Top Ten wedding planning ideas to put on your ‘Do list’
Do’s … Fabulous Celebrant advice on the Sunshine Coast Mooloolaba, Noosa
- Do your research and hire professionals
This is one day in your life where your research will pay off in bundles so read reviews, checkout online social media history, ask questions until you are confident your supplier is a professional and respected industry supplier. Your Marriage Celebrant will be a font of golden information so ask your celebrant for suppliers they know will suit your personality, have a proven quality track record and are professional and fabulous. - Do ask for photos
Ask your guests to text or email you all the great photos they take at your special day. You’ll love seeing all the fun.
- Do send out a ‘save the date’
Send your ‘save the date’ as soon as you hav
e your date locked in. Your important guests will appreciate the lead up time to organise themselves, this is especially important for guests travelling to the wedding for flights and accommodation. - Do consider timing
Ensure there are ‘timing buffers’ in your run sheet for the day. Allow 5 minutes here and there for breathing. If you’re being married on a weekday afternoon and driving to the ceremony, factor in school or peak hour traffic. - Do consider the weather
Book a ceremony location venue with a wet weather back up option OR have a separate wet weather option planned. Wet Weather Blog 🙂
If holding the ceremony outdoors, do cater for guests in hot weather, Getting Married in the heat Blog 🙂 they’ll be standing in the heat for sometimes more than an hour. - Do Consider your feet
Make sure your footwear is comfy. - Do consider a ‘first look’ on your wedding day
This is becoming so popular! So what is this? The bride and groom meet all dressed and gorgeous prior to the ceremony for an intimate ‘first look’ creating a Pre-Ceremony photo shoot for you and your party.
You may want to enjoy lunch or nibbles and champagne.
*The additional bonus is no waiting guests whilst you leave for photos, no rushing off for photos
Visit my blog and learn all about this !! at First Look Blog - Do have an unplugged ceremony
Do ask all guests to put away their devices and be present for ceremony.
Remember however, because of this, only the professional photographer will have photos of the ceremony, you can wait days or weeks to see your official photos so
**ASK your photographer, your celebrant or one guest to take a few photos of you at the signing table and then standing at the ‘altar position’ with YOUR own phone or camera or their own phone and send them to you after the ceremony. - Do book a professional MC for your reception
Your professional MC will ensure the function timing flows perfectly.
Your professional MC can tailor your evening creating magic, the entrance to the reception can be ‘an occasion’, speeches, cake cutting, first dance, shoe game, all aspects of your reception timed perfectly.
*Ask your Celebrant, consider your DJ or a member of the wedding band if they offer this service. - Do book fun!
Add something unexpected to your run sheet and plans for your day. It could be an ice-cream cart to arrive after the ceremony on a hot day, release doves! Invite a troupe of samba dancers at the reception to entertain and get the guests dancing, a magician walking around mingling with guests, something different! A photo booth is always fun and questionnaires to complete about the couple for guests can be hilarious if used later by the MC and a great keepsake for the couple. So think outside the box.. your wedding doesn’t have to be like anyone elses make it fabulous!! Make is an ‘occasion’, create the fun and memories.
Top Ten wedding planning ideas to put on your ‘Don’t list’
FSunshine Cosat wedding day advice Mooloolaba Nooosa
1. Don’t use public forums for advice
Don’t ask for supplier recommendations or advice for your wedding on public social media forums, you don’t know the calibre or quality of the advice or person giving it. So, best advice from me is to go directly to the web, google and do your research, speak to professionals directly and see who ‘you’ love, ask friends who’s taste is similar and who’s advice you respect. Once you’ve started booking suppliers you love, ask their advice on who they love to work with, who they recommend, and if you like the social media forums join the private professional groups, such as The Brides Tree online,
Visit the Sunshine Coast private BridesTree forum
2. Don’t take too many people bridal Gown shopping.
Too many differing opinions can be confusing and upsetting when choosing the iconic gown, so take one or two people with you who’s opinions you absolutely value.
OH and make sure you wear great underwear for the shopping day 😉
3. Don’t let anything spoil your day
Plan not to stress if something goes wrong.
Don’t let anything spoil your day.
4. Don’t leave payments to the day of the wedding.
Make sure to plan for all suppliers are paid in advance so there are no awkward moments on the day handing over or forgetting envelopes.
5. Don’t ‘go cheap’ for the sake of saving money
Of course organise your budget, when planning, remember you really do get what
you pay for so find your favourite suppliers who are going to make your day perfect and fabulous, and if they happen to be slightly more expensive, you’ll find out soon enough why.
A couple of hundred dollars extra can mean the difference between and ok experience and a fabulous one!
6. You Don’t need a huge bridal party
Keep in mind that every person you add to your bridal party is a lot of extra $$$’s.. It’s another dress or suit, shoes, jewellery, gift, hair and makeup, bouquet and of course an added
personality into the mix.
So think outside the square, you can choose one attendant each or even none at all.
7. Don’t scrimp on the music and ambience
A wedding reception with a DJ or Band can be a party.
A reception with a speaker and ipod with a playlist can be a meal with background music.
8. Don’t plan for too many speeches
Keep speeches short and give instructions for the length of time these speeches should be given.
Speeches going over time can create a problem with the kitchen and hold up service of courses so make sure the MC is aware of timing and informs the speakers.
9. Don’t skip the wedding cake
If dessert is included with your menu, a cake can seem like an extra that i
sn’t needed .. don’t underestimate how fun and special it is to ‘cut the cake’ on the evening, it creates a great photo moment and many guests look forward to the cake. Even if you choose a small cake for cutting it can be topped with flowers and look fabulous and really does finish the wedding decorations.
10. Don’t go dashing off on honeymoon too soon
So many guests love to stay around especially those who have travelled to the wedding…
So plan a post wedding day late breakfast or BBQ , it’s a great way to de-brief, find out about all the shenanigans that went on the night before, see the photo evidence of said shenanigans, laugh and bask in the glow of memories made. Cocktails the night after can be a wonderful wind down, and this creates more of a wedding festival feel rather than just one day.
These are my tips for planning a fabulous wedding… Hope you loved them!
DO YOU HAVE ANY FABULOUS TIPS?
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Have a fabulous wedding! love Suzanne xx
