One Month Out!!!!
GAHHH!!! We are only 30 days away from your big day! This is BEYOND exciting!
This month we should make sure the smaller details have been taken care of along with a couple major things.
Marriage License
Vows
Rehearsal Dinner
The Small Stuff
Within the next couple of day you will need to go and apply for your marriage license. You can do this at your county court house. You will need to take a form of identification that proves name and date of birth with you. Following the ceremony, the marriage license is usually turned in by the officiant (if it has not been brought up yet with your officiant I would check to see who is in charge of mailing the license in after the wedding).
There are many different ways to deliver vows to your soon to be spouse! Stephen and I wrote letters and read them silently to ourselves back to back before we had an intimate first look with only select friends and family. I have had a couple record a message and listen to them before the ceremony and during the ceremony give their vows. Most common would be for couples to just read them during the ceremony. Be sure to add your personality to whatever way you decide to deliver your vows to each other.
Traditionally the parents of the groom plan the rehearsal dinner. For step-by-step tips on planning the perfect rehearsal dinner click Here.
Now for the small stuff that is usually forgotten:
Be sure to have someone dedicated to cut the cake after you do to serve it to the guests. Some venues provide a person dedicated for this purpose, be sure you ask your venue/event planner if that person is someone you need to choose.
If you do not have a wedding planner/event coordinator it is HIGHLY suggested to dedicate a person to deal with any vendor questions. This can be someone in your wedding party, a close friend, or family member. Having this person will keep all of the small stressors on a wedding day from making it to you.
Designate a couple extra seats. It never fails, there are always a few people who forgot to turn in their RSVP or add a guest they did not include. Also be sure to add a seat for your vendors that do not have a specific area to sit (such as us, the photographers).
Designate someone to assist with the family formal photos. I recommend 1 person on each side of the family who knows who your want when you say "Aunt Betty". This will make the formal photos move along much quicker. It is also helpful to let the family and friends who are being requested in these photographs to know to stick around after the ceremony so that they do not wander off and we have to search for a while to find them.
Ask Vendors about the cost for potential overtime. If they are needed after their specified times, how much will that cost you and when can you pay it?
Be sure to include yourself in the headcount when ordering the meals for your wedding. Also be sure to include the vendors. If you do not plan on including them in the headcount be sure to supply a vendor meal for them and a place to eat that meal.
Be sure to block out some rooms for guests who are traveling.
Have a change of clothes, just in case.
Designate someone to bring the wedding dress to where you are getting ready. I have seen it forgotten before. It does happen.
Write a Do-Not-Play List for your DJ. Every one has songs they can't stand hearing at a wedding, they are also the same songs that get requested the most.
Do not forget to have signs. If your ceremony and reception are in different areas of a venue, signs can be helpful! Also signs for where guests should put the gifts and cards.
Have someone gather the cards randomly and put them in a safe place.
Place in a box all of the details you want photographed; earrings, necklace, shoes, invitations, men's watches, men's shoes, tiara, etc. Anything you want photographed please have ready to go for us when we arrive.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER to eat and to drink plenty of water!
