The Knot Best of Weddings award winners—vendors who have earned a trusted stamp of excellence on the largest US Vendor Marketplace—share expert tips to kick-start wedding planning

NEW YORK, NY, February 29, 2024 — From selecting the wedding vibe to picking a date and booking vendors, the start of wedding planning can be exciting and overwhelming—which is why engaged couples turn to The Knot, a digital wedding planning authority and the largest wedding Vendor Marketplace in the US. National Wedding Planning Day, coined in 2017 by The Knot, is celebrated annually on March 1st, signifying the transition from proposal season (November to February, when 45 percent of couples get engaged) to wedding planning season. This past year, The Knot saw an approximately 32 percent increase in new couple sign ups from February to March 2023. 

To help kick-start wedding planning, couples can turn to The Knot 2024 Best of Weddings award winners, representing the best wedding professionals in the industry, rated by real couples on The Knot Vendor Marketplace, based on their trusted expertise and quality service. This year approximately 5 percent of vendors on The Knot have received the Best of Weddings award, underscoring the awards’ representation of the best of the best. To determine the winners, The Knot assessed thousands of user reviews for 200,000+ wedding professionals within its Vendor Marketplace across various categories—wedding planners, venues, officiants, musicians, DJs, florists, photographers, caterers, hair and makeup artists, and more—to find the top vendors of the year. Vendors who received at least seven reviews on The Knot with an average score of 4.5+ between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, received The Knot Best of Weddings award. 

With expert knowledge, trusted guidance and skilled craft, vendors are the backbone of every great wedding. According to recent data from The Knot*, newly married couples said their wedding vendors were as supportive as their significant others during the planning process, relying on them for decision-making, honest advice, guidance and emotional support. Additionally, new data from The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study found that 63 percent of couples say personalization is one of the most important factors of their wedding, and finding vendors to highlight their relationship through wedding details is crucial.

“Not only is National Wedding Planning Day a commemorative holiday for to-be-weds to dive into planning their celebration, it also gives us a reason to honor the professionals who go above and beyond to provide invaluable service to couples,” said Lauren Kay, Executive Editor of The Knot. “From caterers and florists to venues and planners, The Knot Vendor Marketplace has the largest collection of US wedding pros, including The Knot Best of Weddings award winners. These top vendors are the best of the best. They execute wedding day visions with exceptional service, simplify the planning process and help ensure all couples wed their way.”

Top Wedding Planning Tips from The Knot 2024 Best of Weddings Award Winners:

• “Understand what parts of the wedding are the most important to you, know your budget, and have a clear idea of the top three things you do not want to compromise on. The planning should be fun. Find joy in the things you want to engage with as a couple, and outsource the things that stress you out. There is no wrong way to have your wedding.” – Barrie Schwartz of My House Events in Los Angeles and New Orleans. 

• “It’s your wedding day. Not your mom’s, not your mother-in-laws—it’s yours. Be true to what you want.“ – Scott Jones of Cleveland Music Group in Cleveland.

• “Focus on the why. Why are you marrying one another? Why are you choosing to spend the rest of your lives together? Why are guests flying in from so many places to celebrate your union? Focus on one another and the matter at hand.” – Amanda Voyles of The Cotton Gin at Mill Creek in Atlanta.

• “Couples, with the help of their vendors, should create a wedding day timeline. This allows them to build in time to fully enjoy and be present with their loved ones, as opposed to being overwhelmed and stressed out by all the activities of the day.” – Flavio Scorsato of Leaf Wedding Photography in San Diego. 

• “When it comes to wedding day hair and makeup, a trial is a must. Book a time with your stylist prior to the wedding to feel confident in your look, versus just winging it on your wedding day.” – Victoria DiPietro of Bella Angel in Philadelphia.

• “Have fun in the planning process and remember that this time is a good indicator of how you will make decisions in the future, compromise and work together during your marriage.” – Melissa Caceres of Events on a Budget in Miami.

• “One of the first questions I ask my couples is, ‘How do you want to feel on your wedding day?’ This should become your North Star and guiding light as you enter the wedding planning process. With every decision you make, ask yourself, ‘Does this make me feel more or less of how I want to feel on my wedding day?’ If it makes you feel more of how you want to feel, chances are it’s a great investment to make. If not, let it go.” – Lauren Snead Wedding Officiant in San Francisco.

• “Hire professionals. We can help you navigate the planning process while elevating your wedding, saving time and stress so you can enjoy the entire planning journey.” – Arin Busch of Big City Bride in Chicago.

• “Don’t feel obligated to use a vendor who doesn’t share or understand your vision of your wedding. Communication from the beginning will give you a clue as to what to expect from your vendors.” – Helen Sohne of Wedding Ceremonies FL in Southeast Florida.

• “One of the most important parts of wedding planning is the guest list. This will determine the budget, so creating the guest list early on will help guide couples on their spend and wedding venue.” – Bukky Garcia of Exquisite Events and Floral Design in Chicago.

Through The Knot Vendor Marketplace, couples can find more of the best professionals in the industry, browse real wedding images for inspiration and read reviews from over 3 million couples. Spanning 25 categories—from DJs and photographers to officiants, hair and makeup artists and more—The Knot Vendor Marketplace allows couples to find, compare, connect with and manage wedding professionals all in one place.

About The Knot

The Knot is a leading wedding Vendor Marketplace that connects couples with more than 200,000 local wedding professionals and offers a comprehensive suite of planning tools that includes personalized wedding websites, invitations and registry services that make planning easier to help couples enjoy the experience. The most trusted authority on wedding planning, The Knot reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through TheKnot.com; a leading wedding planning app with the most 5-star reviews on iOS and Android, The Knot Wedding Planner; The Knot national wedding magazine; and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that’s authentic to them. Visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: @TheKnot on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest and Threads and Facebook.com/TheKnot.

*Based on a study from The Knot conducted in July 2023 among 500+ engaged and recently married user and non-user respondents.

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Kayla Spector 

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