Who Are The Best Wedding Vendors of 2020?

I’ve been planning weddings for over a decade, and I’ve seen many small businesses shine in the spotlight as the best in the industry over the years. Here, I’ve collected a few of my personal favorites to share with you.

These photographers, florists, designers, and culinary pros are at the top of their game. They think beyond the latest trends and provide a timeless style that inspires all in the wedding industry.

Some of these folks I’ve worked with; others I hope to work with. I’ve included links to each of their sites below. While many couples have made the decision to postpone or shrink their wedding plans, some are still in the beginning phases of planning a wedding that reflects their style and standards. If you’re unsure where to start, let’s chat. I’d be happy to help you navigate planning a wedding during these strange times.

Photographers

Corbin Gurkin. Corbin’s wedding photography has a light, natural element to it. I love the way she captures a sense of place in her photos.

Elizabeth Messina. Elizabeth is well known in the wedding industry, as she gets a lot of celebrity clients and has an incredible portfolio that spans across the world.

Cinzia Bruschini Studio. Cinzia is a London based photographer whose work is just stunning. Sometimes I see her photos and think they look like paintings. I’m especially into her black and white portraits.

Laura Gordon. There’s something about Laura’s photos that has a kind of timeless quality. I love her palette, which always feels light and bright to me.

Carrie Patterson. I really like Carrie’s crisp, natural photography style. Her candid shots and couple portraits are gorgeous.

Tec Petaja. When I think about photographers with great energy on site, Tec is one of the first people who comes to mind. He’s so relaxed and lovely to be around that you can’t help but enjoy having him take your wedding photos.

Lauren & Abby Ross. This sister duo create some of the most beautiful imagery of weddings, their settings, and the people involved. Particularly love their black and white shots.

Norman & Blake. Another lovely duo, Shannen Norman and Emily Blake come together to photograph weddings worldwide with their editorial style approach.

Matthew Moore Photography. I work with Matthew regularly because he’s fun to work with and his work is amazing. Not only does he capture a wedding beautifully, but he’s incredibly talented when it comes to portrait work. He also offers boudoir and engagement sessions, which most of my clients love.

Florists

Fjura. Simone Gooch started Fjura in Sydney and now operates out of London. She has that perfect style that combines modern color and structure with a kind of romantic timelessness.

Isa Isa Florals. Sophia Moreno Bunge runs this Los Angeles floral studio. She makes every centerpiece look like a form of art. She also runs workshops, which I’d love to attend one of these days.

Of The Flowers. Felisa Funes isn’t afraid of color. Her flowers are always striking, engaging and FUN. You can just tell she loves what she does.

Katie Marx. Whenever I’m doing a project that involves any kind of scale, I think of Katie. She’s not afraid to fill an entire ceiling with dangling wild arrangements. And it always looks GOOD.

The Blue Carrot. Susanne Hatwood is a UK flower grower and florist with an amazing approach that feels a little like old-world elegance with a fresh approach. It’ll make more sense when you see her arrangements.

Tinge. Ashley Beyer is based in Salt Lake City and travels worldwide for weddings and events. Her floristry skills are beyond impressive. She uses color beautifully.

Hattie Flower. This UK shop produces some really gorgeous structural floral designs, ranging from interesting centerpiece arrangements to big installations that seem to be floating just below the ceiling.

Hart Floral Design. I think of Hart as the West Coast floral designer whose work looks like it could be in a European museum. Madison’s arrangements are stunning and it seems like she’s always pushing the envelope to come up with something fresh.

AESME. There are a few florists whose work I always, always love. This London based garden and flower studio is right up there at the top of the list. Their wedding centerpieces are always beautiful.

Cakes & Catering

Jasmine Rea Cakes. These cakes are like highly textured works of art. Whenever someone uses words like delicate, romantic, or artful to describe their wedding vision, I immediately think of these cakes.

Nine Cakes. Love the cake designs from this Hudson bakery. Betsy creates really beautiful sugar flowers.

Nectar and Stone. When I’m picturing colorful desserts and dessert displays, Caroline Khoo is the first person I think of. She makes every sweet look so, so good.

Lady and Larder. Beautifully sourced and styled grazing boards are what Lady and Larder are known for. Think charcuterie, cheeses, crudité, fruit boards, and the like.

Heirloom Fire. I’d love to work with this crew for a casual outdoor wedding in the Catskills or even for a summertime rehearsal dinner. Heirloom Fire’s specialty is cooking over fire outdoors. We’re talking like whole fish, whole pigs, chickens roasted while guests sip cocktails.

Pinch Food Design. Pinch is a catering company that’s known for bringing a theatrical element to food presentation. They’ve been known to serve small bites floated in on balloons and their food displays are always gorgeous.

Stationery

Swell Press. When it comes to designing paper goods for a wedding, Swell Press keeps it fun and creative while bringing a handmade, custom feel to everything they do.

Elsa Madeline. I love how all of Elsa Madeline’s pieces fit together in her bespoke invitation and stationery sets.

Plume Calligraphy. This is a one-stop shop for stationery, day-of paper materials, and calligraphy all under one roof.

Julie Ha. Julie’s calligraphy is high on my list of favorites. She has an elegant style like no one else.

Carta Plena. I like the way they play with color, texture, and shapes to create a design story that translates across various pieces.

Idyllpaper. I’m a big fan of the look of handmade paper with unfinished edges, which Tara Spencer embraces across all of her wedding designs.

Venamour. When I’m working with a couple that loves the minimal modern look with bold typefaces and lots of space, Venamour is my first stop for a wedding invitation designer.

Design House of Moira. This studio takes a really artful approach to wedding invitations with a mix of interesting paper types, hand drawn botanicals, and calligraphy.

Ladyfingers Letterpress. I think of Ladyfingers Letterpress as creating wedding invitations that are more like little keepsakes than simple paper designs.

A Fine Press. These guys seem to always bring an interesting texture or material to wedding invitations. I’m thinking of an invitation they designed with letterpress on a sheet of copper.

Yonder Design. I think of Yonder Design as the designer who really gets the big picture, the designer you go to when you want something extravagant like a wedding invitation that’s leather bound and presented in a bespoke linen box.

Rosie Harbottle. Rosie’s an illustrator who creates watercolor wedding invitations, menus, envelope liners, and all the other bits and pieces. Her lettering is also beautiful if you’re going for a handmade look.