Essential Wedding Tips to Consider Right from the Start

The very first thing you want to do in the planning process is sit with your partner and map out your must-haves and non-negotiables. Doing so will help determine not only where your focus will be but also what is the priority in your budget. For example, if having your ceremony outside is a must-have for your partner, then that aspect will help determine the date of your wedding and whether you need a backup plan in case of inclement weather. Or if you have always dreamed of having a horse-drawn carriage to go from the ceremony to the reception, then that needs to be a priority in your budget.

If you want your wedding process to go as smoothly as possible, you must, must, must create a personalized timeline. This starts from day one and goes all the way through to clean up after the wedding reception. Your overall timeline should include the number of months until the big day, and what things there are to do within each of those months. Also, create a separate timeline for your wedding day that includes every detail of the day. This starts with when you will get ready and includes details such as your photographic line up, when you will eat, and when everyone needs to be in place for the ceremony. Your wedding day timeline is vital to limit chaos on your wedding day.

Although some brides or grooms are consummate list makers in their daily lives and could not even imagine venturing into their wedding planning without them, many are more carefree in their daily lives. Your wedding is one of those times when it is essential that you create lists and track all your planning throughout the process. If you don’t, you are almost guaranteed to forget some major aspects that will bring misery eventually.

PRO TIP: One list that brides and grooms commonly forget is the small items list for the wedding day. Items such as cake cutters, floral tape, bobby pins, sewing kits, pens, safety pins, and antiperspirant are small essentials that easily get forgotten in the full scheme of the big day. Make the list, put the items in a basket or bin, and assign it to someone other than your partner to bring the basket or bin early on your wedding day.

If you have more than 50 guests, it is recommended that you create a seating chart. No one knows your guests better than you and seating charts help reduce confusion and conflicts and make your reception feel more organized. Somewhere around the 90-day out mark, it would be best to create your first mock-up of your seating chart based on who you know will be coming. This will help you to have some definition around who will sit with whom. Then, once the replies deadline is reached, you can go back to the list and update it. Your vendor will want to know the setup of tables somewhere about a month before your date. This is also when you will be busiest with your final wedding plans, so having the initial chart done in advance will allow you to adjust your chart rather than creating the full chart when you are busiest.

Remember to do what makes YOU happy…remember, this is YOUR day! If you have some out-of-the-box ideas….GO FOR IT! Are you crazy for a good brunch and a morning ceremony with a brunch following sounds divine? Do you love donuts and prefer them for dessert instead of cake? Do you hate the idea of a guest book but think signing Jenga blocks would be fun? Does an ice cream bar break from dancing halfway through the night sound wonderful? No idea is a bad idea…just make sure it is what you want and fit it into your budget.

You have found the most gorgeous stiletto heels that you must have to go with your wedding dress. Great! But remember, you will be on your feet for the better part of the day. Most brides and grooms log in at least 15K steps depending on the duration of the events. Bring a second pair of shoes to slip into when your feet can’t take it any longer. Also, if you have a long dress and are changing from 4” heels to flats, make sure that your tailor has designed a way to pull up your train and dress to accommodate the lower heels. Finally, make sure you have spent a good month breaking in any new shoes to be sure they have conformed to your feet before your wedding day.

You have found the dress of your dreams, placed your order, and after months of waiting, it has finally arrived. It is typical for a bride to have three to four fittings to make sure everything is just right. If there are customizations, the first fitting will usually be about three to four months before your wedding date. Somewhere around two months out will be your fitting for major alterations and then one month out for minor adjustments. The final fitting is usually scheduled about two weeks before the wedding. This is more of a quality check to ensure that everything is fitting exactly as planned and still allows time if additional adjustments need to be made.
If the groom is renting a suit or tuxedo, ordering should be done about five months before the wedding day. Many grooms will opt to wear their own suit or tuxedo but will rent ties and/or vests/cummerbunds to match the chosen color palette. This should also be done around the five-month mark.

PRO TIP: It is a good idea to ask your rental representative when you can expect to pick up your rentals. Earlier is better…there have been many a groom who have had the wrong color ties and vests delivered and didn’t find out until the day before their wedding. If possible, request that they be delivered to the rental store at least five days before the wedding date so you can verify all is correct with the order.