Wednesday, March 20, 2024

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What To Do At A Wedding

Choose Your Wedding Party Wisely

How to Perform a Wedding Ceremony (In 4 Simple Steps!)

Lelia Scarfiotti

The friends and family you ask to join your wedding party are there for emotional and tactical support throughout the wedding planning process and on the big day. Consult with your partner to decide what size wedding party works best for the two of youkeeping in mind the expenses that come along with this special responsibility. Consider who you really want standing next to you during this monumental occasion and if they are capable of performing the duties required of their position throughout the planning process.

Put Thought Into Seating

While figuring out where everyone will sit during your wedding reception think about guests who already know each other and will get along during your reception. You and your spouse wont be as readily available to make introductions, so putting thought into where guests will sit during your wedding reception will avoid having uncomfortable guests.

Pay Your Vendors In Full

The last awkward situation you want to deal with right before your wedding day is a vendor chasing money. Avoid that by keeping careful track of when and how much you pay each vendor. If there are some vendors who must be paid the day-of, or youre distributing tips, give your most trusted bridesmaid or relative a heads-up that come wedding day, youll be counting on them to handle the labeled envelopes youre going to put together.

Also Check: Wedding Spreadsheet Download Excel

Is Wedding Planning Hard

Were not going to liedifferent aspects of planning a wedding can be hard for different people. Maybe you love decor but find creating a guest list nearly impossible. Or perhaps you love charts and numbers but find Pinterest completely bewildering. Fortunately, once youve hired your vendors, youll have a team of people to assist youand you can also delegate tasks to your partner, family members, or friends. If youre feeling completely overwhelmed and finding all of wedding planning too much, it may be time to hire a wedding planner, if you havent already.

Don’t Let Your Guests Get Hungry

Southwest Inspired Boho Wedding from Silver Lining Events ...

Want a guaranteed all-night crowd? Arrange for the catering staff to bring out late-night food like French fries, pizza or doughnuts after midnight . Offer a DIY coffee bar complete with flavored syrups and toppings to keep them on their feet. If you stick with low-key favorites, your friends will never want to leave.

Also Check: Wedding Hashtags For F Last Names

Fragrant Candle For Scentscaping

Samantha James Photography

Pillar and votive candles will help visually set the scene at the reception but think about scentscaping your event by sprinkling candles in your favorite scent throughout the day. Scent is closely tied to memory so anytime your smell your chosen scent in the future, memories of the big day will come flooding back.

Now You Know How To Plan A Wedding

But remember, this guide doesnt cover every aspect of wedding planning. There are tons of other little details that go into a wedding, like selecting wedding favors for guests, writing your vows, choosing escort cards, and so on. Be sure to stay up-to-date with our blog for all of the additional tips, tricks, and advice to help you along the way.

Find the perfect wedding venue for your budget!

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Narrow Down The Dates

You wont officially set a date until you book your venue. But, we recommend choosing a few potential wedding dates before you start looking at venues. First, think about the season in which youd like to wedand if a Saturday night wedding is a must or if youre open to a wedding on a different day. Then, take a look at the calendar, taking into account work schedules, holidays, family conflicts, etc., and narrow things down to a few choice dates. Having some potential wedding dates in mind will be very helpful during the venue selection process.

Plan The Before And After Events

What to Wear to a Wedding

Theres often much more to a wedding than the big day itself, though you wont necessarily do them all. As usual, the particulars depend on the size of your wedding, the logistics, and the complexity of the ceremony. These are the events you may prepare or need time for beyond the wedding:

Pro tip: You should also plan breaks for yourself and your partner into your schedule. This includes ten-minute breaks to catch your breath between activities to entire weekends off between events to recenter and relax. Do whatever makes you feel rested. It can be anything from booking a luxury massage to deep cleaning your storage closet to taking your dog on a hike. Just add in these non-negotiable breaks to your schedule to keep your sanity in check. Which brings us to our next tip

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Supplementary And Support Roles

Bridesmaids, or bride’s attendants, groomsmen, and ushers are all trustworthy friends and family members who support the needs of the couple, the maid/matron of honor, and the best man. Bridesmaids and groomsmen can also be younger members of the family, typically pre-teen to 16 years of age They can help plan some activities and male members can act as ushers to escort guests to their seats at the wedding ceremony.

Here are things that bridesmaids typically handle throughout the wedding:

  • Support the maid/matron of honor with planning activities
  • Help plan the bridal shower and/or bachelorette party
  • Help with DIY details such as addressing/mailing invites, making shower favors for guests, and crafting wedding reception escort cards
  • Help keep the dance floor moving at the reception
  • Answer questions for wedding guests at the reception
  • Gather and watch over gifts that guests have left at the reception for the couple

Here are things that groomsmen typically handle throughout the wedding:

  • Help plan and pay for the bachelor party
  • Often act as the ushers at the ceremony, helping to escort guests to their seats
  • Help keep the dance floor moving at the reception
  • Answer questions for wedding guests at the reception
  • Help bring gifts from the wedding reception to the couple’s desired location.

Including children in the wedding party is a great idea for mixed families and those who want to include their nieces and nephews. Here are roles that children often play at a wedding:

Build Your Guest List

First things first, commit to keeping this process as stress-free as possible. Pick a relaxed time on a weekend when you dont have other demands and sit down with your partner. Keep your approximate wedding size in mind building a guest list for a small wedding is going to be different than choosing who to invite to a large one. Here are some tips to keep the process smooth:

  • Write down all of the names of people youd like to attend even if they live across the world or your partner doesnt know them that well.

  • Track your guest names in a wedding planning app or a spreadsheet.

  • Manage guest requests from family. Its okay to invite some people your parents would love to share your wedding day with, but try to keep the number reasonable.

  • Create two categories for your guest list. A is for the names of family and friends who you absolutely want and/or need to have at your wedding. B is for the extended family, friends, and work colleagues youd like to share your day with, but it wouldnt devastate you if they couldnt attend. Take a break and come back to list B. Narrow it down together until the list fits wedding size.

Pro tip: A good way to start sorting who you want to invite is by going through the contact list in your phone, as well as who youre following/interact with on your most-used social media platforms. Chances are, if you want them at your wedding, youll at least have their phone number or Instagram handle.

Also Check: Venue Comparison Worksheet

Practice Your Vows Out Loud

Mackenzie Neville

Whether youve written your own or youre going with traditional vows, practice what youll say and how youll say it in front of a mirror. Even if you’ve silently read the words over and over again, be sure to read your vows out loud to yourself a handful of times. Practice reading them with a steady and slow pace until you feel confident and calm.

Time The Music Correctly

Love Is, Weddings

Whether you are having a live musician or recorded music playing over speakers during your wedding ceremony, now is the time to make sure your music is timed as you would like. Designate who will be pushing the play button on a recording, or signaling the musician to start playing. Its also just as important to know when the music should stop. Do you want the song to finish regardless of if everyone is in their place or should it fade out quietly so you can continue the ceremony? Do you even have a processional song selected? Make these decisions now and communicate with appropriate parties.

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Do Read The Dress Code

Wedding invitations typically offer details like the date, time, and location. But don’t overlook the dress code! What if you didn’t realize the ceremony is on a beautiful beach, or the reception is considered Black Tie? Phillip Van Nostrand, a wedding photographer whose work has been published in places like the New York Times andHuffington Post, stresses the importance of figuring out the dress code. “Black Tie means no cocktail dresses,” said Van Nostrand, meaning an evening gown is the correct style for this kind of affair. “Men, figure out how to tie a bowtie!”

If you read the invitation but still unsure what it means, Google it or ask a friend. Believe it or not, there’s a difference between “Formal” and “Dressy Casual” and you won’t want to show up to one event looking like you belong in the other. Alexa Kritis, wedding planner and owner of Long Aisle Events, stresses that the dress code is on the invitation for the benefit of the guest. “Read the dress code simply for your own comfort,” Kritis says. “Why wear a tux or stilettos at a semi-formal beach wedding when you don’t have to?”

Confirm Who’s Giving The Toast

Edward Winter of Readyluck

If there are a couple of people who are reading a little something special to you and your significant other at the wedding or rehearsal dinner, check in with them to confirm. You can also let them know the time frame that they should expect to speak so that they feel calm and ready for their role.

Also Check: Free Wedding Planning Spreadsheet

Things You Should And 7 Things You Shouldn’t Do At A Wedding

For anyone who’s attended a wedding, you know that it’s an occasion for a couple that calls for happiness, celebration, and, hopefully, delicious wedding cake. But just because you’ve received an invitation doesn’t mean you necessarily know the rules when it comes to being the best wedding guest you can be. You’ll likely want to put your best foot forward, but with so many etiquette expectations, it’s difficult to keep track of what it takes to become a wedding guest VIP.

If you’re worried about breaking some of the wedding cardinal rules, you’re not alone. Before you head to celebrate a couple’s newly-wedded bliss, be sure to read this cheat sheet so you can feel confident that you’ll be a wedding guest all-star, from the ceremony all the way to the cake cutting.

Have A Conversation With Wedding Stakeholders

What To Wear To A Wedding

Before you can get into any planning details, you’ll need to have a conversation with potential wedding stakeholdersAKA any additional people beyond you and your S.O. who will help fund the wedding. Once you have a general idea of who’s contributing , you can move forward with setting a concrete budget and finalizing details.

Also Check: Wedding Planning Spreadsheet Google Sheets

Start Thinking Big Picture

The minute you get engaged, everyone will be asking for your wedding date. In reality, though, you won’t be able to set an exact wedding date until other major decisionslike setting your budgetare made. But before you dive into the nitty-gritty details, we recommend thinking about the big picture vision you have for your wedding day. What time of year do you want to host your celebration? What wedding venue style sparks your interest? Are you drawn to intimate, outdoor boho parties, or would you rather have a glam formal affair at a chic city rooftop? How many people do you want to invite? These are key details to consider before you move forward with any decisions. “I always ask my couples to describe their perfect wedding day,” says Mary Thornton, founder of Connecticut-based stationery boutique and event planning company Party Party. “Is it casual? Formal? Large? Small? Do you prefer formal and elegant, or do you want a fun, casual dance party? Once that decision is made the other ones fall into place.”

Start Shopping For Wedding Day Attire

The 10-month wedding mark is also the time to start shopping for your outfit. *Cue happy dancing.* What you wear on your big day is so important, so set yourself up for success by shopping early. You’ll need plenty of time to peruse local wedding dress salons and suit shops to find the perfect look, so begin early to allow time for browsing, fittings, alterations and any potential customizations.

Post-Pandemic Planning Tip: “Shipping and fabric lead times increased greatly during the pandemic,” explains Sarah Swann, Chief Creative Officer of AMSALE. “For that reason, it’s incredibly important to leave yourself at least 10 months to find the perfect gown. We always recommend shopping for your wedding gown 10 to 12 months out, especially for gowns that are made-to-order. You’ll want the gown to arrive two months before the wedding to leave time for alterations.”

If you won’t be shopping off the rack for your wedding day attire, finalize your purchase by the end of this month.

Read Also: Google Wedding Spreadsheets

Make Contact With Entertainment To Finalise Details

Here at Entertainment Nation, our acts all provide a 4 week call to clients in order to finalise details of your day. This includes timings, venue discussions , and any live music requests if youd like to choose specific songs from their repertoire. If your band also provides a DJ service , you can let them know any songs you want included.

/ Choose Your Dj Carefully

What Happens at a Wedding Ceremony and Reception?

Music really reigns supreme at a wedding and holds the power over what could turn a dud night into a fantastic celebration. You may want it to be a romantic occasion but guests will not thank you for heartfelt Westlife ballads dominating the night. Formulate a good idea in musical genre tastes for the majority crowd youre inviting. Then, compile a list of floor-fillers to play the whole night through and liaise closely with your DJ for professional advice on how to fill and sustain a happy crowd.

Read Also: Wedding Bands That Go With Solitaires

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