No one wants to be stranded in their wedding venue after getting married, right? Here are tips to get you on the right track!
You’ve made your list and double, triple checked them, yet there are still some details that can escape your meticulous planning! It could be as major as having no transportation back to your hotel while you’re still in your princess-like ball gown or having no cash on hand for tips.
Below are the six often missed details on wedding days you should make sure to cover:
1. Have a point person on the wedding day.
If you have a coordinator already, what is a point person for? Yes your on-the-day coordinator will be responsible for executing your big day but he or she will likely still need help from someone close to you for things that require the participation of your family members, ninong or ninang, etc. Remember that for most on-the-day coordinators, they will be meeting the bridal party for the very first time that day so if they’ll need to talk to or work with a lot of them, it would be best to assign a point person to help them.
Your point person can be someone who knows your bridal party and wedding plans through and through–she or he is most likely already one of your bridesmaids, groomsmen, or your maid of honor or best man. Tip: Include them in your meeting with the coordinator before the wedding day so they can help each other out early on.
2. Budget and prepare tips.
It would be much appreciated by your wait staff if you prepared tips for them and for their service. Much like our behavior as clients when we dine out or avail of services, a small gratuity can go a long way. We highly suggest that you prepare tips–like ensuring that you have smaller bills and separate envelopes so that it will be easy for your coordinator (or yourself!) to hand out the tips.
You may also want to consider preparing tips for people who will work overtime, since we don’t have overtime pay for non-regular employees such as suppliers who will be working on egress/setting down and cleaning up after your wedding.
RELATED: No Reception All Pink Manila Wedding
3. Give your do not play list for your entertainment.
Can you imagine if a theme song from your ex suddenly played during your reception? Or what if a song–that is likely just an innocent song but brings back bad memories for your and your spouse-to-be suddenly plays? These mishaps can be avoided if we create a “Do not play” list for your lights and sounds supplier and your entertainers.
Most lights and sounds suppliers and bands or performers already have a go-to list for weddings and celebrations so once they run out of your chosen playlist, they’ll most likely pull this up just to avoid dead air. If you don’t want the disco vibe during your reception, give the instructions.
If you’re going for a certain mood with your music, it would be best to have a backup playlist in case your playlist runs out. And we’d even go as far as the backup of the backup to ensure that you won’t have any dead air or a weird change in music genre all of a sudden.
WATCH: Love Wins Live Forum – Things Often Overlooked When Planning a Wedding
4. Arrange transportation after the wedding for newlyweds.
We’ve heard of couples who completely forgot to factor in their ride back to their hotel room and even newlyweds who had to gas up after their reception in their full wedding looks–with one possibly a bit too tipsy. Sure it’s a funny story to tell now but it’s also a hassle that you sure want to avoid on your wedding day.
Yes we may have ride sharing apps and it’s likely easy to call your friend and say “Hey, we need a ride!” but again, who wants to have to go through the trouble after you’ve had your big ceremony and party? You most likely will want to just retire to your bedroom and enjoy your newlywed bubble after all that you did on your big day. So make sure you arrange for your transportation back to your accommodation or hotel.
RELATED: Get More Wedding Tips HERE
5. Designate a photo wrangler.
Do you remember what it’s like to watch a photographer call out for family members or the bridal party after the ceremony and having to wait for just one person? A photo wrangler solves this awkward waiting time and delay. Think of him or her as the person you assign to help your photographer know exactly who needs to be in the photo.
This small details helps save time during the post-ceremony photos which means you can have a bit extra time for your couple portraits!
6. Ask guests about food allergies or diet restrictions.
Now that all weddings are intimate weddings, it’s easier to customize your guests’ food. Previously, we hardly thought about asking about food allergies and diet restrictions because buffets solved the problem–if you can’t take in the food, move on to the next viand.
Smaller guest lists mean you can customize their food–do you have lactose-intolerant guests or those who require a gluten-free diet? Maybe they’re vegetarians or pesco-vegan. Giving the time and attention to this detail will also make your guest feel just how appreciative you are that they took time to join you on your wedding day.
Would you add anything else to this list? Share this story now and help other newlyweds!
