How did you choose vendors you were not familiar with?
I spoke to many local Floridians for recommendations, but ultimately relied on my amazing party planner. Once you have that trust in someone who is an expert in the industry, you can let them do what they are best at and plan your event.
We took a recommendation from a Floridian friend regarding a restaurant to host the rehearsal dinner. My husband and I booked an appointment there a week before to try it out, and, well, it was a disaster! Luckily, I am an experienced cook. We quickly scrambled and sent the restaurant some of my personal tried and true recipes that they prepared at the rehearsal dinner, and thankfully it came out great. It could have been a complete disaster.