There are a million things to do and check off your list while wedding planning! You are probably using some sort of wedding planning checklist to help you organize your wedding planning and that's great! Or maybe you have hired a wedding planner so you can take some of the planning off your plate and alleviate stress. Wedding planning can certainly be a big job and there are a few things than can slip through the cracks and that your wedding planning lists may not tell you. Below are the top things couples forget while wedding planning.
Relax And Have A Date Night
I'm putting this at the top because I believe it is super important! It's very easy to get caught up in wedding planning and forget to have a date night with your fiancé where wedding planning isn't involved. This is your only time as an engaged couple and you want to have memories of this time in your life that doesn't just revolve around wedding planning. Wedding planning can be stressful so be sure to take some time for just you two!
Check The Sunset Time
This is important! You will want to check the sunset time for your wedding date. You can easily do this online by Googling your city and sunset time. You will want to know this so you will know when it will become dark outside. You will need to do all of your portraits before it gets dark outside so you will want to make sure you will have time for those to happen. You may also need to know the sunset time if you are planning on any nighttime actives such as fireworks.
Have A Rain Backup Plan
If you are having any part of your wedding outdoors, you will need to have a backup plan for rain. Maybe that's moving the ceremony into the reception area or renting tents. Whatever you decide, you will need a plan for it.
Have A Wedding Day Point Person
If you have a wedding planner or day of coordinator, then they can do this for you! If not, you will want to appoint someone you trust to be the point person for the wedding day. This person will deal with questions from vendors and guests, get vendors to their correct spots, and help keep the timeline on track. This point person will not only make sure everything goes as planned but they will also help put your mind at ease so you can enjoy your big day.
Have Extra Seats
Hopefully you won't have any surprise guests who didn't RSVP but having some spare seats around can come in handy. This is especially true for the ceremony. Naturally, humans just don't like sitting close to one another. When your guests start seating themselves for the ceremony, they will leave a seat or two in-between the different family groups. If you have 150 guests and have out 150 chairs, this means that family groups may be left standing in the back or having to split up and sit in-between different groups. Having more chairs than you need, will make sure everyone was a comfortable place to sit. Extra seats can also come in handy in case a drink gets spilled on an upholstered chair, it can easily be switched out for a dry chair.
Include Yourself And Your Vendors In The Final Catering Count
You will want to make sure that you include you and your fiancé as well as your vendors into the final catering count. It's easy to just give them your final RSVP number but that doesn't include you both! The vendors that will be with you all day long on your wedding day will also need a meal to keep them nourished and going on your wedding day so you will want to make sure the caterers have a meal for them as well.
Consider Allergies and Food Concerns
You will want to ask your guests if they have any food restrictions. This doesn't mean that you will need to change your menu but you will want to let your caterers know so that they can have something prepared that these guests can eat. You won't want a guest to only have to eat a side salad and a roll.
Figure Out Your Post Wedding Transportation
If you and your fiancé are planning on drinking on your wedding day, then you will want to have some sort of transportation worked out for you. Either by renting a limo, scheduling an Uber, or just asking a sober friend to drop you off. Planning this in advance will make sure that you can relax and have fun while knowing how you will be getting back home.
Pack A Cell Phone Charger
You won't be on your phone much the day of your wedding but you will still want to have a full charge. Make sure a cell phone charger is in your wedding day bag so you can charge your phone back up as needed.
Double Check Your Invitation Postage
Some invitations will require additional postage, either because of their size or their weight. Before you stick a stamp on all of your invitations, take one to your local USPS to have it weighed and measured so you will know the correct postage that they need. The last thing you'd want is for all of your invitations to be mailed back to you for insufficient postage.
Pack Your Wedding Bag In Advance
You will want to have a wedding day bag that will have everything that you will need the day of your wedding. Start getting this ready in advance so you will be sure to have everything you need. You won't want to rush around the morning of your wedding or after your rehearsal dinner trying to get everything together. If you are planning on leaving for your honeymoon right away as well, you will want to start packing for that in advance too so you can enjoy the morning after your wedding.
Appoint Someone To Gather Up And Deliver Cards And Gifts
A lot of your guests will have your wedding gift sent directly to you, but some will bring your gift and/or a card the day of your wedding. Appoint someone to gather up all of the gifts and load them up so you won't have to worry about trying to grab all of those at the end of the night.
Factor In Enough Time For Clean Up And Appoint Helpers
If there is a certain time that you will need to be out of your venue, you will want to factor in enough time to get everything cleaned up and packed away. Allow more time that you think you will need so you won't feel rushed or incur any additional charges. Enlist some helpers who will stay until the end of the wedding and assist with the clean up.
Remember To Eat And Drink Water
Lastly, your wedding day will be busy but you will want to make sure you stay hydrated and eat! Make sure you take time throughout the day to get some food and make sure you have someone on deck who can make sure you alway have a full water.
