We all know that at times wedding planning can be stressful. Wedding planning in the midst of a pandemic takes things to a whole different level. We just want you to know we see you, we are here for you, and we want to help!
When one of our brides reached out and asked what she could do during this time to help her stay on track or even get ahead with her wedding planning, since she has some extra time on her hands, we came up with the following list. Having just planned our own wedding 6 months ago, we know there are some details that can be crossed off the list early. We share this with the thought in mind that many 2020 wedding dates are being postponed, so nothing is date sensitive!
*All images are from our own wedding taken by Brianna Wilbur Photography
Hire A Wedding Planner
Wedding Planners are worth their weight in gold, especially during a time like this! “But Lisa, my venue already comes with a wedding coordinator”. You’re right, most venues do, but they serve a very different purpose!
The Venue Coordinators is there to serve the venue! They help manage their staff and ensures the functionality of the venue facilities.
A Wedding Planner is there for YOU! They help flawlessly execute every last detail. They are the communication between all vendors, wrangler of all the guests, the fixer of all problems, and truly a wedding magician.
Guess what, things went wrong at my own wedding and I didn’t even know until long after the big day, all thanks to our amazing Wedding Planners Taylor + Lexi at AKG EVENTS!
Gather Addresses
If you haven’t already sent out save the dates, now is a great time to start gathering addresses! We found that working on a shared Google Sheet was very helpful so that we could both access it at any time. We listed out all of our guests, exactly as we would like them to be addressed on envelopes in the first column. For example, Mr. and Mrs. John Rader. In the second column we listed their street address. The third column was the city and state fully spelled out, followed by the zip code in the fourth column.
This layout was extremely helpful when copy & pasting addresses for printing envelopes! We also made sure to make note of any people we knew would be moving between now and when invites or thank you cards would be going out so we remembered to update the document.
Design Stationary & Signage
Start thinking about your decor elements that might require design help! We loved that we were able to create a cohesive look from invitations to guestbook and day of signage, by working with Cork & Chambers.
Be aware that this process takes months, so it is never to early to begin working with someone on this!
Some elements you may want to think about designing:
Welcome Sign
Directional Signs (if things are spread out throughout your venue)
“Please Sign Our Guestbook”
Signature Drink sign for the bar
“Card & Gifts”
In lieu of favors..
Table Numbers
Seating Chart
Menu & Dessert
Photo Booth Sign
Write Your Vows
I began writing my vows long before the wedding day. They slowly formed, sentence by sentence, often in no given order. As soon as something would come to me, I would quickly add it to the note I kept on my phone. I liked that it was always accessible and there was no need to write and rewrite. When they were finished, we were able to write everything into our vow books.
I thought about our past and history together, what made our relationship so vastly different from anything else I had ever experienced, what that meant for our future, and all the things I promised for our marriage.
We mutually agreed on an approximate length of time it would take for us to read them on the wedding day to make sure that one was not too long or too short. They were personal and heartfelt. I brought the sap and John brought the humor. They were completely true to us as a couple and I think that’s what makes vows so special. There are no requirements, you just have to speak from the heart!
Even if you will not be reading your own personal vows aloud on your wedding day, consider writing letters to each other that you can read the morning of your wedding.
Contact Flower Preservation
If there was one thing I wish I knew about prior to our wedding day, this would be it! Our flowers were absolutely beautiful, and although we were able to take everything home with us, they obviously do not last forever. Just a few weeks after our wedding day, I found this amazing company SOIL & SOUL STUDIO. They create the most beautiful, modern bouquet preservations that I have been eyeing up since the day I stumbled across them.
DIY Decor
If you already feel like you have a lot on your plate, consider choosing only one or two project to DIY. Pick something that you think you may enjoy creating, because we’re definitely not trying to make this process any more difficult! John and I had 3 main projects for our wedding day: table numbers, seating chart, and cake stands. We knew we could handles some sanding, staining and spray painting!
Guest Photos
How did the photographer not think about this more! How will you acquire all of the photos that your guests are inevitably going to take? My solution was using a wedding hashtag like I have seen so many times before. What I didn’t realize is that almost no-one at our wedding would use it! Maybe the signs were not predominate enough (they were only at the bar), but at the end of the day, I have 8 photos that guests shared on instagram…. EIGHT!
My suggestion, do some research! Have a plan in place if this is something that is important to you, and don’t forget to SAVE them! In the days following our wedding, we didn’t think to save any of the photos they may have posted or shared on their stories. It doesn’t matter to me if we are in them or not, these are people we love, celebrating our love, and we want to remember that forever!
Last but not least, don’t forget to soak in this time with your significant other! We will likely never have this much “free” time together, where we are not racing off to the next event or overwhelmed with deadlines and never-ending to dos. It’s okay to slow down, to have no agenda, to spend a weekend cuddled on the couch binging the latest show. Take time to remember every reason you fell in love and how even though our lives feels very different right now, your love will not falter.
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