work. There’s no need to talk to anyone unless you love what you see. Next, make sure they have good reviews and past client experience; don’t be shy about asking for references if there aren’t any posted online. When you find someone who has a style you love, ask if they are available on your wedding day. If so, it’s time to talk pricing. Be clear about your maximum budget, and ask what kind of packages they offer. Pricing will depend on the number of crew needed for filming, the hours they are required to be onsite, post-production editing, and the length of the final product. Talk with several wedding videographers to get a feel for what prices are like in your region. Nationally, the average cost for wedding videography ranges between $990 and $1,260 per event. Once you agree on a product and have a plan, get everything in a written and signed contract. Clearly state the details of what is expected for your wedding day and from the final product. Be prepared to pay a deposit to reserve their services for the day, then pay the remainder upon receiving the video.

Mariachi bands are rooted in Mexican culture. Traditional mariachi bands consisted of two or more members playing stringed instruments, wearing regional costumes adapted from the charro (Mexican horseman or cowboy). Modern mariachi bands, which are likely what you’re looking for when searching for a mariachi band for hire, feature at least four members who play stringed instruments (violin, vihuela, bass guitar called guitarron) and one or more trumpets. The costumes have remained the same, but now trumpets are synonymous with mariachi music. Mariachi bands for hire often play a wide range of music, including styles originating from Mexico and adopted from elsewhere. These include jarabes, waltzes, serenades, corridos (Mexican ballads), ranchera, cumbia, and more. Mariachi bands for hire bring a festive and soulful element to a party, birthday, wedding, corporate affair, fundraiser or community event. UNESCO has inscribed mariachi music on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On average, wedding planners charge $80 for their services. However, rates can range from roughly $50 per hour to $100 per hour, or even more than $300 per hour.

To find out how much it will cost to hire a wedding planner, request cost estimates from a few in your area. Also, keep in mind that some wedding planners may have flat fees instead of hourly rates.

A videographer professionally films weddings and other events and edits the footage to create film keepsakes or marketing materials for their clients. Wedding videographers record all the key elements of your wedding day, ceremony and reception, and then edit the hours of film during post-production to make a wedding video, social media highlight reels, and any other film features you choose. Wedding videography captures, in live action, your vows, the cake-cutting, the first dance, reception toasts, the decor, the guests and all the details of your day. Many wedding videographers also interview guests (based on an interview list provided by the couple) and incorporate the recorded responses into the wedding video. Event videography typically costs less than wedding videography, as events are shorter with less detail. The national average cost for event videography is $500-$760, while the national average cost for wedding videography is $990-$1,260. A videographer usually does not need to be licensed, but it is important to confirm they have insurance and good standing in the business community, as well as good client reviews. A great majority of the work happens during post-production. The pros watch and blend together the hours of footage they took (sometimes from multiple cameras) to capture the story of your wedding day or event.

Hiring a DJ typically costs anywhere from $300 to $1,200. It all depends on how long they’ll be working at your wedding and other various factors. The cost to hire a wedding DJ is usually higher than the cost to hire a DJ to play at a birthday party or similar event. 

To find out exactly how much your wedding DJ will cost, ask for a cost estimate from several professionals in your area.

Reach out to wedding officiants in your area, and ask them if they can offer a remote or virtual ceremony. Some officiants may be willing to meet in person while maintaining 6 feet of distance, while others may prefer to conduct the entire service over the phone or a video call service such as Skype or Zoom.

Familiarize yourself with the social distancing rules in your community, city and state, and move forward only if both you and the officiant are comfortable with the arrangement. 

Photography happens in person, but photographers may be able to offer other remote services safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, they may be able to offer editing and other post-processing services. 

If you see that a photographer is offering remote services in their profile, contact them and ask what those services include.

First, pull up a list of nearby hairstylists on Thumbtack, and read their profiles to get an understanding of what they specialize in — hair coloring, cutting, extensions, wedding hairstyles, etc. Then, start searching for stylists who have high ratings and customer reviews. You should also spend some time looking at photos that showcase their work. That way, you can determine if a stylist has the experience and skills needed to achieve the look you want. 

When you’ve identified at least three hairstylists you like, ask them for a cost estimate and make sure they have the proper credentials.

Use Thumbtack to find wedding DJs in your area. Here, you can quickly see which local DJs have the highest ratings and best reviews. You can also see how many times each DJ has been hired, whether they’re responsive and if they’re in high demand.