The Never Ending List

When preparing for your wedding, there’s a never ending list of things to do. It seems to grow longer and longer the closer you get to the wedding day - which doesn’t make sense! Whether you’re a carefree spirit who specializes in “winging it” or a studious list maker with a list of lists, here are a few reminders to consider the details that are often overlooked on wedding day and have to be dealt with last-minute

Card & Gift Table - If your ceremony and reception are in the same venue, it’s a good idea to place the Card & Gift Table near the entrance so guests may drop them off immediately instead of holding them through the ceremony. If your ceremony and reception are in separate locations, having a simple card box at the ceremony site and a gift table at the reception allows guests attending one or the other to avoid the awkward “where do I put this?” question.

Guest Book - The guest book is easy to set up prior to the ceremony, but if you don’t have access to your space as early as you’d like, entrust the guest book setup to the person you’ve asked to stand with it. This will make sure you don’t have a guest book greeter with no guest book (with no idea where it is).

Directions for you helpers (guest book, greeters, cake servers, etc) - If you’ve asked someone to help with your wedding, PLEASE inform them of what you’d like for them to do, wear, say or where to go. Asking your aunt to cut and serve cake is fabulous, but if she has no idea how many pieces she’ll need or how big to cut them you could end up in a pickle. You don’t have to micromanage, just be clear - I promise it will save so much confusion later on!

Order of ceremony and reception - Your wedding can be as unique as you and your fiance. Unless you’re adhering to religious traditions, why not mix it up a bit? If you’d like to change the order of something - go for it! Some of the sweetest ceremonies and receptions are those that are different and have been tailored to match the couple. Some choose to enter the reception and go right into the first dance. Some introduce the wedding party in groups of friends rather than the pair that walked the aisle together. Some choose to do the vows after the rings. Some eat before their reception during their moment alone so they don’t forget to eat later on. It’s all up to you!

Time to Freshen Up - Take a moment sometime between ceremony & reception, or midreception to take a breather and freshen up. Reapply deodorant, lipstick, hairspray, trade shoes, have a mint, anything that makes you feel recharged and ready to go again.

Storage location for decor boxes - It’s as simple as having a dedicated closet or room at the venue that will house the boxes your decor came out of (and will go back into) during the wedding & reception. Just keeping everything

together can help you and your team of friends and family stay organized.

Destination for cards and gifts - So often at weddings, the bride and groom have no idea where their cards and gifts ended up at the end of the night. Avoid that momentary panic by identifying a location, guardian and/or plan for the cards and gifts. Tell your planner, coordinator, Maid of Honor, Parents or whoever is going to be able to make that happen for you.

Plan for Leftovers - One of the things you don’t always plan for is leftover food. You worry about having enough that when there’s some or tons leftover you’ve got no idea what to do with it. So go ahead and make arrangements for it - pending there are leftovers. Ask your caterer to pack up a meal for you and your new spouse to munch on later that night or in the morning. Send some home with your parents. Donate it to a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Leftover fresh flowers? Send them to a local nursing home.

Recruitment of Cleanup Crew - It’s never fun to clean up, and it’s even less fun to clean up when there’s only a few of you doing it. Recruit a cleanup crew to help you either after the reception or the next day. Specifically ask people to come so you know at least a few people will show up to help. Order pizza or brunch and make it a fun time! Many hands make less work. These are just a few things that might help your big day go a bit smoother. If you’re doing your wedding all by yourself, stay organized and it will all come together. If you decide you need a little extra help - hire a Day-Of Wedding Coordinator like me to come and make sure all of these details (and so much more) get taken care of without a second thought from you. After all, you should be enjoying your day! Visit my website dayoneweddings.net for pricing and info or send an email to abby@dayoneweddings.net to set up a consultation!