Unglamorous Details Make for a Glamorous Wedding

Wedding planning can be so much fun. When you first get engaged so often the first step is the rush to the magazine stand to fill your arms with bridal magazines that you pour over for weeks.  You tear out pages with furor that showcase ideas on your dream dress, flowers, favors, reception sites, etc. and you begin to form this picture in your mind of how your perfect day will look. That’s the fun part.
 

Unfortunately, in order to make that perfect day a reality it takes a lot of planning the “unglamorous” side and often those magazines, web sites and books don’t talk about those details.

That said, we’re going to give it to you straight.  Here are 10 often overlooked details that, when given proper attention, will result in the wedding of your dreams!
 

 

 

1. INTERVIEWS

Time to brush up on your interviewing skills. On your wedding day you want to be surrounded by folks that you mesh well with – vendors included. Take your time in choosing the vendors that best fit your style, budget and expectations.  Interview as many vendors as possible so you can be sure you are choosing the best fit for your special day.

 

 

2. TIMELINE

Creating a timeline can be tedious and frustrating.  But if you plan it out ahead of time you will uncover any glitches you might have overlooked.  For example, maybe you didn’t figure in the half hour it takes to get to the location for that perfect picture, or perhaps your florist will be bringing centerpieces before your tables are set and ready to go.  Be sure to include bride, groom, wedding party, and vendors’ schedules in the timeline.

 

 

3. UNDERGARMENTS (GASP!)

Ok, we’re talking honestly here so let’s be real about the undergarments… Ladies, you probably want to wear something spicy for your new husband, but is that the most realistic option?  Chances are your wedding dress will be fitted in places, so you don’t want anything with clips or clasps that will rub or press into your skin and leave you with wedding war wounds for your honeymoon.  And chances are you will also find it difficult to visit the ladies room in your dress, so wear undies that are easy to maneuver – if wearing Spanx or something similar that is difficult to get up and down, buy a brand that has an ease-of-use option (read: trap door)!  One last thought – if you have a strapless dress, avoid wearing a bra in the morning or you will have strap indentations on your shoulders and back when you put your dress on.

 

 

4. FOOD

We’re not talking catering for your guests – this is food for you and your wedding party.  Often times the wedding party meets up early in the morning for primping or pictures and by the time the ceremony rolls around, you will likely have a few ladies and gents that are feeling a bit faint.  Feed them!  You don’t want anyone passing out during the ceremony.  Have snacks delivered to the locations where your wedding party will be getting ready.  Don’t plan on making things yourself or having your wedding party pick anything up – you will be following a timeline (hopefully) so having the food brought in by someone else will be one less thing for you to stress about.

 

 

5. TRANSPORTATION

I’m sure you will be thinking about a limo or shuttle for after the ceremony, but what about the other parts of the day?  Where will your wedding party leave their vehicles if they are riding in the limo?  How will guests get back home if they’ve been drinking?  No one wants to be stuck at the hair salon when they are supposed to be at the ceremony site or stuck at the reception after it’s over without a ride back to their car.  Plan it all ahead of time and these small afterthoughts will make your day run much smoother.

 

 

 

 

6. RECEPTION SET

When you picture walking into your reception with the crowd cheering I’m assuming you are not thinking about table placement/settings or room decor.  You expect for everything just to be there, and be right.  But how this gets done needs to be planned ahead of time.  Often venues have restrictions about when you can come in to decorate and because you will be busy prepping yourself the morning of your wedding, you don’t want to have to run around placing centerpieces or putting favors at each place setting.  Check with your venue to determine timelines and exactly what they handle and then delegate, delegate, delegate!  No doubt since you’ve started planning folks have said “I’d be happy to help” – and now’s your chance to take them up on the offer.  Draw diagrams, write down instructions, put samples together and let your helpers take over.  Make sure they have all the materials they need prior to the wedding day so this is one less worry for you.

 

 

7. RECEPTION CLEAN-UP

All venues are different.  Make sure you know the requirements for your specific location.  In many instances decorations need to be cleaned up the night of your wedding and again – this is not something you will have time for, you will be enjoying your new marriage!  All those lovely gifts will need to be gathered as well. If possible, introduce any helpers to the venue contact so if the clean up crew needs trash bags, scissors, etc. they know who to speak with.

 

 

8. BACK UP PLAN

No one wants to imagine that something will go wrong – unfortunately it does happen.  Plan for some of the major hiccups so even if they do occur they can be handled without hysterics.  Put together a list of vendor phone numbers in case someone doesn’t show up.  Have a plan for catastrophes like the caterers running out of food, the DJ not showing up or the power going out in your venue.  Don’t panic! These situations are VERY rare but creating a backup plan will give you peace of mind.

 

 

9. MONEY

It’s a definite buzz kill to have to write a check in the middle of your wedding day, so take care of it beforehand!  Even if you are unable to get the checks to your vendors ahead of time, put them in an envelope and give them to a trustworthy helper who will track down the recipient.  If you have vendors you plan on tipping, make sure you have the money in envelopes and ready to go beforehand as well.
 

 

10. DISRUPTIONS

Let’s face it, we all have a friend or family member that we might be concerned will be a little boisterous during the ceremony or will enjoy that open bar a little too much.  If this is a legitimate concern for you, prevent some of these disruptions before the big day. Seat that family member in the back of the ceremony site or next to your strict grandmother.  Warn the bartender to keep an eye out for your frat brother who wants to re-live those college days.  If children are your concern, put together a goodie bag for them with quiet toys like coloring books, crayons and stickers.
Well (whew!), there you have it.  Planning for these small details is not fun, it’s not glamorous, and honestly they probably aren’t even things you want to think about.  But we see a lot of weddings and we read a lot of wedding materials and these are the details that are often left out.  Try to check them off your list as early as possible so you can leave time for cake tasting and dress shopping and honeymoon planning!  And of course, remember that no matter how your day goes, you will end it as Mr. & Mrs. – which, after all, is all that matters!