Well, here we are again. I hope you found part 1 (click here) helpful and are ready to jump into part 2! I just want to mention that Heather, who commented on part 1, made a very good point...decide on a preliminary guest list. This will greatly influence the decisions that you will make from here on out. (Thanks Heather!)
After deciding on a budget (hopefully!) and booking a venue, these are my next suggestions (not in any specific order).
3. Book the caterer.
This is certainly dependant on whether the venue you recently booked has an in-house caterer! If it does not, then start looking...don't wait. Good caterers book quickly (seriously...quickly) and while there are many out there, especially in the New York area, you want to get the best for food quality and pricing. This can be tricky. Ask for references, especially ones that were married at your venue if possible. Some venues have very small kitchens, which can affect the caterer, while some just have unusual floor plans. It's a big plus if the caterer has experience in your venue; it seems to really help with the flow of the day and the setup of any rentals such as table, chairs, bars, lounge furniture, etc. Most importantly, have a tasting! Next to finding a dress and having your cake tasting, this (in my humble opinion) is the best part of planning. All of the delicious food being brought to you...heaven! The final menu selections won't have to be made for a while however (yay for that!).
I love how this is styled! Adorable...courtesy of Bridal Snob.
4. Book the photographer.
For me as a planner (and someone who was extremely disappointed in her own wedding photos...sigh...), this is the most important! After you are married and the honeymoon is over and you are back to work, the one thing to look forward to is the PHOTOS!!! Yay! You may be the type of bride who will look at 20 different photographers blogs and analyze every last detail (and that's perfectly ok) or you may see a friend's photos, love them and book their photographer immediately. Whatever your style is do it quickly. Much like the caterer, photographers book very, very, very quickly! Is my point getting across here...VERY quickly.
One of my favorite photographers, Laura Ryan, has been totally booked for 2012 since mid 2011. Many of my brides have missed out because of this... so sad. So, whatever your personal taste is in photography...find who you love, call them asap and sign the contract!
A helpful hint that I always tell my brides, is ask to see an album from an entire wedding, start to finish, instead of parts of multiple weddings. This will give you a better sense of how they shoot throughout the day. You may love one photographer's ceremony shots but hate their reception photos...so keep this in mind. Love their photos and love them! They will be with you ALL day, more than anyone else. So, if they annoy you during the initial meeting...trust me they will annoy you times 10 on your wedding day. I can say that from personal experience!
Photo courtesy of Laura Ryan - from a wedding I planned last December. I love it...
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Katie is the Wedding and Event Planning Student Advisor and owner of Sara Kate Events.
Katie Berger 
