Wedding Details You Can't Forget About

Don't let these small, important things get lost in the chaos! 

 

Planning a wedding is probably one of the most stressful things you'll do in your life. If you're the bride, you already have a million and one things to keep track of leading up to the big day; it's totally understandable that some things may slip through the cracks! The hard truth is that nothing is going to go perfectly according to plan (which is fine - perfection is boring!), but that doesn't mean that you can't still prepare the best you can. This blog post is our way of nudging you to remember little details you may have forgotten to account for!

What this article is not: fluff. There are plenty of articles out there that talk about decorative/creative things you may not have thought of, but this is purely for things that every bride absolutely NEEDS to think of. 

(Tip: If you're absolutely overloaded with information, we recommend sending this article to your bridesmaids or your MOH, or someone you trust to remind you about these details before the big day or even take care of them for you!)

Details like....

The cake knife/server

Did you know that this is one set of items that is not generally included with your cake? Discuss it with the company/person providing your cake beforehand to make sure that if they are not going to bring this item, you have enough time to buy a beautiful knife and server. These items will be prominently featured in photographs, so make sure they're not just cheap plastic! 

 
Vendor meals

One of us has been personally victimized by a bride's forgetfulness in this area (it was totally unintentional - sweetest bride ever - but it was a 12 hour day of photography with no food for us. Yikes!) Your vendors are people too, and they need to eat to stay on their feet! Many of them will have it in their contracts, but even if they don't, it is expected that you feed them dinner. It doesn't have to be what the other guests are eating, but it should be a decent meal. (Arrange to have them eat when you eat, so they don't miss any of the action.)

 

Overnight bag/dress bag

If you're leaving right after the wedding for a hotel, make SURE that you both you and your hubby's clothes (and change of clothes, if you're changing before leaving the reception) ready to go, as well as any essentials you'll need that night (toothbrush, contact solution, clothes for the morning, lingerie, SHOES - everyone forgets shoes - etc.) 

Also, if you're changing, don't forget that someone has to transport your dress to your future residence/mom's place/maid of honor's place. It just can't get left at the venue! So make sure that you designate a point person to a) make sure you bring your dress bag to the venue and b) pick up your dress/partner's tux and get it where it needs to go after the night is over. 

Gratuities

It's polite to tip most of your vendors (we know, we know, another wedding cost) if gratuity was not included in your contracts. You're a nice person, but this is probably the last thing on your mind, so a few days before, put all of the tips in labeled envelopes and give them to someone you really trust to hand them out (not forget, not lose them, etc.) If you're not sure how much to tip, do your research online or with friends (or check out this guide from The Knot!)

 

 

Emergency kit

The devil is in the details. It's always a good idea to have a bag of spares for the bride in case something minor goes wrong; have extra bobby pins, the makeup essentials, some sort of stain remover, needle and thread the same color as your dress, bandaids, ibuprofen, hairspray, deodorant, and etc. Anticipate the worst little things that could happen and then put the solutions in your bag! 

 

 

Gift plan/person

Clearly, you aren't going to lug all of those presents with you on your honeymoon. Ensure that there is a plan in place for getting those gifts to your new residence or to a family member's/bridesmaid's current residence - don't just leave your poor family with the stress of trying to shove them all in their cars haphazardly. 

 

Detailed inclement weather plan

This will likely have been discussed already with your venue/wedding coordinator, but make sure you have a plan in place for rain! While it's traditionally considered "good luck", it's a hassle, and if you don't have a contingency plan it's enough to ruin anyone's mood, even the happiest of brides. And don't let it be a passing thought, like "Oh, if it rains we'll just move the ceremony inside" - no, you need a very specific plan for every aspect of the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. Talk to your wedding coordinator or venue if you need help determining the specifics! 

 

Extra ceremony seats

This is something you probably have not thought of, but not everyone will sit right next to the next people in the row (think of how it is when you enter an event venue, class, or church. Awkward, right?). You'll almost certainly end up with one or two empty seats per row, and if you only have exactly the right amount of chair as your guest count, you'll end up with some people who don't get seats. So you definitely want to either make signage encouraging people to squeeze in (S.O.S. - Slide Over Some? Just a thought!) or have 10-15 or so extra chairs. 

 

 

Factor yourself into guest count

Couples forget to do this all the time! You count when it comes to catering, alcohol, and all of the other services you're paying for. So does your bridal party and groomsmen! 

 

 

Gifts for loved ones

We count this as a need. Really, it's easy to leave out those closest to you because you know they just love you and want you to have the best day ever. But sweet and thoughtful presents/cards for your moms, dads, and siblings go a long way in letting them know how grateful you are for all they've done to make this wedding happen.