Things To Do A Week Before Your Wedding

 

As a wedding planner utilising the time correctly in the week leading up to a clients wedding is essential in ensuring that I am able to seamlessly deliver their wedding.  I will always be busy confirming and re-confirming all plans that have been put in place throughout the planning process.

Of course, everything would have been discussed with the venue and suppliers prior to this point.  However, in the interest of clarity I always contact each supplier again to fine tune all plans and to ensure that they have my mobile contact number should they need to speak to me on the wedding morning.

Carrying out these simple checks will help to identify any last minute misunderstandings, which will in turn ensure that the wedding day runs smoothly and to plan.

I know that many of you may not be working with a wedding planner and I also know that for many couples the feeling of immense overwhelm often kicks in as the countdown to their weddings begins.  So, I have shared a selection of the tasks which are always on the top of my to do list the week before a clients wedding.

Contact all suppliers

I am sure you have been in contact with your suppliers throughout the planning process and have therefore confirmed all details with them long before the week prior to your wedding.  However, it is always recommend to contact them again one last time in the days before your wedding to re-confirm all details, taking special care to confirm the following:

• Final details of the service/products they are supplying
• Timings – when are they arriving, how long are they staying and will they need to return to collect any items
• Have they received their final payment
• Provide them with the mobile contact number for your appointed point of contact for your wedding day.  This should not be the bride or groom.  Instead ask the Mother of the Bride/Groom, Maid of Honour, or anybody who you consider to be trustworthy
• Confirm the mobile contact number you have for each supplier is correct

Also take special care to confirm final details such as a shot list for your photographer, a playlist for your DJ/Band as well as any other musician who will be performing throughout your wedding day and also who will be providing the cake stand and cake knife.  The latter being one of the most common points overlooked by couples.

Confirm final numbers with your venue/caterers

Confirming guest numbers and paying your final invoice is typically a task to be carried out 4-6 weeks before your wedding.  However, more often than not there will be small tweaks to your guest numbers which you will need to relay to your venue and caterers.  Whilst making these last minute adjustments also re-confirm dietary requirements and supply your venue/caterers with your final seating plan, which should clearly indicate where children are seated as well as any guest who has a special dietary request.

Pack your wedding day emergency kit

I will always arrive to a wedding that I have planned with a fully stocked emergency kit.  Of course a wedding planners kit will be far more extensive than a couples, (so as to cover a whole host of eventualities).  None the less consideration should be given to items that may be required should a mini disaster occur.

I have listed below a small selection of items which are regularly called upon on a wedding day:

• Sewing kit
• Pins (to re-secure button holes)
• Hair Pins
• Hair Spray
• Painkillers/Hayfever relief tablets
• Plasters
• Deodorant
• Flat shoes (for the evening)
• Mints/chewing gum
• Water

Arrange collection of bridal parties attire

Ideally the bridal gown and bridesmaids dresses are collected at the beginning of the wedding day countdown, leaving time to sort any last minute corrections.  It is also a good idea for the bride and her maids to use the week before the wedding to break in the shoes that they will be wearing on the big day.

If you are hiring suits for the groom and groomsmen make arrangements to collect these as soon as the hire company will allow.  Again, this is to allow time for any last minute alterations that may be required.

Finalise and distribute your wedding day schedule

In my opinion your wedding day schedule is one if not the most important document associated with planning your wedding. This schedule will provide crucial information to your wedding day suppliers, allowing them to understand the running order of your big day. Your wedding day schedule should therefore be distributed to all your suppliers as well as the members of your bridal party.

Once furnished with your schedule your florist will then be aware of your ceremony time which then allows them to ensure they begin creating their floral magic at your venue with plenty of time to spare.  The photographer will then see final timings for first call to wedding breakfast which then furnishes them with the time they have to capture your photographs between your ceremony and dinner service, and so on.

It’s also a great idea to attach a supplier contact sheet to your schedule inviting your suppliers to contact each other to discuss their timings.

Relax

And finally, relax…….

Take the final few days before your wedding to enjoy your manicure, pedicure and the all important massage and then enjoy spending time with your partner before the big day arrives.

I hope that you have found this blog post useful and that you are able to put this advice to use on your own wedding day.  If however, you are suffering from the feeling of overwhelm that I have discussed above and you are planning your wedding within Essex, Suffolk, Kent, Hertfordshire or Cambridgeshire, please do getting touch to discuss how I can assist you with the planning and co-ordination of your wedding day.

Image Credits: Terri & Lori Fine Art Photography & Film

 

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