HOW TO: Your New Best Friends

As you celebrate your most important relationship, remember to nurture your new relationships, too - the ones with your vendors

Open communication goes for the good as well as the bad and ugly, Negron says. If she knows about unique relationships you have with guests – say, the dental hygienist who introduced you to your beau – she’s more likely to see opportunities for great shots as they unfold. And having good rapport with a bride prior to the wedding day improves communication on the day of. “If there are any kinds of issues, we can be sensitive and avoid problems as much as possible,” she says.

While it’s helpful to cultivate personal relationships with vendors, remember it’s not something that will happen with everyone who contributes to your wedding. “If at least one or two of your vendors can become more than an arm’s-length transaction, it makes it a warmer, more personal experience,” says Bruce. When you do find those vendors you really trust, don’t forget that they’re on your team and that there’s one goal in sight. “You want the wedding of your dreams,” says Brown. “And that’s what all of us want, too.”