We get it; your wedding to do list is a mile long. The last thing we want for the bride and groom is stress and chaos. Proper wedding planning can help avoid last minute mishaps and forgotten items. Hiring a wedding planner will help alleviate some of the stress and planning responsibilities but you should be prepared with your own list as well. Because every wedding is different there are bound to be items that you want to include that might not be obvious to your wedding planner. Organize your to-do list by month and week so you have a countdown of activities by importance and deadline.
{Dessert Supplies: Bedazzled Cupcake Tree, Antique Pedestal Cake Stand, Jeweled Cake Stand, Metal Lace Trim Cake Stand, Guest Book Stand, Ivory Cake Plate, Two Tiered Cake Stand}
- Emergency Kit: A well-prepared bride (and her experienced maid of honor) will have a fully-stocked emergency kit. You’ll need to remember extra hair pins, deodorant, stockings, and even a Tide fabric pen. Keep a pad of paper near your bathroom for two weeks and write down every small item you reach for in the morning. Then put together all the items in a handy personalized travel bag.
- Special Notes: Write a special note to your fiancé, and exchange to be read pre-ceremony. Share a romantic moment before the wedding without having to see each other and risk bad luck. Some couples exchange wedding gifts while others write hand written love letters. Whatever you decide, include a few words of encouragement for cold feet, reassurance of your love and maybe one or two laughs to remind them to smile.
- Back Up Food Plan: Wedding food can be a large expense, especially if you go ‘overboard’. Plan to have a backup plan for extra leftover food. Ask your venue what they do with any leftover food because some venues require you to dispose of the food yourself. In fact, some states have laws regarding what you can do with leftover food. If you can, plan to donate the food to a local homeless shelter to feed the homeless.
- Special Diet Options: Another wedding food complication? Be sure to have a plan for dietary needs. Not everyone eats meat or dairy and being considerate will make your guests more comfortable during the long night. If you don’t want to offer the dietary option as a full course meal, add a note on your menu cards that dietary needs are available upon request. Guests with special needs will let you know that they prefer a specific meal plan for their diet.
- Guestbook Supplies: The small guestbook table items are often forgotten in the whirlwind of planning. If you remember the guestbook, you’ll probably forget the pens. Vice versa happens almost as frequently. Your guestbook table should have a few staple items: a birdcage card box, guestbook and guestbook pens. Your guestbook table can serve as a greeting table and a reception table for cards. Put the reception table in a visible area so you have a higher chance of guests signing the book.
- Jewelry & Accessories: Nothing is worse than a tear in your stocking or a broken necklace at the last minute. Keep extra accessories and jewelry in case you change your mind or lose your favorite piece. Wearing a family heirloom shouldn’t put your favorite items at risk.
- Dessert Buffet Signs: The last thing you want is to have an allergic reaction to nuts and candy. Because dessert tables are still very popular, it’s important to remember dessert table signs. Small chalkboard signs can notify guests about the ingredients and allergy risks.
- Hotel Reservations: A well decorated getaway car can be the best part of a wedding night. There is a tradition for couples to drive away in a car decorated with wedding cans and ribbons. Personalized car decorations can make a great surprise for any couple!
Put these eight wedding must haves on your list of things to include in your planning. Food, supplies and reservations are very important to having the perfect wedding night. What else would add to our list? This can be a very important thing for new brides to add to their list so your advice and opinions are important! Share your ideas with us and other brides on our Facebook page, who knows, your advice might be the difference between panic and perfect!
