1) Break ‘em in: Always break in your shoes before the big day! Otherwise
you may incur blisters, find yourself walking funny, or skip out on
the rest of the festivities (i.e. the dancing) because your feet are
hurting. Be sure to wear them several times before the big day.
2) Buffet or Sit-Down: Always plan ahead of time if you will opt
for the buffet or sit-down style meal. You can also opt for appetizers.
If you think the party will be smaller sometimes it is best to go
with a sit down style. For larger gatherings a buffet can potentially
cut down on costs.
3) Open Bar or No: Will you be serving free alcohol to the guests?
If yes, when will the open bar commence, how long will it remain “open”,
and what liquor are you providing for gratis? Or, you can opt to provide
your own alcohol and rely on the guests to help themselves. This can
dramatically cut costs but is generally best suited for smaller ceremonies
where the wedding couple is close to all those attending.
4) Pictures Please: If you want to remember your wedding day as it
looks before the destruction caused by the festivities, be sure to
have the photographer take photos of the site prior to the guests
arrival. Also, when picking a photographer be sure to check references
and credentials, and ask if they specialize specifically in wedding
photography.
5) Champagne or Wine: Pending what food you are serving and how many
guests are attending, decide whether you will provide wine or champagne
[and the brand(s)] for the toasting ceremony.
6) Fresh or Faux: Will you be decorating the site with fresh or silk
flowers? If you opt for fresh flowers keep in mind that seasonal flowers
will be cheapest. Also, research your flowers to discover which ones
tend to last longer than others (i.e. which flowers tend to wilt and
droop quickly, particularly for summer weddings?).
7) Extra’s Attire: Will your hired personnel dress comfortably, semi-formal,
formal, or in traditional ceremony garb? It is important to give these
instructions well ahead of time so you are comfortable with their
presence during the ceremony.
8) Children’s Plates: If providing a sit-down meal, ask about meal
options for the smaller appetites. Most often children’s plates are
available, which are generally cheaper so a planner won’t give up
the information unless you ask. Moreover, most children prefer their
“chicken fingers” to “caviar” anyways, so save your wallet and their
stomachs some extra stress.
9) Wedding Gifts: Most people don’t know what to give their loved
one on the special day. Decide ahead of time if you will even opt
for this tradition, or omit the gift exchange to save on costs. However,
if you are going to give a gift, think personal. Bigger does not equal
better here. It is definitely the thought that counts on this one.
10) Virtual Wedding: If you decide to plan your wedding on your own
without the assistance of a wedding planner you might want to consider
investing in software. Currently there are several wedding planning
software programs that allow you to track every minute detail of your
wedding throughout every step of the planning process. Bonus: you
don’t have to worry about losing hardcopies of all of your information.
