It's hard to imagine with all the planning you are doing and with all the tools available to brides, form bridal 101 books to planning binders to organizational websites, that you might have left something out. But from our experience, even with all these tools and guidance at least one of the do-to's slips off the list. As planners we try to make sure that you have thought of everything and below are a few reminders we share with our brides of items that tend to be forgotten.
Final Confirmations/Timelines for Vendors - Many professionals have their own system that works best for their type of service when it comes to organization information for your wedding. If you do not have a day-of coordinator or point person for the day-of your wedding, some of the details can be slightly different for one vendor to the next. It is important that you confirm times and locations with all of you vendors at least a week out to make sure everyone is on the same page. Or create a master timeline for all of your vendors to follow. Your bridal party will also have a busy schedule that day, with hair, make-up, pictures, toasts etc...make sure you give them a break down of the day as well so they are not overwhelmed and know where to be when.
Bringing the Legal Documents - This is one of the most important aspects of you wedding day; after all it is the signing of the marriage certificate that legalizes the entire marriage. Make sure to apply for you Notice of Intended Marriage at least one month and one day before your actual wedding day. Also don't for get to bring multiple copies of the marriage certificate to sign after your ceremony!
Bringing Your Overnight Bag - Many couple get so excited with the wedding itself and the honeymoon after that they forget about planning for the night in between. Often you can check in early to your overnight suite and have a friend drop off these items before hand. If not, designate someone to to hold onto your bags or drop them off later.
Know Who Takes What - After you have celebrated at your reception, said your final good-byes and are whisked off to your honeymoon suite, there are still many items that need to be collected or taken care of. These items include gifts, left over favors, centerpieces, toasting flutes, cake serving wear, cake stand, flowers, guestbook..etc. Of course after a long day of fun, clean up is the last thing you want to think of. If you do not have a planner/coordinator to collect these items for you, make sure you designate a few people before hand to collect these items. With a team of helpers, they should have things gathered in no time!
Picture Time - Your wedding photos will become one of the most cherished mementos from you wedding and often times you only have one moment to capture that perfect picture. It is important that you really outline with your photographer what photos you want and with whom. Remember, unless you tell your photographer, they probably don't know who aunt Sally is or that she flew over 3,000 miles to be in this once in a lifetime family photo. Make sure your photographer has a complete list of who you want in each photo. Also, tell your family and friends that you would like to be in your photo's were they need to be and at what time. You don't want to spend have of your time looking for wandering family members.
The hustle and bustle of the New Year is here and it’s time
to set our calendars for the year ahead. If you are planning an upcoming
wedding, this could mean fitting in Bridal Fairs into your already busy
schedule. Often times these fairs can be very overwhelming with a wide
variety of information, special offers & new ideas being thrown at you all
at once. Below are a few tips we have found useful to help simplify the process
and maximize your bridal fair experience!
Bridal Fair
Tips:
1.Try to Attended at Least Two Bridal Fairs:
Be sure to attend at least one bridal or wedding fair close
to your wedding location to help you find great vendors that work in your area.
It’s also a good idea to attend a second fair in a nearby big city to see new
trends, specialty ideas and of course to enjoy the celebrity status feel!
2.Bring Contact Information Stickers:
Many vendors offer great show specials
and raffle drawings at their booths that are usually only obtainable at the
show itself. In order to enter these drawings you are often required to enter some basic contact information, which can be very time consuming. To help streamline this process brings a
few sheets of address label stickers with your name, phone number, email* and
wedding date. This way you can simply stick on your sticker to their
information card and you are ready to go!
*Additional Tip: Create a new email
account just for your wedding. This will help you keep everything organized in
one area and avoid filling your personal/work email with wedding details.
3.Attend the Fashion Shows:
Even if you already have your attire
set, fashion shows are a great way to get inspiration for other aspects of
your wedding (i.e. floral designs from the bouquets they are carrying, color
palettes from the bridesmaids dresses, accessories, hair designs…etc).
4.Visit Every Booth:
Take the time to visit every
booth for at least 30 seconds, even if you already have booked the service they
are offering. They may have new ideas you have not thought of and great give–aways
that you can benefit from! Keep in mind what booths stand out to you most. Then
after you have “scouted everything out”, return to the booths you were most interested
in to ask additional questions and gather more information.
5.Bring a BIG Bag:
Whether it’s pamphlets, cards, samples,
favors or prizes, at the end of the day you will have received a mountain of
material from all the different vendors. Bring a large bag with at least TWO
pockets to help carry and sort everything. Use one side as the “everything”
pocket and the other as the “very interested in” pocket. (If you have three
pockets you can use them for “everything, maybe, and must have!”). This process will
really help when you are sorting through everything later trying to remember
what is what.
6.Ask Vendors About Other Vendors:
If you are hesitant about using a
certain service or vendor (i.e. you are not sure if you want use a wedding
planner), ask some of the other vendors at the fair what they think. They work
with these professionals every day and know first hand the qualities they can
bring to your wedding.
7.Mark Your Calendar!
Most vendors welcome arranging a time to meet outside of
the hustle of the show atmosphere. These are usually no-obligation consultations
and can often lead to additional discounts on their services. Bring your
calendars so you set these meetings and benefit from these specials.
