Happy Thursday everyone! I’m off doing another photo shoot today- there is going to be LOTS of pretty coming your way in the next month or so with all these shoots I’ve been doing! :) But anyways, on to today’s post!
Yesterday I had one of my brides (who is getting married in just 8 days) say to me, “I don’t know how anyone ever gets married without a planner. There’s so much to remember!” I nodded my head in complete agreement, as I was racking my brain for anything that we forgot to discuss at the meeting we were finishing up. I don’t know why anyone would want to have to deal with everything under the sun for their wedding, but that’s just me. :) But whether or not you’re dealing with every single detail of your wedding or you have a planner handling it all for you, you will still be racking your brain for those last little things. And yes, there things that come up in the days before your wedding that you wouldn’t have wanted to forget! So how about joining me as I make a list of those things?
Photo by ELV photographer Binaryflips Photography
Don’t forget… to keep your bridal party and family members in the loop. The week of the wedding, send out an “itinerary” of important times and places for them to know about.
Don’t forget… menus! Your guests are going to want to know what they’re eating, trust me. I’ve been at an event without menus and had no idea what I was eating!
Don’t forget… vendor meals. Ask your vendors how many meals they’ll be needing at the wedding. Most photographers bring assistants, and sometimes even DJs have assistants. [If you’re questioning whether or not you need vendor meals, think of it this way: Most of your vendors are going to be working a 8-12 hour day. Do you go without eating all day long?]
Don’t forget… to have a bag packed for your wedding night. You’ll probably be getting ready somewhere other than where you’re spending your wedding night, so make sure to either have someone drop your bag off there or send it with someone who will remember to send you away with it.
Don’t forget… on the day of the wedding, have payments ready for any vendors that need to be paid on the day of the wedding. Most are requiring payment ahead of time now, but some, like hair and makeup, really can’t be paid in full until their services are complete.
Don’t forget… to EAT on your wedding day! No, a bite from a fruit platter doesn’t count. Have meals (or at least lots of snacks) for you and your bridal party when you’re getting ready. It’s always longer than you think it’ll be before you get to eat.
Don’t forget… to only drink what you normally drink. Don’t try to get all fancy with too much champagne. Just stick to your normal drink. Trust me on this one!
Don’t forget… to make a plan for who is taking home your gifts. Chances are that you’re not going home the night of your wedding, so delegate someone to take all of your gifts home for you! (Along with this is who is taking any special decor items you provided.)
Don’t forget… that you’re getting MARRIED to the love of your life!!!!!!!!!! Have fun, sit back, and soak it all in!!! :)
Alright, I’m all tapped out of things to remember, but I’m sure I’m “forgetting” others than just these! Wedding pros, former brides, if you have more “Don’t Forgets”, add them in the comments!
Lauren
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Along the lines of finding someone to take home the gifts, make sure you have someone tapped to take home everything at the reception you may have brought (centerpieces, family photos, cake topper and cake knife/serving utensils, etc). These things are often forgotten as you rush out of the reception. Basically, I’d designate someone to be the person to go behind you all day long and make sure you aren’t forgetting anything – whether that’s in the getting ready room, at the church, etc. And if you are leaving straight for your honeymoon make sure you have your tickets!! But I think Lauren said the most important thing already: remember to have fun!!!
This was a great post and I also agree with Ashley.. don’t forget to have someone to get all of the belongings from the reception. We typically pack it up and give to the parents of the bride or whomever she designates. I also like the suggestion of having a menu, even if one can’t be at every seat. At least have one on every table for the guests to know what they’re eating and of course Have Fun!!
I love the itinerary one! I”m such a control person so I made thorough booklets for my bridal party and parents. The groomsmen all made fun of me (they don’t think i heard them, but i did!) But I didn’t care! No one was going to ask me what they needed to do! lol
dont forget to….breathe. as a planner/designer i see so many brides that forget to truly enjoy the “moments” – they will never happen again. i try to make sure that my brides stop just before reaching the aisle and look around at everyone, her guests, parents and especially her groom. sometimes you get so caught up in the details that you forget to really take it all in!
Enjoy…
Great idea, I think it is easy to miss the little things, makes the day less stressful.