We want to help you make your wedding day everything you dreamed it would be! Over the past several years, we have come up with our own useful hints.
Stay Organized
When it comes to planning your wedding, there are many moving parts, a lot of people involved and various details to keep track of. Create a wedding binder to help you conjoin all the moving parts and recall any forgotten information.
- Save your receipts.
- Save and label correspondences with vendors, including agreements and emails.
- Keep your guest list organized on a spreadsheet which includes addresses, RSVPs and thank you notes.
- Fill out a calendar of important dates and deadlines; with your own deadlines and action steps.
RSVPS & Guests
On your invitations and RSVP cards, it will benefit you to be very clear and concise about whom you are inviting, food served, a timeline and reply times. It is recommended that you send out invitations six to eight weeks in advance and ask for a reply four weeks prior to your wedding.
With four weeks to go, this should give you enough time to focus on any tasks requiring calculation. However, four weeks before your wedding, situations do arise when a guest needs to change their reply. Because this can adversely affect the process of assigning tables, we recommend that you wait until the final week to make place cards or a seating chart.
In the meantime, create a spreadsheet, group your guests into categories, such as, parents, co-workers, etc. and also make phone calls to those who have not replied so that you can remain updated.
Communication
When scheduling time to meet with vendors, you may not be able to attend every meeting as a couple. Be sure to make time to communicate your budget, plans and new information with each other. Furthermore, families are often generous to help with the wedding fund. To avoid any misunderstandings, it is strongly recommended that you disclose any related Camelot policies, additional fees and services provided with those helping to pay costs.
Vendor/Coordinator Communication
Stay in contact with your coordinator and vendors so that they may prepare to accommodate you. The goal is that your event runs seamlessly. Before they begin their planning process, explain Camelot policies and its facilities to outside vendors, especially to your photographers and decorators. Be upfront with all of your vendors about what you do want and do not want at your wedding. In the same, be open to suggestions, as many methods have been put to the test before. We urge you to build a trusting relationship with those professionals who will help to execute your vision.
Hotels
Upon booking your venue and setting a date, be sure to contact local hotels right away to ensure your guests have a place to stay when they are ready to book. When contacting a hotel, it is important to be referred to a hotel manager, who is in charge of blocking rooms; who can guide you on an appropriate number of rooms to set aside for your guests at a fair rate. Also ask this representative about shuttles. Often, they can contract a shuttle service at a discounted rate.
Help!
To avoid running out of steam to finish projects for the big day, take advantage of offers to help. On wedding day, enlist a personal assistant to: be your point of contact, run errands, handle the cards and gift table and to gather decorations at the end of the night; or simply divvy up these tasks.
Your wedding day does not have to be stressful and hopefully you feel a sense of relief once the planning is complete. Try to take time off work the week of your wedding so you can execute your plans with ease. On your wedding day, it is important to pause a few times to take everything in. Most importantly, try not to sweat the small stuff. Things that go wrong often make the best memories!