1. Plan Way Ahead
The last month before the big day can be filled with a million little tasks that suddenly need to be completed. Save your sanity by steadily working at your to-do list well in advance. Knocking off any items you can ahead of time allows you focus only on those time sensitive things that need done right before the wedding.
2. Hire a Wedding Planner
Wedding planners are experts. They do it all – everything from smoothing out family drama, handling details gone wrong, to protecting you so that you can enjoy the day.
3. Have the Ceremony and Reception at One Location
Choosing a venue that can host both the ceremony and the reception is a smart choice. Your guests will not have to find two separate locations and you avoid potential logistical problems with transporting out of town guests from the ceremony to the reception hall.
4. Plan Extra Time into Your Schedule
Everything always takes longer than you anticipate. Make sure to build room into your wedding day schedule to allow for errors. Consult your wedding planner or married bridesmaids for tips. After all, they have done this before!
5. Put Together a Survival Kit
You never know when your survival kit will save the day. Here are some potential items to include:
- Sewing supplies
- Band-aids
- Tissues
- Sunscreen
- Medicine
- Snacks
- Dental floss
- Breath mints
- Nail polish and remover
- Bobby pins
- Stain remover pen
6. Book an all Inclusive Reception Package
Choosing a wedding venue, such as the Vault, that has the capacity to handle all of your guests, professional staff to set up and clean up, and exceptional dinner service will save you so much stress. You get all of the benefits of a great reception without the headaches of dealing with the behind the scenes. Plus, you will save money.
7. Delegate
As much as you may want to, you cannot do everything yourself. Assign willing friends or family members to complete tasks such as delivering things to the reception hall, picking up out of town guests from the airport, and organizing snacks for the wedding party.
8. Write Everything Down
All the delegating in the world does no good if no one knows what they are supposed to be doing. Creating lists can help keep everyone informed and on task. Label bins that hold items such as your guest book, unity candles, the card box, and favors with specific instructions. Give your wedding party and family members a detailed wedding itinerary. You will be saved from endless questions and your loved ones will feel included and useful.
9. Manage Dress Details Ahead of Time
Avoid zippers breaking and heel blisters if you can. Make sure someone knows how to bustle your wedding dress. Try on your dress before the big day to make sure the seamstress altering your gown hasn’t left any pins in it. And, most importantly, break in your shoes!
10. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Gerbera daisies more pinkish than purple? Ring bearer refusing to walk down the aisle? At some point you have to let go and focus on the bigger picture. Getting stressed from things you have no control over will only affect your enjoyment of the day. Remembering that your wedding is a celebration of your love will put everything into perspective.