Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful events of our lives. While it is a happy day and a celebration of love, there is no denying that there are a lot of things that need to come together all at once and in just the right way. Throw in some well-meaning requests from relatives on what they would like to see, and it is little wonder that something inevitably gets forgotten along the way.
Here are some of the things that many people tend to forget when planning a wedding:
Bridal Party Transportation
For some, the car that the bride will arrive in and the happy couple leaves in is a big part of the day. There are so many options out there, from cool vintage cars to something a little sporty (and some prefer to go completely traditional with a horse and carriage!) and you need to choose the one that is just right for you.
However, you also need to think about how the bridal party is going to get to the venue. The father-of-the-bride will travel with her, but the mother-of-the-bride and the bridesmaids, plus any other family in the bridal party, are going to need a way to get there.
Try to organise transportation that is going to take them there all at once – organising shuttles can be overly complicated and can take too long on a wedding morning when everything is on a tight schedule!
A Plan for Bad Weather
Are you envisioning a spectacular and meaningful wedding ceremony in a beautiful garden setting? While this might come to pass, nothing can also ruin it faster than grey clouds on the horizon. If you want any part of your wedding to be outside, you need to think about what you are going to do if it starts to rain.
Has the venue got an alternative space that you can use, and how quickly are they going to be able to prepare it if needs be? These are some crucial questions you should be sure to ask when checking out a venue. Even if your wedding is going to be entirely inside, you still need to prepare for bad weather. Having a supply of umbrellas on hand will be key in protecting wedding outfits and hairstyles.
Don’t forget about the other end of the spectrum too! You could have expected to have a cool spring day for your wedding, only to discover that it is actually going to be a scorcher that delivers a record-breaking high and a sweltering sun. Having lots of cool drinks on hand and some shelter for the guests will be key here, so make sure that you are able to co-ordinate with your venue as appropriate. Double-check the weather forecast in advance so you know what to expect.
Check in With Your Suppliers
A wedding often isn’t possible without some of the staff that work to make it come to life. From the DJ to the florist and beyond, there are so many people who work hard to ensure that your day is going to be exactly as you envision it to be. Searching for the right people through sites like houseofpartyplanning.com means that you are going to have just the right team on your side to pull everything together.
Make sure you check-in with them regularly to ensure that everything is indeed going to plan – especially in the run-up to the wedding itself. Open and productive communication is key, and it will hopefully help you to avoid any issues or mishaps on the wedding day itself.
You should also try to keep some of the needs of these suppliers in mind. For example, people like your wedding band or your photographer might require a meal as part of their contract, but it can also be nice just to offer it to them as a thank-you for their hard work. You should also try to work out what the gratuity should be for services like this, and make sure you include it in your original budget. After all, these people work exceptionally hard to make sure that you have the perfect wedding!
Enlist Organisational Help
On the day, there is likely to be many small tasks that need to be followed up that the happy couple should be the ones to take care of. However, since they should also be able to relax and enjoy the day themselves, it can instead be a good idea to designate someone to take care of these tasks.
For example, if there is an issue with one of the suppliers for the wedding, they might want to get in touch with the bride on the morning of to let her know about some of the alternative measures they could follow. However, the bride might be busy getting pampered. For this reason, it can be better to ask a bridesmaid or someone else who has been very present during the planning process to field these types of calls.
Likewise, at the reception it can be a good idea to have someone standing by to go and fetch people for photographs. Relatives can have a habit of wandering all over the venue while waiting for the photos to be taken, and this can make the process even slower. Having a groomsman or usher standing by to run and collect people as needed could be key in keeping things progressing smoothly. Hiring a San Diego Wedding Coordinator could also be an option if you don’t want to burden your wedding party and/or family with day-of coordination.
These are just some of the things that could be forgotten when planning a wedding. So many people forget about what a monumental affair this can be! Try to make a list of everything you need when you first start to plan the wedding – and it should be everything! No matter how big or how small, you need to include it on the list. Hopefully you will then not forget any of these details that can prove to be so helpful in making a wedding day run smoothly.
Good luck, and enjoy planning your wedding!
*Photos by Anastasiya Lobanovskaya
