Photo by Shot from the Heart via Bec & Andy’s Relaxed & Modern Country Butter Factory Wedding

We’re shouting the praises of shopping local all month long, thanks to The Local issue. And that means exploring local vendors who live and work in your area.

So today, we want to explore with you all the best reasons to choose local vendors for your wedding day. Not just that, we’re even throwing in all the best ideas to add local flavour to your wedding day. because if there is one thing we know, there has never been a more important time to shop local, plan local, and support your local wedding pros.

Local vendors are well, local

Choosing local vendors for your wedding? Hello, environmentally-friendly side benefit! Choosing vendors who don’t have to travel means that you don’t have to pay travel fees, you don’t have to pay for accommodation and car hire, and you don’t have to worry about vendors getting to your big day in time. Local vendors can rock up to your wedding day, after a good night’s sleep and you know they’ll be ready to go!

Local vendors know the best suppliers

Stuck on a floral designer who can make your dream bouquet? Want to book a cake designer but aren’t sure where to look? Local wedding pros know the best local suppliers1 They’ll be able to recommend vendors who can match exactly what you’re looking for. Not only that? They’ll be local themselves, so the decor, the styling etc will make the most of the local area. Plus, you’ll know they are good because they’ll have the extra tick of being recommended!

Local vendors know their areas

Local vendors live and breathe their local areas. They know the best spots for amazing photographs, they know the place to get that beautiful edible bloom you so dream of for your wedding cake. They know that you have to leave ten minutes early on Saturdays to get to your venue because a cow carrying truck always passes by. They know the best spot for sunset portraits. Local vendors know the ins and outs of the local area and that’s something you can only benefit from.

Photo by Shot from the Heart via  Bec & Andy’s Relaxed & Modern Country Butter Factory Wedding

Local vendors know their venues

It can be honestly so tricky if a wedding pro has never worked at a venue before. There are always pitfalls and quirks that any venue has. By choosing a local wedding vendor, you’ll be working with someone who has probably worked at that venue hundreds of times before. They’ll know you need to bring in extra heating because it gets cold at night, that you can do stunning hanging installations, that a sweetheart table works better than a full-length table.  What furniture you need to bring in, where you can host cocktail hour and place the chairs. This is where a local wedding pro’s expertise becomes your golden ticket to making the most of the space.

Local vendors know each other

Not only do local wedding vendors know the best suppliers, but they know each other. They toast champagne together at industry functions, they share lunches and dinners together – perhaps they’re even best buddies. When wedding vendors know each other, teamwork? It’s so. much. easier. They’ll be familiar with each other’s working styles, their strengths and their talents, and most of all they trust each other. That energy bounces around and makes for a fantastic end result.

Photo by Shot from the Heart via  Bec & Andy’s Relaxed & Modern Country Butter Factory Wedding

Local vendors support the local community

If you have ever lived in a small town, you’ll know the importance of driving the local economy. Supporting local vendors means that that money, that effort gets pushed back into the local economy. And that can help small towns survive, especially in a post drought, bushfire and post COVID-19 world!

Add local flavour to your wedding day:

So you have all the justification, the evidence, the encouragement you need to go local for your big day. So just how do you do it?

Here are just some of our favourite ideas for you!

Shop local

All those wedding day pieces and accessories? Shop local! Australia has the most wonderful array of online stores, designers and retailers for everything from wedding gowns to getting ready robes, menswear (and yes, you can find some of our favourites, but of course – in the Polka Dot Directory!). And you may be surprised at how many country retailers are now online – so buying from them, you’re supporting the locals. So shop local and look for options close to home.

Serve up local produce

Australia has so much amazing produce. Work with your catering team to source local produce and add it to your wedding day menu. Local olive oil, local cheeses, locally grown fruits and vegetables, artisan products – make the most of what our diverse country offers!

Use local wineries & distilleries

Serving up wines? Serving up a gin bar? Why not make the most of your local wineries and distilleries? Taste-testing a must too if you ask us!

Use local musicians

Local bands, local singers – nothing like adding local tunes to your wedding day to make it feel like home! Hire a local singer to perform your favourite song as you walk down the aisle, a live band for dancing, a duo for cocktail hour.

Photo by Shot from the Heart via  Bec & Andy’s Relaxed & Modern Country Butter Factory Wedding

Use locally sourced wedding flowers

Peonies in July are grand, but have you ever seen Australian grown blooms, freshly picked at the height of their season? They’re hard to beat – so fresh, so sweet-smelling, and so good for the environment. Perhaps someone even has a lush garden and they may be willing to supply some of the blooms or greenery. Work with your florist and styling team to choose locally grown blooms for your day.

Use local trinkets for wedding favours.

Never without a jar of that amazing locally made salted caramel sauce in your home? Adore the jam that is made just around the corner? Got a woodworker nearby? Why not work with your favourite local artisan on beautiful wedding favours? Give your guests a special something to remember the local area!

Local venues or ceremony locations

It goes without saying that every local area has that spectacular and special place that might be just the ticket for a ceremony or reception. Think outside of the obvious venues and try local parks, gardens, forest enclaves, local farms/sheds available for hire, community halls.

Honeymoon locally

We’re all going to be travelling a little closer to home anyway over the next few years, so why not make the most of your local area by honeymooning with your own staycation? Book that local hotel you’ve always wistfully stared at as you drive by, book dinner at your favourite local restaurant, tick all those local tourist hotspots off your must-see lists!

There’s nothing like using the local talent and hotspots in your area. We have so much right on our doorstep – it’s time we look no further than our own district and shop local, plan local and support our local communities.