There are so many things that go into planning a wedding that sometimes the little things are forgotten, but these things are not little by any means!
1. Alcohol. Are you purchasing you own liquor for your wedding reception? If so, who will be given the task of gathering the unopened, leftover bottles, taking them where they need to go and getting them to you? Don’t assume that Mom, Dad or your Maid/Matron of Honor of even your best man will take care of this for you. Don’t assume that you will want stay and just wait until it is all packed up so you can take it with you that night.
2. Final Payments and Gratuities. Some of your vendors will expect final payment on the wedding day. You may also want to give some vendors a gratuity for a job well done. Who will take care of this task for you? I don’t give final payments or gratuities until the end of the night once everything is clean, packed up and I know that my clients will receive any possible deposits back. Do you want to stay until 1:00am to make sure all of this is taken care of? If you don’t have a planner, make sure that you assign this task to someone. Make sure that your vendors know who your go-to person is.
3. Who will take gifts? Inevitably, there are some guests that bring you a gift or card to the wedding. What will happen to those gifts and cards at the end of the reception? Do you and your groom want to be going back and forth packing your car rather than enjoying you friends and family?
4. Return of Rental Items. The arch you were married under was decorated so lovely, but how is it going to get back to the rental company? Most rentals will be due back on Sunday or Monday. If you are leaving for your honeymoon, who will take it back? You don’t want to add to your wedding budget with late fees.
5. Your centerpieces. They were fabulous, big bouquets of your favorite flower. Now what are you going to do with them? If you purchased the vases, who will pack them up? Most importantly, what will you do with them? Will you let family each take one? Will you donate them to a nursing home, church, or hospital?
6. Leftover food. Does the caterer know what to do with any leftover food or cake that you may have? Some caterers take the food to a shelter, others simply toss it. Would you like to have it boxed up for out of town guests that are staying a bit longer? Don’t forget about the top layer of your cake!
The night of your wedding you will be so glad that you don’t have to stop enjoying your guests and run around looking for someone to take care of these things for you.
Happy Planning!
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