One of the most common things I hear from couples planning their weddings is that they feel like they are missing or forgetting something during the planning process. Here are the top five things many couples forget to plan for on their wedding day!
5 Things Couples Forget During Wedding Planning
1) The Marriage License.
Many couples forget the MOST important part of the wedding; the actual document to make your marriage legal. During the excitement, hustle and bustle of finding the perfect flowers and band many couples forget to obtain a marriage license to solidify their nuptials. Most marriage licenses need to be obtained in the county within which you are getting married. Most licensed officiants will also be able to help you find specific rules for your ceremony. Many officiants will also sign and file the official document for you after your wedding. In your planning process, I recommend setting a reminder to research all of the rules and items needed to obtain a license 6 months out from your wedding. Then, I recommend setting an additional appointment in your calendar to obtain your license. Most licenses are good for at least 30 days.
2) Multiple Flower Deliveries.
A lot of my couples forget that they may need their personal flowers far in advance of the start time of the ceremony. Make sure to arrange with your florist to drop off boutonnieres and bouquets earlier in the day and to the venue you will be getting ready at so that they can be photographed during any “first look” photos and bridal party photos that will take place before the ceremony.
3) Breakfast & Lunch.
Make sure you allocate time in your wedding timeline for the entire bridal party to eat breakfast and lunch. I would also advise keeping lots of bottled water in the bridal suites for all bridal party members to be able to drink throughout the day. Nobody wants to be hangry in formal dress while they are taking photo after photo. Eating and being well hydrated on your wedding day is so important to make sure you enjoy every moment and feel your best!
4) Photo Shot List.
Are there any photos you would like taken with people not in your immediate bridal party? Make sure you and your photographer talk through individuals you would like to take photos with. These people may be aunts, uncles, grandparents, long time friends, cousins, etc. Anyone that you have a strong desire to get a formal photo with should be added to this photo timeline. It is also important to speak to your photographer about any “interesting” family dynamics so that they can help manage getting photos out of the way just in case certain family members do not play nice. Step 2 to this tip is communicating what time these individuals should be ready to take photos and the location of the photos. Your photographer most likely will not recognize these individuals so it is important to help this process with clear communication in advance of the big day.
5) Alone time.
At the end of the day, your wedding is a huge life event. You have just committed to spend the rest of your life with one person. Your wedding day can be a true blur and you may be surprised how little time you actually get to spend with your new spouse. The biggest piece of advice I have is to schedule 15 minutes into your timeline for the two of you to be completely alone. My favorite time for this is right after sunset photos. Take 15 minutes and just be alone together to enjoy the moment and bask in that “just married” feeling!
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Thank you for stopping by!
Kolena Thomas
Owner & Lead Wedding Planner
Email: Bluesapphireplanner@gmail.com
Website: www.bluesapphireevents.com
Kolena is a wedding planning professional with over 8 years of experience. She owns and operates Blue Sapphire Events a boutique wedding planning firm based in Arlington, VA. Her specialty is unique and vibrant event design paired with flawless day of wedding management. Reach out via our contact form to start the wedding planning conversation.