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Wedding Planning TipsCheck our specials page for Wedding Specials. |
Planning a wedding can be as stressful as you want to make it. There are many decisions to make and many of them will impact the quality of your guests experience. Sometimes many of the decisions that a Bride will be most worried about have very little impact on the overall wedding experience and more important considerations will be missed.
Wedding Planning Considerations:
Organizing a wedding is a mixture of fun, frustration and ruthless military planning. There are some things which, if forgotten, can easily be rectified. There are others which can cause endless problems.
1. Always get a proof (a sample print) of your wedding invitations from the stationer or printer before giving the go-ahead to have them printed up. Check through the proof very carefully to ensure there are no printing errors and that times and venues are correct. Have a third person proof it too.
2. Make sure you have more items on your wedding present list than you have wedding guests. It can be awkward if you get the same present from two or more people.
3. Make sure you have plenty of contact numbers for all of the people you hire. If your photographer does not want to give you alternate emergency numbers ask them why?
4. A good map. We've all been to enough weddings to know that some churches are impossible to find. A good map with well thought out and clear instructions is an absolute must to ensure that everyone arrives on time. If you use an online wedding planning guide add a map link such as MAPQUEST.
5. Look at our schedule closely and make sure all vendors have a chance to review it. About 50% of our couples still chose to have their formal portraits taken after the wedding. A surprising number of those people will plan a 5:00 wedding and a 5:45 Limo pickup. This often leaves us 10 minutes to do 30 minutes worth of photography.
6. If you have taken the approach of having your guests wait while portraits are taken we suggest giving them finger food or using pictures of your lives growing up as a means to pass some time while they wait on you.
7. Thank You cards. In the post wedding day rush, it may escape your mind to send these out. If you want them done in the same style as your invitations, they should be ordered at the same time. Our suggestion is to use our photo thank you cards as a means of giving them a gift in return for their support of your wedding day. We also offer several modern and traditional Invitations and Thank You cards. [learn more]
8. Double check details with your photographer. Once you have gone through the business of booking a photographer, ensure that you send them your requirements in writing and get a confirmation slip from them. Again, make sure the details are right. Remember: Never make assumptions about the service provided. Ask, ask, ask.
9. If you are having a video made, check with your minister that the service can be filmed. Rarely is there an issue, but it is couteous to confirm anyway.
10. Ask to see the car you will be going to the ceremony in. Being told that it is a vintage Rolls Royce, however impressive that seems, is not enough. You should check to see how the car has been maintained, make sure there is enough room in the back for the bride and her dress and make sure it is in a color you like. If you want to drink or eat in the car be sure that you can.
11. Ensure that the church, register office or hotel don't mind handfuls of confetti being thrown around their entrances. Some might prefer you to use rice or sugar paper. A simple check will avoid any bad feeling.
12. Many photographers have time limits on their packages. From our perspective many of the reception photos do not make it to the final album. As a result we always suggest that you provide disposable cameras at the reception. Do not put them on the tables as the kids will latch onto them and you will waste a lot of money on photo processing and disposable cameras. Check out this link for a selection of Disposable Cameras
13. Make sure that your hotel or restaurant has a suitable cake stand (if needed) and cake knife available. If not bring your own. After all you wouldn't want to be photographed posing with a steak knife over the cake!
14. Before booking a reception at a hotel or restaurant, try the food for yourself. A nicely laid out menu does not guarantee good food and it's a good excuse for the bride and groom to go out for a few romantic meals before their big day.
15. Parking. Almost as important as the quality of the food at your reception venue is the availability of parking, especially if the reception is held a long distance from the ceremony. Don't forget to check the car parking facilities before you book and make sure that, at the time of your reception, the car park won't be full of cars attending another event.
16. Security. Ask the hotel or reception location about security for the guests and their cars. Thieves can see a parking lot filled with cars and well dressed people as a good place to look for wedding gifts and other valuable possessions.