There are dozens of small details to cover for your wedding. Now, you are smart, so you have hired a planner and/or coordinator to handle the majority of the wedding details and to troubleshoot throughout the day. With all the hussle and bussle, make sure that you take some time for yourself – it is YOUR day afterall. Make things easier for you by doing some personal planning ahead of time to make smooth transitions through the entire wedding process. Keep reading to make sure you don’t forget these last minute wedding details.
Night Before Your Wedding. As you go into your rehearsal dinner, you should already be settled into your hotel room or wherever you may stay the night before.
TIP 1. Pack a separate bag for this evening.
TIP 2. Have one of your bridesmaids responsible for making sure you drink plenty of water and get to sleep at a reasonable hour.
TIP 3. If this room is not your honeymoon suite, pack light so you can easily pass off your “night before” bags to a friend or family member the next morning.
TIP 4. Hand out your wedding party gifts the night before. Most couples decide to wait until the day of the wedding to hand out these gifts, but that only adds to the long list of items you will need to remember and carry to the venue. If the gifts are to be worn or used on the wedding day, let the wedding party be responsible for them. Plus, you will add another special moment to your rehearsal dinner.
TIP 5. Check in your flight if flying to your honeymoon destination and make sure your transportation is gassed up or booked. Confirm your itinerary and double check any last minute work responsibilities. Pesky errands like this often get lost in the mix but can be disastrous if overlooked.
Wedding Day. Everything you need to get yourself ready on your wedding day should be in a separate bag to take to the venue.
TIP 1. Double check your list and don’t overpack. The more you take with you the more you will have to collect at the end of the evening. Whether you have a professional doing your hair and makeup or not, don’t burden yourself with extra things for other people.
TIP 2. Tidy as you go. It sounds simple, but to be honest the Tasmanian devil has nothing on a group of women when it comes to destroying a dressing room. Keeping your personal items in a single location and orderly might be tedious at the time, but will save you a great deal of hassle later on. Before you even go down the aisle, make sure that all of your things are in order and easy to grab up at the end of the night.
TIP 3. For about 95% of the day you will have no idea where your phone is and that is ok! Put a bridesmaid in charge of your phone. She can answer any calls or texts and will make sure it is with your things when you send off.
TIP 4. Hire vendors to handle all of the cleanup after your event. Do not lay this responsibility on your wedding party, friends and family. If they enjoyed the evening as you hoped they would, the last thing they want to do is clean a venue. Gift them with the opportunity to pass this responsibility over to the professionals.
TIP 5. We recommend having a third bag that is designated for your wedding night destination stay. This is different from your wedding day bag. With only the essentials transferring between bags, packing in this way will help you stay organized and prevent you from losing things. Have this bag waiting in your room so there is no need to keep track of it throughout the day.
Day After. You guessed it! Have your bags packed (separately) for your honeymoon.
TIP 1. Let your family and friends take care of the other bags and wedding day leftovers.
TIP 2. Have garment bags for your gown and his tux so they can easily be transported in a safe way.
Having done the prep work days before, you should be ready to rest, relax, and bask in the love of your new married life. Happy Planning!
Contributing Photographer: Beatbox Portraits