Your wedding day is finally (FINALLY!) almost here, which means it’s time to work out those last-minute details. While it’s a good idea to have a day-of wedding coordinator if you’re throwing a large affair, if it’s not in the budget or you want to handle everything yourself (I’m with you type-A peeps), here’s how to bring everything together.
1. Create a list (and then a backup, too)
If you’re handling the day-of coordination yourself (all the power to you!), checklists will be your new BFF. Create a list of everything that has to get done and delivered that day of your nuptials with the contact information for each vendor. Print a copy for yourself, save one in your email for easy access and circulate to those close to you so that if you’re tied up with hair and makeup (plus, you know, putting on a giant white dress), someone can go meet the DJ or the cake baker.
2. Delegate, delegate, delegate
Whether it’s your mom, sister, MOH or whatever, make sure you delegate tasks or pickups to those close to you that you can trust. Thinking of things like hanging onto the wedding bands, printing out your vows if you’ve written your own or having someone to meet a vendor when they arrive to the venue. If you’ve chosen a bridal party who is genuinely interested in helping you out on your big day (which you no doubt have), your ‘maids and MOH will have no problem helping to decorate the receiving table or run out to grab you a coffee when you’re on your way to the pre-vow caffeine crash (weddings are long days).
3. Connect with the venue
Remember that list that you created of all of your vendors? Well, most venues have coordinators that will be on-site the day of your wedding, so it’s a good idea to connect with them ahead of time (a few weeks to solidify everything) and circulate that list to them as well. Depending on where you get ready, you may not be at the venue when the flowers, cake, decor and music get dropped off, so having a point person there who knows what and who to expect will make everything go much smoother.
The Wedding Planner is an ongoing series where we give you some real-life wedding planning advice, from finding the dress to dealing with that ever-growing guest list, over the next few months as we figure it out ourselves.
