Patrick Moyer Photography
In the hustle and bustle of all the day-of excitement, it’s very easy for even the most detail-oriented bride to forget to take care of some last minute wedding details, whether it be to make sure Aunt Vicky’s all-vegan, gluten-free dish with the special heirloom tomatoes is accounted for or to pop a couple of breath mints before the big kiss. Heck, I know I would DEFINITELY forget something on my wedding day, if not multiple things.
Hence, I’ve made this list of what I think is most important of the last minute wedding details that threaten to ruin your big day (so sorry I can’t find an embroidered velvet pillow for Uncle Harry’s Shih Tzu). Here goes!
REMEMBER TO GET YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE
Michael Kaal Photography
Without the license, you can’t get married. And your officiant can’t provide it for you, so you and your spouse are going to have to hop on over to city hall to apply to get married. This should take place approximately a week before your wedding. So, this task will be during one of the most stressful weeks of your life, but make sure it’s your top priority until you get it safely out of the way.
BRING SNACKS AND REFRESHMENTS!
Spottswood Photography
I feel like this is a huge minor detail that people often overlook, but just because it’s your big wedding day and you feel like you can take on the world doesn’t mean that your biological systems can (no offense). In short, don’t let you or your wedding party become hangry!
When you’re getting ready with your Bridesmaids or groomsmen, make sure that there are finger foods and refreshments to snack on. No sense in making a huge mess while getting ready, but there’s no sense in allowing your stomach to go empty, especially since bridal parties start getting ready in the late morning or early afternoon.
PACK FOR YOUR HONEYMOON
Anjuli
THIS. Your wedding is such a huge event that it’s probably blocking out the peripherals of your mind as well. But don’t leave it to the last minute to throw everything into one huge suitcase and hope for the best as you embark on your honeymoon! Research weather conditions and what attire you would need for activities in your honeymoon location, and try to pack ahead of time. You don’t have to cram packing all in one session — keep in mind that this is three hours of your time that could have been spread out in your spare time before the wedding. You don’t want to be spending precious honeymoon time choosing which pair of socks you should bring on your trip.
UPDATE YOUR WEDDING WEBSITE WITH DAY-OF INFORMATION
Bliss and Bone
This can include anything from projected weather and traffic conditions to last-minute updates on wedding logistics if they seem to be changing. As much as we pray for it not to happen, there’s usually a hiccup or two waiting for you at the venue. If you need to relay information fast, make sure to distribute it to guests who are present and update the wedding website for those who aren’t. Most days, guests have a data plan and access to a smart phone — and word-of-mouth travels fastest.
HAVE PAYMENT AND TIP SORTED OUT BEFORE THE BIG DAY
This means having paid the necessary deposits still need to fulfill or completing final payments if that’s within your power. Additionally, calculate tip and put the payment in separate envelopes that are labeled with the vendor’s name. That way, when your wedding is wrapping up, you can thank your vendor in person and give them tip without having to stress out about dealing with them after the fact.
WRITE YOUR THANK-YOU NOTES!
Boston’s Terrier
A bit tedious, but it’ll save you time after the wedding as well! Be sure to write thank-you notes to your guests and vendors, especially since they’ve most likely bought you and your spouse a gift or did you a service. Even if they didn’t, write a thank-you note anyway because they took the time to attend your wedding and wish you and your spouse a happy marriage.
Plus, people just love receiving actual hand-written notes in the mail. Do this, and your level of awesomeness will automatically shoot up in people’s eyes (as if it wasn’t high enough already).
PREPARE GIFTS FOR THE WEDDING PARTY
Je T’aime Beauty
Your party of friends have been with you through the wedding-planning process thick and thin. Express your thanks by preparing gifts for them! These gifts don’t have to be extravagant or anything, but it does mean a lot to the people in your wedding party when you show that you took the time to put some effort and meaning into making gifts that they will appreciate. Popular gifts for the ladies usually consist of beauty products or jewelry, and for the guys? Fancy cigars and razors.
PREPARE YOUR EMERGENCY DAY KIT
via 100 Layer Cake
Accidents happen all the time. Whether that’s tripping in your gigantic floofy ball gown and falling onto the grass or having some drunk guest accidentally slosh his wine on your front, you need to take a deep breath and say, “Accidents happen.” Good. Now you can prepare for it.
The bridal survival/emergency kit will have essentially all the little things that you need to fix things up, including Band-aids, wine-spot remover, chapstick, breath mints, and sewing needles and thread. While you might think to yourself that it’s really not necessary to prepare all of these things, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Otherwise, you might be mourning the loss of your beautiful vintage veil because you’ve accidentally torn it.
CONFIRM LOGISTICS WITH VENDORS (ESPECIALLY TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING)
Jose Villa
While confirming times with vendors seems like a big DUH, do your best to confirm with all of them anyway, ESPECIALLY when it comes to logistics regarding your guests. For me, I feel very antsy about transportation just because it always seems that traffic or getting lost gets in the way, and you don’t want your guests to arrive late to your wedding. Additionally, be sure to check in with the hotel to make sure that all guests booking a room are accounted for. Nothing’s quite as awkward as having a guest show up to the check-in counter just to find out that her room hasn’t been reserved.
PREPARE A LIST OF MUST-HAVE SHOTS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Ashlee Raubach
Taking pictures is hard work for both the photographer AND the models. If the photographer has to spend extra time coming up with ideas and guiding you and your fiancee into poses that you could have figured out and practiced beforehand, it takes away time from taking more photos. Not a good deal.
Brainstorm a couple of ideas for what sort of poses and shots you want your photographer to get and relay that information to your photographer. That way, the photographer will be able to approach the venue with an idea of where and how to get the best shots while still getting what you want out of the bargain.
What last minute wedding details are you terrified of forgetting? Be sure to comment below!
