You want to avoid a DIY disaster, couples often make mistakes when planning their weddings. While some will be small, like forgetting a pair of cufflinks on the dresser, others can be a bit more impactful. Forgetting to take major points into account when planning can lead to outcomes that pose a major threat to the enjoyment of your event. Thankfully, you can do yourself a big favor by considering a few things early. Review these tips and learn what to do when a problem appears.
DIY Disaster
Thanks to the internet and sites like Pinterest and YouTube, most people feel like they can tackle any project they imagine on their own. This has led to countless couples opting to take the DIY route with wedding decor in order to save money and give the event a more personal touch. Anyone who has experience in this area, however, knows how complicated such tasks can be. Just because it looks simple in a tutorial doesn’t mean it is going to be easy for you to execute in real life.
If you put off DIY tasks until the last minute and find you’re unable to complete the job because it is way more complicated than you thought, you’re in a worst-case scenario. Avoid this by doing a trial run of the project far in advance. Time yourself and see how long it takes to get a single item finished. Have a backup plan in the event something goes awry, and you should be in a much better position.
Outdoor Disaster
Outdoor weddings are a spectacular way to make the beauty of nature a central part of your big day. Sadly, the sunshine and scenic landscapes often come along with a variety of threats and annoyances. Rain when the forecast called for clear skies, for example, can set the entire day’s events into a tizzy. When planning an event that takes place outside, you absolutely want to consider inclement weather. Even if this means renting a tent you never have to use, the precautionary measures will be well worth the effort should you require them.
Bugs can also prove to be an aggravation. Thankfully, these pests are much easier to handle than a sudden thunderstorm. Giving your guests bug spray when they arrive or lighting candles meant to ward off particular insects can be great options. Think about whatever outdoor threats are most likely to impact your wedding and be sure to include potential solutions for each to give yourself peace of mind.
Guest Requests
Another interesting setback you might encounter has to do with your guests. These days, people tend to have a lot more restrictions when it comes to meals. From major allergies to strict diets, you’d be surprised at how many couples receive special meal requests from friends and family. As to not be surprised by this, be sure to include a mention of requests on your save-the-date cards or invitations. This will allow anyone with restrictions to give you ample warning so that it can be addressed with caterers in advance.
DIY Forgetful Minds
Finally, you’re probably most stressed about forgetting something important on the day of your wedding. Whether it is something major like tips for the vendors or something small like an accessory you wanted to include in your outfit, you can reduce your stress levels by making a simple checklist. More often than not, a list that you can refer to when putting yourself together on the morning of your event can work wonders toward ensuring you bring each and every item you require.
These are just a few of the problems you are likely to encounter when planning for your big day. In order to feel confident in your decisions and reduce the odds of a surprise disaster, put together a strategy that covers all the mistakes you’re most likely to experience.
A successful wedding is one that perfectly reflects the personalities of the happy couple. Naturally, this is not always so easy to accomplish. If you and your partner like to make jokes and take playful jabs at each other, then a serious atmosphere at your wedding might not be the right fit. Adding some humor to your nuptials is the perfect way to showcase your own silly dispositions on your special day. Best of all, there are plenty of points where a little bit of humor can lighten the mood and improve the flow of your wedding
The Vows
One of the best places to begin infusing humor into your wedding is during the vows. If you decide to write personalized vows to each other, then you have total control over what you include in this speech. Instead of focusing primarily on the serious and sentimental, try to include a couple of jokes or comments that will get the crowd smiling. Not only will it make this aspect of the ceremony more enjoyable, it will also lighten the mood and make it easier for you to deliver the rest of the vows.
The Speeches
Along the same lines as the vows, the speeches given during the reception can also make for a great place to include some jokes. Usually, the people giving speeches are members of the wedding party, like the parents of the couple, the best man, or the maid of honor. While you don’t want to ruin the surprise and read their speeches in advance, you should discuss the topic of humor with them. Jokes are par for the course with such speeches, but you want to make the experience accessible for all. Avoid inside jokes and other references too specific to be appreciated.
The Entertainment
When the reception begins, the duty of keeping guests focused and entertained falls on the vendors you’ve selected. Whether you have a DJ, a live band, or an emcee, you should talk to the contractor in advance to discuss the tone of the evening. Humor is subjective, so you don’t want to give the entertainer free rein over what he or she can say. Whether you want to keep it tasteful or allow for a bit of bawdiness, be direct about what you are okay with in terms of humor.
If you plan on having a photo booth at your wedding, you can also add a bit of silliness to the affair via the props you select. Ridiculous and oversized props like sunglasses, inflatable microphones, and plastic swords can make for wonderful photos and guests who can’t stop laughing. Some rental companies provide prop options, but you might need to go out and grab a handful yourself to ensure there is enough of a variety for everyone to play around with.
The Cake
Perhaps the easiest place to get a laugh from the audience is when the cake is brought out. The tradition of the couple smashing a piece of cake in each other’s faces is one that is not always incorporated into modern weddings. Still, including this ritual is a way of ensuring all of your guests are smiling and trying to get pictures of the mess. If you like a practical joke, it might even be worthwhile to consider bringing a fake cake to fool guests. Have a waiter drop the false cake and see how the crowd responds!
Though an important day in your life, there is no rule stating your wedding needs to be a dull or serious affair. If you want to add humor to your event, then all you need to do is figure out which methods are best for keeping the mood light. With a little thought, you’ll easily figure out the perfect points to include jokes, pranks, and silliness.
Planning a wedding can be a big financial endeavor. Here are a few ways to start thinking about money to help you plan for the big day.
Planning a wedding can be a very expensive endeavor. Whether you’re aiming for a larger affair or an intimate gathering, you need to have enough money in your budget to cover all associated expenses. It may seem daunting, but there are simple ways to see success. Giving yourself time to sit down with your significant other and create a financial plan can do wonders for the process. There are also a handful of simple ways you can adjust your lifestyle in order to save money for your big day.
Look over these financial suggestions on how to start saving money right now for your wedding. A little research and preparation will go a long way in your attempts to improve your budget.
Assess Your Debt
Most people in the current day and age are living with debt. Whether you’ve taken out loans to cover school or you have a few credit cards you need to pay off, being in debt can inhibit your ability to get ahead with your finances. As you discuss your budget with your partner, work on creating a plan of action for paying down your debt. While making minimum payments might seem sensible for managing your financial health, there are more advantages to getting rid of as much debt as possible.
By lowering the balances on your credit cards, you are freeing up money that can be applied to your wedding. Credit is a great way to take care of expenses like florists or caterers, but you can’t use this option if your cards are all at their max. Paying down your debt can also help improve your credit score. This will help immensely later on if you and your new spouse consider buying a home together.
Get a Concrete Figure
Saving money is a lot easier when you have a concrete goal to work toward. In order to see success from your efforts, you may want to start researching how much it is going to cost you to host the wedding you envision. Call vendors and venues and get a feel for pricing. Learn about the fees associated with obtaining a marriage license and any other costs that you might be responsible for. Put everything together and see what your entire wedding is going to cost.
The number might be high at first, but don’t let this get to you. Now that you have a number, you can start crafting a real financial plan to pay for it all. To create a realistic budget, you might realize that you need to eliminate certain ideas or select less expensive vendors than you had originally planned. You won’t be able to make these adjustments until you have a concrete number to work with. Get started on this as soon as possible, and you’ll have an easier time managing your finances.
Financial Help
Finally, think about any relatives who may be willing to provide financial assistance. Parents and grandparents will often contribute to or cover the costs of specific services. If someone in your life has offered to help, contact them and get an idea of what they can pay for. While you should not expect the assistance, taking someone up on the offer can be a fantastic way for you to get more out of your budget.
Paying for a wedding might be a financial headache, but there are a number of different ways to make it work. Saving money for your big day is all about giving yourself time to assess your finances and craft a plan of action based off what you can afford. Find a plan that works for you and your partner, and get started on saving for your future.
There are a number of different responsibilities when planning your wedding. But how early should you start thinking about your transportation to the venue?
There are a number of different responsibilities you need to stay aware of when you’re planning for a wedding. As the date grows closer, you want to give yourself time to ensure you have covered all of your bases. While bigger decisions like selecting a venue and determining your guest list need to be taken care of early, other tasks can be completed a bit later in the process. When you are roughly six months away from your big day, you need to think about your options regarding transportation.
Getting Started
First and foremost, you need to get this process started by thinking about who will require transportation. It is not your responsibility to make sure everyone you invite can get to the venue, but you can definitely make the process easier for your guests with a few simple decisions. If your wedding reception is being held in a different place than where the majority of your guests are staying at the end of the night, then you might want to think about hiring a shuttle service to cart your friends and family where they need to go. Alternatively, if your wedding ceremony and reception are in two different places, providing a way to get to each and then back to the hotel may be a service you want to offer.
Outside of this, there are a few people you should think about providing transportation for. The main people to focus on are you and your significant other, as well as anyone who is immediately associated with your wedding party. You may also want to think about providing an option for disabled or elderly guests, such as grandparents, to help them safely arrive where they need to be without them having to worry about driving.
Things To Think About
After determining who will need transportation, there are a few other considerations. For one, you want to think about the time of year you plan on tying the knot. Many weddings tend to take place in the spring and summer. Unfortunately, this season is also when a number of other milestone events happen for people. High school proms and graduations usually occur between May and June, meaning you might have a lot of competition when it comes to booking luxury vehicles. To avoid this, be sure to book as early as possible.
How far you have to travel is also an important point to consider. If you and the wedding party will need to cross a good amount of distance to reach your destination, it can impact the type of vehicle you select. A small limo might be fine if you only have to go a few blocks, but it can be excruciatingly cramped for longer drives. When you keep these points in mind, it can help you find a transportation option that makes everyone feel comfortable the whole way through.
Financial Considerations
Remember, the financial burden of any transportation that you and your significant other provide to guests will fall on your shoulders. If you are unable to offer any additional help to guests with regard to transportation, be sure to notify your friends and family of this as early as possible. This will help give everyone enough time to plan their rides and figure out a sensible way of getting to your event.
Transportation might not be the most pressing part of planning for your big day, but it definitely is an area you want to think about. There are a number of important aspects to think over when it comes to selecting appropriate options for your guests. Take time to assess your transportation needs, and it will help you determine the best course of action for your wedding day.
While it might seem like an impossible task, here are a handful of simple tips that can help you create a successful seating chart for your big day.
Certain aspects of planning a wedding can prove more difficult than others. For some couples, the seating chart for the reception can be a huge pain in the neck. There are many moving pieces involved with a seating chart, so make sure you don’t cause any unwarranted drama by placing two volatile people next to each other. While it might seem like a downright impossible task, there are a handful of simple ways to see the best possible results from your efforts.
Crafting a solid seating chart is all about taking time and thinking over all the details involved. Look over these tips, and you’ll be ready to finalize your own layout in no time.
Understand the Parameters
You can only make a practical chart for where to seat your guests when you have all pertinent information available to you. For one, you need to have a blueprint or map of the layout of your venue. This will provide you with hard data about the size of the room and your options in regards to arranging the space. You’re also going to want to account for certain factors like the size and shape of each table, as well as where you plan on placing the DJ booth, cake table, and any other decor that might take up space.
As you begin to create your seating chart, you most likely already have a solid idea of who will be in attendance at your wedding. Most couples will draft preliminary sketches of where to seat guests, but you really can’t finalize anything until you have a headcount. Otherwise, you could put a lot of effort into a seating chart that doesn’t accurately reflect the guests who will be at your event. Wait until you have all of this data, and then set out to create your chart in a more informed way.
Groupings
How you arrange your guests at each table can be the trickiest aspect of this task. For one, make sure that you seat people in a way that makes sense. This means you should put all of your coworkers at one table, second cousins at another, and so on. Unfortunately, this isn’t always as easy to achieve as it sounds. When you’re working with limited space, you might need to get a bit creative in regards to who sits at which table.
While you’re not going to know how each person at your wedding feels about every other person in attendance, you definitely can use your best judgment to arrange guests in a sensible way. If you know that an uncle of yours has bad blood with an old family friend of your significant other, then don’t seat these guests near each other. Try not to bend over backward to make these arrangements, however. Your guests are all capable of handling their own petty dramas, and your plans shouldn’t be impeded by their own feuds.
Special Seating Considerations
You might also have some special considerations you need to keep in mind while creating your seating chart. If you have a number of children coming to your event, then it might make sense to have a table just for the little ones. Consider a separate table for your single attendees. Should any of your guests be in a wheelchair or require certain assistance with getting around the venue, try and seat these guests in an accessible spot. Remember special considerations, and you should make the event comfortable for all.
Planning your seating chart can be a bit of a headache, but it is far from an impossible feat. Take your time with this task, and in no time you should see success from your efforts.
Whether you suffer from seasonal or food allergies, there are ways to make sure your wedding day is not ruined by sneezes and watery eyes or worse.
For those who suffer from allergies, each and every day can be concerning. Depending on the type of allergies you have, you could be extremely careful about what you eat or you might pay attention to the seasonal pollen count as if it were your bank account. This means you most likely will also have a number of concerns about your wedding day and how your allergies might negatively impact all of your carefully laid plans. Though allergies are annoying, they can be bested for a day with a bit of preparation.
Whether you suffer from seasonal or food allergies, there are ways to make sure your wedding day is not ruined by sneezes and watery eyes or worse. Take a look at these tips and plan in advance for your own needs.
The Seasonal Experience
First, it can be a good idea to examine seasonal allergies. Unlike food allergies, which can be somewhat easy to contain, seasonal sneezes and discomfort are totally based on the weather and environment. Though you will not have total control over these factors on your wedding day, you can definitely change the outcome for the best by remembering a few simple points. For one, high pollen count and an outdoor wedding can spell disaster. Encourage guests to take allergy meds in advance or try and book a venue near water, as the wind off bodies of water can lower pollen.
It is also important to realize that flowers are not as significant as you might imagine when it comes to allergies at a wedding. The main reason for this comes down to the most common types of flowers at these events. Lilies and roses are ubiquitous at weddings, and these flowers produce pollen that is more difficult for people with allergies to react to. On the other hand, any flower arrangements featuring floral options that produce smaller pollen grains could be problematic for anyone who is sensitive to such allergens.
Food and Drink Concerns
Knowing what you can and cannot serve at your wedding can be tricky when allergies are involved. Some people have very common allergies, like tree nuts or shellfish. Still, people have allergies to everything from apples to prunes to gluten. This means you should take a few simple precautions before you finalize the menu for your big day. The easiest solution? Be sure to ask guests very early about any and all allergies or dietary restrictions that they might have. The invitation is the perfect place to bring this topic up.
When your guests inform you of their allergies and intolerances early enough, you can make adjustments. If you forget to ask, you could end up in a situation where several guests at your wedding cannot eat their meals because they are severely allergic to one or more ingredients. As long as you bring up the question very early and ask all guests to provide information about allergies, you should be able to avoid a situation where someone has a bad reaction to something they ate at your wedding.
Tiny Surprises
Communicating with your guests about potential allergies is only one step of the process when it comes to food and drink. You also need to make sure your kitchen staff and caterers are informed of these restrictions. There are situations where caterers introduce appetizers that feature ingredients guests might not notice. All it takes is one loose peanut in a pastry puff to send a guest into a problematic situation. As long as you speak with your caterers about all concerns, you should be able to avoid any major issues.
Don’t let allergies ruin your big day! Take the right precautions with food, seasonal, and environmental allergies, and you should be able to enjoy a day without a chorus of sneezes ringing through the air every few minutes.
You want to avoid a DIY disaster, couples often make mistakes when planning their weddings. While some will be small, like forgetting a pair of cufflinks on the dresser, others can be a bit more impactful. Forgetting to take major points into account when planning can lead to outcomes that pose a major threat to the enjoyment of your event. Thankfully, you can do yourself a big favor by considering a few things early. Review these tips and learn what to do when a problem appears.
DIY Disaster
Thanks to the internet and sites like Pinterest and YouTube, most people feel like they can tackle any project they imagine on their own. This has led to countless couples opting to take the DIY route with wedding decor in order to save money and give the event a more personal touch. Anyone who has experience in this area, however, knows how complicated such tasks can be. Just because it looks simple in a tutorial doesn’t mean it is going to be easy for you to execute in real life.
If you put off DIY tasks until the last minute and find you’re unable to complete the job because it is way more complicated than you thought, you’re in a worst-case scenario. Avoid this by doing a trial run of the project far in advance. Time yourself and see how long it takes to get a single item finished. Have a backup plan in the event something goes awry, and you should be in a much better position.
Outdoor Disaster
Outdoor weddings are a spectacular way to make the beauty of nature a central part of your big day. Sadly, the sunshine and scenic landscapes often come along with a variety of threats and annoyances. Rain when the forecast called for clear skies, for example, can set the entire day’s events into a tizzy. When planning an event that takes place outside, you absolutely want to consider inclement weather. Even if this means renting a tent you never have to use, the precautionary measures will be well worth the effort should you require them.
Bugs can also prove to be an aggravation. Thankfully, these pests are much easier to handle than a sudden thunderstorm. Giving your guests bug spray when they arrive or lighting candles meant to ward off particular insects can be great options. Think about whatever outdoor threats are most likely to impact your wedding and be sure to include potential solutions for each to give yourself peace of mind.
Guest Requests
Another interesting setback you might encounter has to do with your guests. These days, people tend to have a lot more restrictions when it comes to meals. From major allergies to strict diets, you’d be surprised at how many couples receive special meal requests from friends and family. As to not be surprised by this, be sure to include a mention of requests on your save-the-date cards or invitations. This will allow anyone with restrictions to give you ample warning so that it can be addressed with caterers in advance.
DIY Forgetful Minds
Finally, you’re probably most stressed about forgetting something important on the day of your wedding. Whether it is something major like tips for the vendors or something small like an accessory you wanted to include in your outfit, you can reduce your stress levels by making a simple checklist. More often than not, a list that you can refer to when putting yourself together on the morning of your event can work wonders toward ensuring you bring each and every item you require.
These are just a few of the problems you are likely to encounter when planning for your big day. In order to feel confident in your decisions and reduce the odds of a surprise disaster, put together a strategy that covers all the mistakes you’re most likely to experience.
A successful wedding is one that perfectly reflects the personalities of the happy couple. Naturally, this is not always so easy to accomplish. If you and your partner like to make jokes and take playful jabs at each other, then a serious atmosphere at your wedding might not be the right fit. Adding some humor to your nuptials is the perfect way to showcase your own silly dispositions on your special day. Best of all, there are plenty of points where a little bit of humor can lighten the mood and improve the flow of your wedding
The Vows
One of the best places to begin infusing humor into your wedding is during the vows. If you decide to write personalized vows to each other, then you have total control over what you include in this speech. Instead of focusing primarily on the serious and sentimental, try to include a couple of jokes or comments that will get the crowd smiling. Not only will it make this aspect of the ceremony more enjoyable, it will also lighten the mood and make it easier for you to deliver the rest of the vows.
The Speeches
Along the same lines as the vows, the speeches given during the reception can also make for a great place to include some jokes. Usually, the people giving speeches are members of the wedding party, like the parents of the couple, the best man, or the maid of honor. While you don’t want to ruin the surprise and read their speeches in advance, you should discuss the topic of humor with them. Jokes are par for the course with such speeches, but you want to make the experience accessible for all. Avoid inside jokes and other references too specific to be appreciated.
The Entertainment
When the reception begins, the duty of keeping guests focused and entertained falls on the vendors you’ve selected. Whether you have a DJ, a live band, or an emcee, you should talk to the contractor in advance to discuss the tone of the evening. Humor is subjective, so you don’t want to give the entertainer free rein over what he or she can say. Whether you want to keep it tasteful or allow for a bit of bawdiness, be direct about what you are okay with in terms of humor.
If you plan on having a photo booth at your wedding, you can also add a bit of silliness to the affair via the props you select. Ridiculous and oversized props like sunglasses, inflatable microphones, and plastic swords can make for wonderful photos and guests who can’t stop laughing. Some rental companies provide prop options, but you might need to go out and grab a handful yourself to ensure there is enough of a variety for everyone to play around with.
The Cake
Perhaps the easiest place to get a laugh from the audience is when the cake is brought out. The tradition of the couple smashing a piece of cake in each other’s faces is one that is not always incorporated into modern weddings. Still, including this ritual is a way of ensuring all of your guests are smiling and trying to get pictures of the mess. If you like a practical joke, it might even be worthwhile to consider bringing a fake cake to fool guests. Have a waiter drop the false cake and see how the crowd responds!
Though an important day in your life, there is no rule stating your wedding needs to be a dull or serious affair. If you want to add humor to your event, then all you need to do is figure out which methods are best for keeping the mood light. With a little thought, you’ll easily figure out the perfect points to include jokes, pranks, and silliness.
Planning a wedding can be a big financial endeavor. Here are a few ways to start thinking about money to help you plan for the big day.
Planning a wedding can be a very expensive endeavor. Whether you’re aiming for a larger affair or an intimate gathering, you need to have enough money in your budget to cover all associated expenses. It may seem daunting, but there are simple ways to see success. Giving yourself time to sit down with your significant other and create a financial plan can do wonders for the process. There are also a handful of simple ways you can adjust your lifestyle in order to save money for your big day.
Look over these financial suggestions on how to start saving money right now for your wedding. A little research and preparation will go a long way in your attempts to improve your budget.
Assess Your Debt
Most people in the current day and age are living with debt. Whether you’ve taken out loans to cover school or you have a few credit cards you need to pay off, being in debt can inhibit your ability to get ahead with your finances. As you discuss your budget with your partner, work on creating a plan of action for paying down your debt. While making minimum payments might seem sensible for managing your financial health, there are more advantages to getting rid of as much debt as possible.
By lowering the balances on your credit cards, you are freeing up money that can be applied to your wedding. Credit is a great way to take care of expenses like florists or caterers, but you can’t use this option if your cards are all at their max. Paying down your debt can also help improve your credit score. This will help immensely later on if you and your new spouse consider buying a home together.
Get a Concrete Figure
Saving money is a lot easier when you have a concrete goal to work toward. In order to see success from your efforts, you may want to start researching how much it is going to cost you to host the wedding you envision. Call vendors and venues and get a feel for pricing. Learn about the fees associated with obtaining a marriage license and any other costs that you might be responsible for. Put everything together and see what your entire wedding is going to cost.
The number might be high at first, but don’t let this get to you. Now that you have a number, you can start crafting a real financial plan to pay for it all. To create a realistic budget, you might realize that you need to eliminate certain ideas or select less expensive vendors than you had originally planned. You won’t be able to make these adjustments until you have a concrete number to work with. Get started on this as soon as possible, and you’ll have an easier time managing your finances.
Financial Help
Finally, think about any relatives who may be willing to provide financial assistance. Parents and grandparents will often contribute to or cover the costs of specific services. If someone in your life has offered to help, contact them and get an idea of what they can pay for. While you should not expect the assistance, taking someone up on the offer can be a fantastic way for you to get more out of your budget.
Paying for a wedding might be a financial headache, but there are a number of different ways to make it work. Saving money for your big day is all about giving yourself time to assess your finances and craft a plan of action based off what you can afford. Find a plan that works for you and your partner, and get started on saving for your future.
There are a number of different responsibilities when planning your wedding. But how early should you start thinking about your transportation to the venue?
There are a number of different responsibilities you need to stay aware of when you’re planning for a wedding. As the date grows closer, you want to give yourself time to ensure you have covered all of your bases. While bigger decisions like selecting a venue and determining your guest list need to be taken care of early, other tasks can be completed a bit later in the process. When you are roughly six months away from your big day, you need to think about your options regarding transportation.
Getting Started
First and foremost, you need to get this process started by thinking about who will require transportation. It is not your responsibility to make sure everyone you invite can get to the venue, but you can definitely make the process easier for your guests with a few simple decisions. If your wedding reception is being held in a different place than where the majority of your guests are staying at the end of the night, then you might want to think about hiring a shuttle service to cart your friends and family where they need to go. Alternatively, if your wedding ceremony and reception are in two different places, providing a way to get to each and then back to the hotel may be a service you want to offer.
Outside of this, there are a few people you should think about providing transportation for. The main people to focus on are you and your significant other, as well as anyone who is immediately associated with your wedding party. You may also want to think about providing an option for disabled or elderly guests, such as grandparents, to help them safely arrive where they need to be without them having to worry about driving.
Things To Think About
After determining who will need transportation, there are a few other considerations. For one, you want to think about the time of year you plan on tying the knot. Many weddings tend to take place in the spring and summer. Unfortunately, this season is also when a number of other milestone events happen for people. High school proms and graduations usually occur between May and June, meaning you might have a lot of competition when it comes to booking luxury vehicles. To avoid this, be sure to book as early as possible.
How far you have to travel is also an important point to consider. If you and the wedding party will need to cross a good amount of distance to reach your destination, it can impact the type of vehicle you select. A small limo might be fine if you only have to go a few blocks, but it can be excruciatingly cramped for longer drives. When you keep these points in mind, it can help you find a transportation option that makes everyone feel comfortable the whole way through.
Financial Considerations
Remember, the financial burden of any transportation that you and your significant other provide to guests will fall on your shoulders. If you are unable to offer any additional help to guests with regard to transportation, be sure to notify your friends and family of this as early as possible. This will help give everyone enough time to plan their rides and figure out a sensible way of getting to your event.
Transportation might not be the most pressing part of planning for your big day, but it definitely is an area you want to think about. There are a number of important aspects to think over when it comes to selecting appropriate options for your guests. Take time to assess your transportation needs, and it will help you determine the best course of action for your wedding day.
While it might seem like an impossible task, here are a handful of simple tips that can help you create a successful seating chart for your big day.
Certain aspects of planning a wedding can prove more difficult than others. For some couples, the seating chart for the reception can be a huge pain in the neck. There are many moving pieces involved with a seating chart, so make sure you don’t cause any unwarranted drama by placing two volatile people next to each other. While it might seem like a downright impossible task, there are a handful of simple ways to see the best possible results from your efforts.
Crafting a solid seating chart is all about taking time and thinking over all the details involved. Look over these tips, and you’ll be ready to finalize your own layout in no time.
Understand the Parameters
You can only make a practical chart for where to seat your guests when you have all pertinent information available to you. For one, you need to have a blueprint or map of the layout of your venue. This will provide you with hard data about the size of the room and your options in regards to arranging the space. You’re also going to want to account for certain factors like the size and shape of each table, as well as where you plan on placing the DJ booth, cake table, and any other decor that might take up space.
As you begin to create your seating chart, you most likely already have a solid idea of who will be in attendance at your wedding. Most couples will draft preliminary sketches of where to seat guests, but you really can’t finalize anything until you have a headcount. Otherwise, you could put a lot of effort into a seating chart that doesn’t accurately reflect the guests who will be at your event. Wait until you have all of this data, and then set out to create your chart in a more informed way.
Groupings
How you arrange your guests at each table can be the trickiest aspect of this task. For one, make sure that you seat people in a way that makes sense. This means you should put all of your coworkers at one table, second cousins at another, and so on. Unfortunately, this isn’t always as easy to achieve as it sounds. When you’re working with limited space, you might need to get a bit creative in regards to who sits at which table.
While you’re not going to know how each person at your wedding feels about every other person in attendance, you definitely can use your best judgment to arrange guests in a sensible way. If you know that an uncle of yours has bad blood with an old family friend of your significant other, then don’t seat these guests near each other. Try not to bend over backward to make these arrangements, however. Your guests are all capable of handling their own petty dramas, and your plans shouldn’t be impeded by their own feuds.
Special Seating Considerations
You might also have some special considerations you need to keep in mind while creating your seating chart. If you have a number of children coming to your event, then it might make sense to have a table just for the little ones. Consider a separate table for your single attendees. Should any of your guests be in a wheelchair or require certain assistance with getting around the venue, try and seat these guests in an accessible spot. Remember special considerations, and you should make the event comfortable for all.
Planning your seating chart can be a bit of a headache, but it is far from an impossible feat. Take your time with this task, and in no time you should see success from your efforts.
Whether you suffer from seasonal or food allergies, there are ways to make sure your wedding day is not ruined by sneezes and watery eyes or worse.
For those who suffer from allergies, each and every day can be concerning. Depending on the type of allergies you have, you could be extremely careful about what you eat or you might pay attention to the seasonal pollen count as if it were your bank account. This means you most likely will also have a number of concerns about your wedding day and how your allergies might negatively impact all of your carefully laid plans. Though allergies are annoying, they can be bested for a day with a bit of preparation.
Whether you suffer from seasonal or food allergies, there are ways to make sure your wedding day is not ruined by sneezes and watery eyes or worse. Take a look at these tips and plan in advance for your own needs.
The Seasonal Experience
First, it can be a good idea to examine seasonal allergies. Unlike food allergies, which can be somewhat easy to contain, seasonal sneezes and discomfort are totally based on the weather and environment. Though you will not have total control over these factors on your wedding day, you can definitely change the outcome for the best by remembering a few simple points. For one, high pollen count and an outdoor wedding can spell disaster. Encourage guests to take allergy meds in advance or try and book a venue near water, as the wind off bodies of water can lower pollen.
It is also important to realize that flowers are not as significant as you might imagine when it comes to allergies at a wedding. The main reason for this comes down to the most common types of flowers at these events. Lilies and roses are ubiquitous at weddings, and these flowers produce pollen that is more difficult for people with allergies to react to. On the other hand, any flower arrangements featuring floral options that produce smaller pollen grains could be problematic for anyone who is sensitive to such allergens.
Food and Drink Concerns
Knowing what you can and cannot serve at your wedding can be tricky when allergies are involved. Some people have very common allergies, like tree nuts or shellfish. Still, people have allergies to everything from apples to prunes to gluten. This means you should take a few simple precautions before you finalize the menu for your big day. The easiest solution? Be sure to ask guests very early about any and all allergies or dietary restrictions that they might have. The invitation is the perfect place to bring this topic up.
When your guests inform you of their allergies and intolerances early enough, you can make adjustments. If you forget to ask, you could end up in a situation where several guests at your wedding cannot eat their meals because they are severely allergic to one or more ingredients. As long as you bring up the question very early and ask all guests to provide information about allergies, you should be able to avoid a situation where someone has a bad reaction to something they ate at your wedding.
Tiny Surprises
Communicating with your guests about potential allergies is only one step of the process when it comes to food and drink. You also need to make sure your kitchen staff and caterers are informed of these restrictions. There are situations where caterers introduce appetizers that feature ingredients guests might not notice. All it takes is one loose peanut in a pastry puff to send a guest into a problematic situation. As long as you speak with your caterers about all concerns, you should be able to avoid any major issues.
Don’t let allergies ruin your big day! Take the right precautions with food, seasonal, and environmental allergies, and you should be able to enjoy a day without a chorus of sneezes ringing through the air every few minutes.
