The Final Countdown: 7 things to think about the month before the wedding!!

There are countless intricate details to think about when planning a wedding!! We’ve been to weddings where the couple is about to do communion and then, all of a sudden, realize they don’t have the bread or juice, so someone makes a dash for the catering table! Many weddings the groom and bride are stressing at the head table trying to jot notes for a thank you speech hoping they remembered everyone! You usually only plan a wedding once in your life so it is hard to know everything you need to remember – even with the thousands of checklists you have running in your head! Here are a few more things that you may not have thought about:

WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE

Be sure to have a detailed wedding schedule that you can send to your vendors, your wedding party and anyone else that needs to know what is going on the day of the wedding. Having bridesmaids take an extra hour on hair and make up could cost a lot of photo time on the day of the wedding or could make you late for your ceremony, so it is important that everyone is on the same page of where they need to be. We often create an initial timeline with our couples during their first meeting to start them off.  With your vendors, you will want to confirm times and locations with them leading up to the wedding. We know some vendors that went to the hotel with the same name, but on the other side of town!

PACK FOR YOUR HONEYMOON

If you are going on a honeymoon right after a wedding, it can often be an after thought as so much focus is on the wedding! Don’t forget to plan ahead and pack everything you need for your honeymoon including your airline tickets, passports, swimsuits etc…

**Also, if you are planning to stay somewhere the night of the wedding, don’t forget to book that! My mom asked us 2 days before our wedding which hotel we were going to stay at and we had completely forgot about that!

ODDS & ENDS

Go through each part of the wedding day in your head and on paper to think of any accessories and items you may need. For instance, do you have a pen for the registration table, or arranged grape juice and bread for communion, a knife for the cake cutting, a garter to toss…  if you have a wedding coordinator, they are usually a great help with arranging these!

PREPARE FOR RAIN

Oh no I said the “R” word!! Although many of us dream of a wedding day that is beautiful and sunny, there are times when it rains on a wedding day (especially if you live in Vancouver). It is best to be prepared if you know there is a chance of rain by buying nice umbrellas (preferably a neutral color or coordinating with your wedding colors). Also, it is good to arrange some back up photography locations with the photographer ahead of time if the forecast isn’t looking good. If your ceremony is outdoors be sure to come up with a plan B just in case! Weddings when it is raining can be so much better when you’re prepared!

REVIEW SONGS WITH DJ

It can be helpful to have a quick chat with your DJ before the wedding to ensure their setlist lines up with what you are hoping for. We’ve been to a lot of weddings where maybe the DJ loves 80’s music, but the guests aren’t into it. Also, don’t forget to go over which songs (and which versions) you want for the entrance, first dance, garter toss and bouquet toss if that is important to you!

ARRANGE TRANSPORTATION FOR YOUR WEDDING PARTY

The transportation is usually arranged for getting everyone to the wedding, BUT often times people forget how they plan to get home after the wedding. Their vehicles may be left at the hotel they got ready at or the parent’s home. Make sure you have a way to your hotel or home as well! (If you are going to a hotel, it can be helpful to bring your bags there ahead of time so they are already there).

GET YOUR LIMO DRIVER’S NUMBER

Having the number of your actual limo driver can be a huge help! They may have gone to the wrong location in the morning or maybe your plans have changed slightly and you need a new pick up time. Be sure to have that on hand as an office number won’t be helpful after hours!

What are some other things that can easily be forgotten about leading up to the wedding day?? We’d love to hear your thoughts!