Best Wedding Planning Tips

Top 5 Pre-Planning Tips for Your Wedding Day!

Summer weddings are about 2 months out and all of the questions start popping up. As a wedding planner working with 40 couples this year, I have answers for you! Get my top 5 pre planning tips from our Framework Guide, to make sure you don’t overlook these wedding details.

|1| Essential Quick Guide

The first step with starting to create the overview of your wedding day is to write down the essential information like a “snapshot”. Here is where to start!

• Ceremony Venue | # of Guests | Start Time & End Time | Special Notes: Do you have….arch, aisle runner, pillars, unity decor, mic & sound, chairs & seating, live music, DJ music

• Cocktail Hour Venue | # of Guests | Start Time & End Time | Special Notes: Do you have….hosted bar or cash bar, list of alcohol, hightop table, cocktail table, live musicians, DJ music, entryway table like guestbook/card/gift/memory and linens

• Reception Venue | # of Guests | Start Time & End Time | Special Notes: Do you have….hosted bar or cash bar, list of alcohol, round table or rectangular table, live musicians, DJ music, chairs & seating

• Bridal Getting Ready Location & Start Time (make sure you have enough time for hair & makeup before your pre ceremony wedding photos start. Also, have food, snacks and water there so you stay hydrated and not hungry later)

 |2|  Creative Professional Vendor Team

The second step is to list all of your vendors including email & phone number, so you don’t need to worry about finding that on the wedding day if needed. Here is the list of vendors to use as a template!

Bakery, Beauty, Beverage/Bar, Ceremony Officiant, Floral, Food/Catering, Music, Photography, Videography, Transportation, Stationery and Rental/Decor/Linen (If you are bringing your own alcohol to your venue, then make sure you have the proper staff that can serve alcohol and your venue or caterer has the correct liquor license.)

|3| Wedding Party

The third step is to write down the wedding party, similar to your Essential Quick Guide as a “snapshot” of who the important attendants are!

• Bride Name | Email | Phone Number

• Father of the Bride Name, Mother of the Bride Name, Maid of Honor Name and the Number of Attendants

• Groom Name | Email | Phone Number

• Father of the Bride Name, Mother of the Bride Name, Best Man Name and the Number of Attendants

|4| Creative Profesional Vendor Logistical Timeline

The fourth step is to create an excel spreadsheet with the following columns. That way you can ensure the timing for set up and tear down is correct and nothing is overlooked!

• Wedding Vendor: ie. Beauty Arrives

• Location/Venue: ie. Hotel Suite

• Day: arrival date, Saturday

• Set Up Time & Pick Up Time: 8AM & 11:30PM

• Make sure to decide if you are doing a “First Look”

|5| Reception Task Timeline

The final step is to create your reception list with all of your tasks and times. This timeline will pair with your musician/DJ/emcee and photography to ensure you stay on track and don’t miss any special moments! Here are tasks to consider in creating your reception order of tasks.

• Wedding Guests Take Their Seats

• Wedding Party Entrance

• Welcome Toast

• FOB Toast

• Prayer

• MOH Toast

• BM Toast

• Dinner Service

• Cake Cutting

• FOB Dance

• MOG Dance

• Couple First Dance

• Dancing

• Anniversary Dance/Shoe Game

• Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss

• Sunset Photos

• Mock Up Sparkler Send Off

• Last Dance or Last Song

• Bar Last Call
• Wedding Guests Leave
• Clean Up/Tear Down

Once you have created this guide with these top 5 pre-planning details, make sure to send to your full creative professional vendor team! I send out this information on the Monday of the wedding week. That way if you have to make changes you can do it at the start of the week, so you are not stressed a few days.

Also, make sure to work with you photographer to create your photo list and timeline start with the “getting ready” start time. You musician/emcee/DJ will also be important to create your music list starting with the ceremony prelude as guests take their seat.

I will share the photo list and music list planning tips next month!

If you need a wedding planner to hire to create your pre-planning details, you can hire us with the Framework Guide service. We can also be there for your wedding day as a day-of coordinator to ensure the execution of the day is stress-free & seamless for you!

Photo Credit (cover): Lisa Shreffler Photography | Deidre Lynn Photography