Real Wedding Tips

Oops, I forgot…

 

I’m a decorator, so I’m talking mostly about decor and decorations.  I’m sure there are other things that couples routinely forget, but this is my personal list!

 

The most common thing that couples forget is batteries.  “I thought they were included!”  Read the package carefully.  Sometimes they are in there, sometimes they’re not.  I bring all kinds of batteries with me, but batteries are expensive and I can’t fill all your centerpiece lanterns with batteries for no charge!  Please, unpack whatever you’ve bought and check them.  Maybe the batteries are dead?  You don’t want to find out an hour before your wedding that those cool lighted letters you bought use some exotic battery that you don’t have.  Who will have time to run to the drugstore for a pack of batteries?

Another thing that is often missing is easels for all the signs that you will use.  You may have one or two easels, but you have 4 or 5 signs!  Many cool signs and photo frames are meant to be hung on a wall and don’t have a stand on the back.  Adjustable easels can be $35 to $50 each.  What are you going to do with them after the wedding?  Selling them is a drag.  People don’t want to pay what they’re worth.  I offer table top easels and adjustable floor easels for rent.  Propping up signs against a wall is an option, but if you’re outside, or there is lots of activity on the table, they can fall or slide down, ruining the look.

I used to get boxes of glassware that couples wanted me to use.  I won’t do that anymore.  Why not?  Because almost every time I opened the box, I would find stickers and dirty,  fingerprint stained glassware.  Clean glassware is imperative to a beautiful centerpieces or accent pieces on your sign in table or dessert bar.  Believe me, people who are looking at your centerpiece all night will notice if it’s dirty.  It can take hours to clean glassware, but it’s worth it.  Again, I rent glassware so you don’t have to buy, store, clean and sell afterwards.  Many florists also offer rental glassware, or will provide the glassware as part of their service.

A table or linen for a table.  Make a list of all the tables you will need.  Make sure you communicate that to your venue.  Then make sure you have table covers for all those tables.  Make sure you communicate that to your caterer or rental company.  And, don’t forget, if you add something last minute, like deciding to put your favors on a table instead of on the guest tables, you need to make sure you have a table with a table cover!

A pen or marker for your guest book or sign in board.  I try to carry a nice, plain pen just in case.  But sometimes, you’re using something unusual, like a piece of furniture or a board that has some weird finish that won’t accept the marker that you bought.  Make sure you test it out before the wedding!

If you’re a DIY couple, that means you need to be even more organized.  Set things up. Don’t just buy them and stick them in a bin and forget about them until the wedding day. It’s a waste of money if you can’t use something because you don’t have everything you need.  You want your wedding day to be as stress free as possible.  Plan ahead and enjoy all you have created to make your wedding day beautiful!