Tips from a Wedding Pro!
As a wedding professional, I knew how important it was to hire a wedding planner for my wedding day. It was a little tough for me to let go of the control but on the day of I was so grateful to have someone there to make sure every detail was taken care of. One of our favorite planners put together some tips for a stress free wedding day. Thanks Julie B!
Photo Credit: Jennifer Boris
5 Tips for a Stress-Free Wedding Day
For those of you reading this blog, you are most likely engaged or day-dreaming of planning your beautiful ‘someday’ wedding. Once you begin down the path of wedding planning you will soon realize there is a whole world just devoted to weddings. There are endless websites and blogs for inspiration, hundreds of stunning wedding venues, and another couple thousand wedding vendors. It is very easy to get caught up in the world of ‘weddings’. As a wedding planner and a ‘once upon bride’ I can tell you from first-hand experience that wedding planning is a love hate relationship. Some days are really exciting and some are really hard. I have seen my fair share of weddings and have also experienced the planning process. It is extremely important to stay focused on your vision and what the wedding is all about.
Here are 5 tips for a stress-free wedding day.
1. Choose the top 5 things that are important to you.
Before you and your fiancé jump into the planning process, take some time to sit down to go over what is important to both of you on your wedding day. What they find important may surprise you. Have an in-depth discussion of what both of you envision. Choose the top 5 things that are important to both of you and focus on those. For example, if music is important to you both of you. You may be interested in a band or a really awesome DJ. Spend the time and energy looking for something you both love. At the end of the day you will forever remember those things that were important to you. The other minuet things can get pushed to the side so that you can focus on the day that you envision.
2. Start creating your day of timeline early.
Your day of timeline will depict the flow of your day. Make sure to think of the whole flow of the day, from the start of hair and make-up to the end of the reception. Loop your photographer or wedding coordinator in the early discussions of the timeline so you can get expert opinion on how long is needed for photos. Make sure to include any buffer for travel, if you will be out and about. Once you get structure around photos you will include your hair and make-up team to determine your start time. Keep a clear concise idea of how you’d like your day to flow and don’t be afraid to get your vendors opinion, they have seen many weddings and will know how much time will be needed.
3. Communicate plans with bridal party and family.
One stressor that many couples face prepping for the wedding day and on the wedding day is family. The more people involved in the day the more questions you will get about what the expectations are from them. The more information that your family and bridal party have about your day the better, that way they are not running up to you on your day asking you questions about the flow of the day or what they need to be doing. As you prepare for your wedding day take time to go through what your family and bridal party will need to prep for. Here is a list of things to keep in mind that they will need to know about:
- What are the lodging options?
- What are the rehearsal details?
- Will transportation be provided for them the day of? If so, will their dates be able to join?
- Who will they be sitting with during dinner? Head table? With their dates?
- What time do they arrive the day of?
- What do they need to bring?
- What is the timeline?
4. Designate a point person or hire a Wedding Day Coordinator.
No matter what, you need to designate a point person to handle any issues that come up during the day. That person should be with you almost the whole day. They should have all of the wedding plans, timeline, and vendor contact information. If any vendors or guests have question they should talk to the point person directly.
I highly recommend hiring a professional, just so that your family and friends can fully enjoy your day with you. A professional day of coordinator will take care of all of the logistics, vendor communication, and timeline on the day of.
5. Prepare an emergency day kit.
It always smart to plan for the unexpected. There could be a food spill, someone feels sick, an injury, or a wardrobe malfunction. Creating a day of emergency kit could save the day if any of these things happened. There are many articles available to couples that list what emergency day kits should include. To give you an example, here is a short list of items that you may need. Band-Aids’, Advil, Tums, Kleenex, Sewing kits, Tide-To-Go, Safety Pins, Bobby Pins, Hairspray, etc.
Enjoy and soak up the planning process, it flies by!
For more on Julie B. check our her website here!