If you’re here, you are either engaged or expecting to be soon, and likely have no idea where to start. That’s why as a wedding photographer of almost 8 years, I have created this ultimate guide to Oklahoma weddings, just for you. If you are a bride to be looking to plan her wedding in or around Oklahoma, you are in the right place. Here’s a little bit of what will be covered in this guide:
- Where to start with your planning
- Deciding on your must haves
- Choosing your venue
- Deciding on a date
- Hiring vendors
- How to shop for a wedding dress
- Building a wedding day schedule
A breakdown of wedding planning
From here, it is up to you to decide what is most important to you + where you feel okay sacrificing. For example, if you have a set budget and photos are what is most important to you, maybe you cut back on your guest list some or you go for a buffet instead of plated dinner, or DIY certain aspects.
Maybe the overall experience is what is most important to you, so you want to spend a bit more on your DJ or food, so you budget more to go towards the experience of your day.
I think you get the point. It isn’t as much “I can’t afford this” or “I can afford that” but more about what is most important to you.
Vision
The theme or aesthetic, color palette of your wedding. The seasonal feel, indoor vs outdoor, venue, florals, tablescapes, decor, overall presentation, dress, grooms outfit, style of photo and video all fall into this category.
Experience
Your venue, experience of photo and video, DJ, music selections, menu style, weather, activities, seating, transportation, reception ambiance, guest favors are all aspects of your day that would factor into the experience of your wedding day.
Must haves for your wedding
The best place to start with your wedding planning is with your must haves list. I recommend choosing 3-5 must haves and 3-5 strong wants. Here are a few examples.
- certain venue/space/location
- a date that is meaningful to yall
- 1-2 specific vendors (photo, hair, officiant, etc)
- guest list
- time of year
Where to start with your Oklahoma wedding planning
After crafting your must haves list you are ready to dive in. If your guest list is super important to yall, I recommend starting there even before choosing a venue. If you plan to have 50 people or less, you may want to choose a space with a more intimate feel. If you plan to have 400+ guests, a lot of venues accommodate 200-300 people so you will want to know a rough guest count before touring venues.
If you don’t have a specific date in mind, choose a month or a season to have more flexibility with vendors. If you have 2-3 must have vendors, reach out to them before finalizing your date to check if they have it open.
Start with
Your top vendors + some big things before taking your time with the rest. Think:
- planner
- venue
- catering
- photo/video
- design/floral
Choosing your Oklahoma wedding venue
Here is where I would start as a wedding photographer who has photographed hundreds of weddings and as a 2024 bride myself.
- distance from lodging + accommodations
- indoor + outdoor spaces
- lighting
- indoor space (does the room have to be flipped)
- space for cocktail hour
- climate control
- accommodations for elderly or handicap guests
- getting ready spaces
- do you want a blank slate space you can customize or prefer something that doesn’t require much decor
- overall ambiance
- guest occupancy
- inclusions (tables, chairs, decor, etc)
- set up/take down
- rental time
Traditional venues for Oklahoma weddings
Some things to consider with traditional venues beyond the overall aesthetic is rental time. security, event insurance, and bartenders. Some venues are “all-inclusive” meaning you get access to everything when you book. Some have a base package that then offer add-ons for use of other things including extra decor, etc. Many venues also require certain insurance to be purchased for the day, security, in house bartender, + more. So be sure to know all these costs up front.
Here are a few of my favorite Oklahoma wedding venues and a few I would love to work at!
- Aspen Ranch located in Edmond, a stunning, luxurious, clean space.
- Sparrow Beginnings located in Stillwater, OK. Take a look at my blog post highlighting this venue, here!
- The Springs with locations in Norman, Tulsa, and Edmond. Take a look at my venue spotlight for The Springs, here!
- Marland Mansion located in Ponca City, a truly unique mansion style venue.
- Mansion at Woodward Park located in Tulsa, breathtaking inside and out, with a black and white checkered floor!
- The Range located in Stillwater is another amazing venue, similar to Aspen Ranch in my opinion. Take a look at my post highlighting some other Stillwater venues, here!
Non-traditional venues
State parks, lodges, hotels, airbnbs (that allow events) are all great options to look in to. I would suggest asking what services they offer or require in house for hotels + lodges such as, tables, chairs, linens, speakers, catering.
Keep in mind many of these spaces are shared areas with other guests enjoying their time too (especially with hotels/lodges) something to ask the venue about! This is also a great option if you have a lot of family/guests traveling in.
Some examples of non-traditional wedding locations in Oklahoma are:
- Quartz Mountain Lodge (where I had my own wedding!) You can find more info from me about this location, here!
- Broken Bow weddings, one of my favorite venues here is Crystal Lake Ranch Resort but there are also a lot of great options for VRBOs for micro weddings!
Oklahoma weddings on family land
A few things to consider here. While it might seem like a cheaper option at first, costs can quickly add up for things that a lot of venues either include or offer for more inexpensive rate such as: tables, chairs, dance floor, microphone, bathrooms, etc. Look into rental costs if you are only choosing this option for cost savings.
If you are dreaming of having your wedding at your families land whether that be a ranch or backyard, there are ways to elevate this too. You might think of a white tent as your only option, but upgraded to a clear style tent can transform the space in a way that is so elevated.
Choosing your wedding date
If you don’t have a specific date in mind, think about how long you want to be engaged for + what month or season you prefer.
- non-peak season is typically December-February for most venues and many offer discounts for these months
- some venues offer lower rates for Friday/Sunday weddings and almost all do for M-TH weddings.
- do you want to have a rehearsal dinner or welcome party at your venue? Make sure they have the day before open too!
Oklahoma wedding vendors
Some vendors book 1-2 years in advance but don’t let that scare you into needing a long engagement. I personally planned my wedding in less than 3 months and have booked weddings as soon as 1 month away. It is completely possible to secure dream vendors in 6 months or less especially if you are willing to be flexible with your date.
A few key vendors for your day are going to be your planner, photo/video. and DJ/entertainment. These are the services that will play a huge role in the overall experience of your day. Your planner, photographer, and videographer will be with you more than almost anyone else on your wedding day. Choosing someone you know you will work well with + get along with outside of the service they are providing is something to factor in. And your DJ/entertainment will be a major determining factor in the flow and feel of your reception.
Do you need a wedding planner?
No, you don’t. BUT it can be so helpful not only with the design aspect but also with the vendor communications and organization of everything leading up to your day and on the day of your wedding. I highly recommend at least bringing a planner on for day of coordination! I have a list of gals I highly recommend and several travel!
A few of my favorite planners:
How to shop for a wedding dress
Shopping for your wedding dress should be fun! Don’t be afraid to go to more than one place. Make appointments at a few dress shops and even bring different friends or family to each appointment if you’d like. My biggest suggestions for what to consider when choosing your dress are:
- Silhouette of the dress. This may be an unpopular take, but I think you will feel best in the silhouette that flatters you best.
- Comfort. Another hot take, but the amount of brides I have photographed that mentioned their thin straps digging into their shoulders, their dress being too heavy, not being able to sit, or something itching, is too many to count.
- Timeframe. With shorter engagements (under 6 months) you may need to consider buying a dress off the rack. Factor in time for alterations too!
Allocating your budget
Part of allocating your budget is going to be determined by your guest count. Not only does a growing guest list mean more mouths to feed, but it is also more everything. Tables, chairs, linens, flatware, decor. But the other aspects of allocating your budget flow into your experience and vision for your wedding day. Here are a few recommendations I have for what is worth the splurge.
What to spend on
- Upgraded rentals: chairs, linens, etc are going to play a huge role in elevating the look of your day
- Florals: you don’t have to go overboard on florals if you don’t want to but adding in candles is a great way to add more to your tablescapes.
- Photos: okay, of course I think this is worth the investment, but truly the experience and deliverables both are so worth it when you find the right photographer.
- Music/DJ: this is the entertainment for your guests. I am extremely picky with who I will recommend for this as I have worked with many I don’t love, but do have a few that were outstanding.
- Planner/Coordinator: Whether you go with full service planning or not, a day of coordinator is so worth it. The value they bring with keeping everything running smooth and organized and keeping all the stress off your plate is unmatched.
Photography for Oklahoma Weddings
I’m Mel, aka The Turquoise Lens! I have been photographing wedding days in Oklahoma and all over the U.S. for the past almost 8 years. My focus for your wedding day is for it to be a day you truly live and remember, not a giant photoshoot. My approach to wedding days in simple. People over photos. Crazy work coming from a photographer, but I believe in creating beautiful images that tell your story, your legacy, while still letting you and your guests live in the moment. Don’t worry though, I will absolutely still tell you what to do with your hands, through natural posing and prompting.
If all of this sounds up your alley and you are looking for a photographer to document your day, I would love to talk more with you about your vision for your day and how I can serve you. You can contact me directly, here.
Building a wedding day schedule
Personally, Iare you having a cocktail hour? If so, do you want to be a part of that?
- Do you want to do a first look with your groom? You certainly don’t have to (I didn’t!) but you will want to be aware of what time the sun sets if you want to get outdoor photos after your ceremony.
- How do you want your day to feel? Adding in time for relaxing and enjoying your day with your people is something I love to do for my brides.
- How late can you be at your venue until? Do you plan to have an after party? help craft your wedding day timeline, but some things you can start thinking about are:
Planning a stress free wedding day
- Be type A with your wedding planning so you can sit back and enjoy your day once it’s here!
- Making sure to leave down time in your timeline not only helps everything run smoothly but also creates time for candid moments.
- Share your wedding day timeline with family + wedding party so everyone knows where to be, when.
- Communicate with your hair and MUA what time photos start and make sure all your girls know when to arrive, this starts your whole day!
Don’t forget to have fun with your wedding planning. At the end of the day, your wedding day is the start of your marriage!
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