….your wedding is a busy time. Or maybe I should say it can be but doesn’t have to be. The last 4 weeks for me have been full of weddings so I wanted to tell you what you should be doing during that time. Note that many of you will have more to do, some less, but in the general timeline of what needs to be done this is what the week before your wedding will look like {in  no particular order}:

• Drop your gown or other items at the cleaners to be steamed/pressed. Once you have your gown at the getting ready location, take it out of the bag and fluff the skirt to avoid hanging wrinkles. And have all of your accessories near the dress.

• Have groom and groomsmen try on their suits to make sure all is included. Suit/tux hire is notorious for forgetting something.

• Confirm dates/times/locations with all vendors. This includes transport, any deliveries, arrival times of photographers/video and beauty appointments, flowers, cake, band/DJ arrival times etc. Include any pickups for the day after.

• Finalize your wedding-day schedule and share with attendants, parents, and all vendors {esp. photogs, video and venue}.

• Decide who is driving with whom to and from the church. Remember your father will travel to the church with you so who will take him to the reception?  I find this is often forgotten.

• Confirm final numbers and do your seating arrangements to give to your venue or caterer. Prepare place cards, if you will have them, per table ready to set out. Do not leave this to the last minute! There will be small changes but it’s easier to make small changes later than to do it all on your wedding day.

• Pack for wedding night, after parties and honeymoon. Have someone deliver to the location at which you will need them.

• Put together final vendor payments in envelopes and give them to the responsible person. Don’t put off the inevitable. They will have to be paid.

• Any welcome bags or notes, prepare them and drop them as needed. Are you supplying your own wedding wine? Drop that at your venue.

• Assign or delegate wedding day tasks. Who will bustle your dress, someone to carry your things, be in charge of gifts? Hand out mass booklets and help move guests efficiently between church, venue, bar, dinner etc.

• Confirm rehearsal and dinner afterwards if you will be having one. Only necessary people {parents, bridesmaids & groomsmen and readers}  should attend the actual rehearsal to keep focused.

• Have all wedding day items ready for placement like guest book and pen, any church alter items, favours, toasting glasses, cake knife, CDs  or special personal items.

You can imagine I have some horror stories of table plans on the wedding morning, trying to get mass booklets typed and printed the day before, missing shirt for a father of the bride and more! So those are just the basics. Again, you may have more to do {tisk tisk} or less but I cannot say it enough, start things as early as possible. The week before your wedding can be a stressful time with a lot of running from place to place if you have not planned ahead. But if you have, instead of stressing, you will be in some lovely Spa being pampered and enjoying the wedding week festivities with your family and closest friends. Which sounds better?

Oh and P.S. If you had hired a planner, she would be many of the tasks above. Just sayin’.

Annie

Live, Love, Laugh and Dream!