Your wedding is quickly approaching. You've spent these past months (maybe years) planning the perfect day for you and your fiance. The big things, the small things, the things that you never knew you would ever care about -- all of them have been checked off your list. But what about those things you forgot to put on your list? Here are the top 5 things couples forget to right before their wedding.
1. Tell your venue if you want to save the top tier of your cake or not
Tradition says that the couple saves the top tier of their cake, freezes it, and eats it on their one year anniversary. Cute right? Well personally I thought eating freezer-burnt year-old cake was gross, but I was in luck! The bakery I bought my cake at provided a FREE tier of cake for your first anniversary. Yes! This meant we could eat all of the cake during the wedding. I assumed that since the bakery worked closely with my venue (it was included in our meal fee), they would serve the entire cake. They did not. My top tier was never served, and they gave it to me to take home. I was very disappointed because each tier had a different flavor, and now I had was stuck with a whole tier of cake to eat within 1 day of leaving on my honeymoon. The moral of the story is - whether you want to save that top piece of cake for your anniversary or not, be sure to tell your coordinator at your venue so they can plan accordingly.
2. Surprise your guests, not your vendors
A lot of couples like to add an element of surprise to their wedding. Maybe it's a surprise choreographed dance number, or maybe it's a surprise Groom's Cake the groom doesn't know about. Whatever it may be, your vendors NEED to know. I've filmed weddings where no one - even the DJ - knew there was going to be a big surprise for the Bride because the groom never told anyone. I promise, we will keep the secret. But to make sure things go off without a hitch, you must tell us! The most important people to tell about your "surprise" events in advance are: the coordinator at the venue, the DJ, the photographers, and the videographers. The venue needs to know to make it happen. The DJ needs to know to announce it. The photographers and videographers need to know so they can capture it. Everyone else? They can wait to be surprised.
3. Pack a "Wedding Day Emergency Kit"
You can buy these on Etsy or you can make it yourself. Either way, it's always good to be prepared! Just a few things to have in your kit are: Stain Remover (I was just at a wedding where the groom got lipstick on his shirt 15 minutes before the ceremony while greeting guests. His aunt had to run out last minute to buy a Tide-to-Go pen and the ceremony ended up starting a few minutes late because of it), Hair Spray (for those humid summer days), Fashion Tape (no wardrobe malfunctions today!), Band-Aids (fancy shoes mean blisters), Aspirin (loud music and lots of drinking means headaches), and Sunblock (for those outdoor weddings with strapless dresses).
4. Check your community calendar for public events
I just filmed a wedding that happened to be on the same day and on the same street as the Juneteenth Parade, even though it wasn't on Juneteenth itself. The Saturdays in summer are prime time for cities and communities to hold parades, block parties, and concerts. These celebrations are always planned when you first book your wedding. The week before your wedding, check to see if there are any community celebrations planned around your venue. If there is, be sure to provide your guests (and your vendors!) with details about what streets are closed and what routes are the best to take. Giving everyone a heads up to leave 30 minutes early due to parade traffic will help keep things running smoothly the day of your wedding.
5. Designate a "Gift Runner"
You hate to say it, but it does happen. Wedding Cards go missing on the day of the wedding. Usually all the cards get put into a box or a cage, and then just left out in the cocktail hall while the party is happening inside the ballroom. Anyone from hotel guests passing by to on the rare occasion venue staff will sneakily grab the cards and run. To prevent this, designate a "Gift Runner" who will collect the card box once dinner ends and takes it to a safe place out of the way. If it's at a hotel, bring it straight up to the couple's room. Or, go the Italian route and do a purse instead of box! Italian tradition has the bride carry around a large silk purse, and as she greets her guests she puts their card/money into her purse. That way it's with the bride instead of out on an unattended table.
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