8 Unexpected Wedding Tips
— By Avya Hlavac
19 February 2024
When it comes to wedding advice, you often don't even have to look for it - it comes to you. Friends and family with the best of intentions and countless online wedding blogs (excuse the irony) can often complicate the process and leave you with more questions than answers. When it comes to wedding planning, we will assume you have the basics covered. Setting a date, deciding on a budget, dress shopping, etc. We're not here to repeat what's already been said, nor are we here to tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Instead, we want to spill the tea and share the advice we wish we were given. Whether you're planning a traditional wedding with all the bells and whistles or seeking non-conventional wedding ideas for a more alternative wedding day, this blog offers food for thought. Take what is helpful, and forget the rest. Without further ado, here are 8 Unexpected Wedding Tips.
Image by Perspectives
Table of Contents
- Wedding planning starts with a spreadsheet
- Digital wedding invitations vs physical invitations
- Alternative bridal parties
- Pre-wedding day outfit prep
- Why is a clean house important?
- Choosing your wedding drinks
- How to make group photos easier
- Do you need to feed your vendors?
At the heart of any great event is a killer spreadsheet
Creating a simple spreadsheet is the best first step in your wedding planning journey.
You will quickly become inundated with the nitty-gritty details, so your spreadsheet will be your one source of truth.
Everything can live in that document, including your budget, guest list, vendors, run sheets, and other handy information.
No matter the scale of your wedding, your spreadsheet will be your best friend.
It doesn't need to be anything fancy.
Note - Centralise everything with a wedding Gmail address! You can then create and store all emails, spreadsheets & other documents within the same login.
Digital wedding invitations are the future
Image bt Etsy
From the perspective of both a bride and a guest, sending invitations via email will save a world of admin.
Designing, printing, addressing and sending all of your wedding invitations is a huge job. Not to mention, wedding invitations are expensive.
The painful truth is that most guests will lose that physical invitation and ask again for the details closer to the wedding date.
Save your time and budget by opting for digital invitations! If people need a refresher on wedding details, they can easily find the invite in their inbox.
When you have a mailing list for guests - you can also easily send email updates regarding dietary requirements, transportation, itinerary, etc.
Any of the free wedding sites will do the trick, but we recommend using withjoy.com
Note - Digital wedding invitations are also an eco-friendly option!
The ins and outs of bridal parties
The bridal party is a traditional concept that is often assumed but definitely not necessary.
When considering a bridal party, it's worth asking yourself - what is your why?
Do you feel pressure to have a bridal party because that's considered the "norm"?
If you land on a bridal party-less wedding, go you!
Immediate benefits include more autonomy, saving money, avoiding drama, + many more!
If you still want that community aspect - by all means, you can have it.
You don't need an official "bridal party" to invite your favourite people to be involved in the planning, celebrations and preparations for your big day.
Image by Perspectives
Let's say you opt for a bridal party.
The next question is..
Who should you have in your bridal party?
Image by Perspectives
Really, the question is - who do you want beside you as you marry the love of your life?
Don't be fooled by the movies that portray the bridal party as a perfectly even group of girl vs guy friends.
A bridal party is simply a collection of your favourite humans.
Include anyone you love and want by your side - from your brothers to your guy friends, cousins to your grandmother.
If you carry a mental rule book for who you are and aren't allowed to ask, you can leave that at the door.
Make it your own.
If you do decide to have a bridal party, we suggest thinking critically about each person and considering the energy they bring into a room.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Is this the energy you want surrounding you on your wedding morning?
Do you see this person being in your life in the long-term future?
Note - When you pick your bridal party, you decide who will be in your wedding photos forever.
Note - Another non-traditional touch we've seen and LOVE is having your grandmother as your flower girl!
Communicating expectations
It is a good idea to communicate your expectations to your bridal party from the very start.
For example, if you have a specific friend or two you'd like to entrust with planning your hens, let them know ahead of time so it won't come as a surprise.
If you hope your bridal party will be around and available for commitments such as dress shopping, fittings, etc, frontload those conversations.
Never assume, delegate tasks, communicate and set expectations early on in the process.
Steam your dress & veil the day before
Image by Perspectives
Avoid chaotic energy on your wedding morning by steaming your wedding dress and veil the day before.
It's a physical job, so if someone needs to do it on the wedding morning - they'll likely ruin their hair & makeup and end up flustered.
Doing it the day before means there's one less thing to think about on your wedding day, and your wedding outfit will be ready to photograph and ready to wear.
Your wedding morning calls for a tidy house
Image by Perspectives
This point may seem like a no-brainer, but it can often slip through the cracks once wedding festivities have kicked off.
If you're getting ready in your home on your wedding day, we recommend cleaning your house a few days beforehand.
Your home will set the scene for your wedding morning preparations, and a messy house can really impact your wedding photos.
Whether you do it yourself or pay for a commercial clean - it's well worth putting on your list the week before the wedding.
Allocate a people wrangler and prep your photo list
Image by Perspectives
Another quick-fire tip for avoiding admin on the day is to provide your photographer with a photo list that includes groupings of everyone you want a photo with. Make sure that the list goes directly to the photographer.
We also recommend asking someone familiar with both sides of the family if they'll be your people wrangler. Choose someone with experience as an MC or who naturally knows how to get people's attention and can speak clearly.
When poorly managed, the family photos section of the day can tend to drag on and cut into the schedule. With a concise photo list and good communication, family photos will be smooth sailing!
You don't have to provide wine if you hate wine
Image by Zahn
Don't fall for the narrative that a wedding drinks list should include wine, beer and non-alcoholic soda.
Maybe you don't even like beer. Or wine. Or non-alcoholic soda.
The truth is, it's your wedding day, and it should include all of your favourite things.
Your favourite people, favourite place, favourite food and yes, your favourite drinks.
Whether that is a cocktail list or solely craft beers - let your wedding drinks list be dictated by your tastes alone.
Your vendors need to eat too
Image by Zahn
For the love of God, please organise meals and drinks for your vendors.
This includes any vendor still around at dinner time - your musician, DJ, and, particularly, your photographer and videographer.
Often, they're on their feet for 10+ hours, and unlike a typical work day, there are no allocated break times.
Their only chance to eat is when you sit down to eat.
By serving your photographer and videographer dinner at the same time as you, they'll be able to have a quick bite and not miss any key moments, such as the speeches, cake cutting, or first dance.
Many venues also have a crew meal rate, which is a lot cheaper than that of the guests. So when giving your headcount to your venue or caterer, make sure to include your vendors in that list.
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