A Wedding Planner’s Top Tips on Planning a Kansas City Wedding

If you’re looking for tips on how to plan your Kansas City wedding, look no further! As a wedding planner, here are a few of my top tips about making your Kansas City wedding wonderful.

Choose the right time of year for a Kansas City wedding.

Rather than using the traditional four season, the wedding industry often breaks their year up into busy-season and off-season. Both of which have their pros and cons for you, as an engaged couple. The most popular months for a Kansas City wedding are April, May, June, September, October, and November. Keep in mind that some vendors may break up their busy-season slightly differently.

During busy-season in Kansas City, you are going to have nicer weather, pretty views, and oftentimes it’s easier for your guests to travel. The downside, however, is that venues and vendors might book up more quickly and you may actually miss out on discounts during these peak months. 

Off season, which is January, February, March, July, August, and December, has its own pros and cons. The frigid temperatures during KC winters and the sweltering heat of July and August make outdoor ceremonies tougher. On top of that, possible snow and the start of school years can make travel more difficult for out-of-town guests. 

I promise there are benefits to an off-season Kansas City wedding! There are fewer weddings happening, meaning less competition for wedding dates for prospective venues and other vendors. Also because of this, some vendors (venues in particular) offer a discounted rate during non-peak months in order to get the bookings they need throughout the year and stay busy. 

Some vendors fill up quickly, so book them early!

There are tons of vendors in the Kansas City wedding industry, but many only take one wedding per day/weekend. We definitely don’t have unlimited availability! Booking your venue early is crucial, especially if you have a specific venue or a specific date in mind. If you are hiring a wedding planner, you’ll also want to hire them before selecting a venue so that they can help you with the search and booking process. 

From there, you’ll want to book vendors based on priority and availability. There are a lot of photographers in Kansas City, but it’s often a high priority for couples. If you have a particular photographer in mind, be sure to book them early. If not, you may want to prioritize booking other, more limited vendors first to ensure they are available. 

There are some vendor categories that have fewer options in KC or that couples wait to long to book. These are things like rental companies, hair and makeup (you don’t need to book them ASAP, but so many couples wait until a month or two beforehand!), videography, entertainment (especially bands), and caterers. Check out our Wedding Planning Checklist Series for more tips on who to book when.

Work with professional Kansas City wedding vendors.

One of the biggest mistakes I see couples make is hiring “friendors,” aka friends and family to act as vendors. This is NOT the same as hiring your aunt’s professional catering company, Or even having a high school friend who is a professional photographer shoot your wedding. Those are perfectly acceptable! I’m referring to having your second cousin be your “day-of-coordinator” or asking Uncle Jeff to bring his camera to shoot the day. If you want your wedding day to run smoothly, you need a team of contracted, professional wedding vendors on your side. Plus your friends and family should be enjoying your wedding day, not working!

We have so many incredible vendors in the Kansas City wedding industry, so take advantage of that! Ensure that anyone you hire is licensed, well-established, and has a contract. Without a contract, neither of you are obligated to follow through with your end of the deal. This can lead to a lot of issues down the road. Another pro-tip: if a vendor is charging half of what the typical going rate for a service is, that is a red flag. Wedding professionals have their own expenses that need to be covered. Undercharging is a sign that they aren’t taking care of necessary expenses like taxes, education, and more, and/or they don’t actually value the work they’re doing.

Know that you can’t please everyone.

I tend to reject the notion that “it’s your big special day and everything should be perfect and all about you.” However, it is important to remember that your wedding celebrates you and your partner. Yes, your family and friends have shaped you and supported you, but that doesn’t mean your wedding day should be used to meet every single one of their demands and requests. 

Even if you try to please everyone throughout your engagement and on your wedding day, you won’t succeed. If you serve asparagus with steak to make Aunt Sherry happy, your Uncle Carl will wish you served green beans. If you have roses in your bouquet for your mom, your grandma comment on how you should have used lilies.

The details of your wedding should be a reflection of the two of you. You can consider reasonable requests and accommodations (like avoiding the weekend of your nephew’s birthday or having gluten free desserts for your best friend with Celiac). But don’t put too much energy into pleasing all of your wedding guests. They will be happy to celebrate with you regardless of your flowers or your food!

Looking for a kickass Kansas City wedding planner to add to your vendor team? I’m your girl! Check out my services or contact me to get in touch!

PS: Be sure to check out and download our free wedding planning checklist for even more tips on planning your Kansas City wedding!