After months of careful planning your wedding day has finally almost arrived. The day is drawing closer, that not only do you get to marry your beloved, but everything you have organised to make your day perfect must be executed and brought to fruition. This means a final flurry of activity – the day you decorate your venue.
In my experience this can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of stress levels. I have seen even the most previously laid back bride and groom be reduced to tears over the placement of flowers or name cards. Although decorating your venue is an important task I strongly feel that unless it cannot be helped it is one that should be delegated to someone other than the betrothed couple. The following are my top tips in regards to delegating and setting up your venue:-
1) Pick someone you trust to set up for you
This can be your bridal party, Maid of Honour, your future MIL (mother in law) or even the groomsmen. Feel free to arrive and give precise and clear instruction, or even set up a sample table, but then leave. Go do something to pamper yourself and come back in an hour or two. Go grab a beer by the beach or have your toes painted. Trust that your vision will be honoured by those closest and dearest to you. No need to get your hands dirty so close to the big day. You need all the relaxation and rest you can get!
2) See what your venue can do for you
Do they have staff that can assist in set-up? Do they have an on-site wedding planner or stylist? Will they print menus for you? Provide candles, tea lights and/or outdoor lamps? Make sure you know exactly what the venue can provide before you buy extra things. If there are staff available to help, take advantage of this offer. The venue staff will have done this many times before and can be invaluable.
3) Make sure you know when you have use of the venue
When does the venue become yours? From what time do you have exclusive use? Are you able to set-up the day before? Make use of the full time you have, you are paying for this time, so why not utilize it.
4) Set-up the day before
If it is possible to set-up the day before and just leave a few small details for the day itself I would strongly recommend taking this option. Your wedding day is for transforming yourself, drinking bubbles and enjoying the anticipation, not for making sure seating plans are in the right spot. That said, if the venue allows you to set-up early as a complimentary courtesy, be gracious. They are running a business and the day before a wedding can be extremely busy for a venue too. Be aware of the times they have allowed to be there and stick to them strictly.
5) Don’t allow too many cooks in the kitchen
You may think more is better when it comes to setting up for your event, but most of the time the opposite is true, a small group or even just one or 2 people is all you need. Whether you are having a small or large wedding, generally, the less people you have to direct the better. Communication remains more streamlined this way and instructions are not being changed along the grapevine. You are also avoiding being overloaded with questions from every well meaning aunty or friend.
6) Hire a Wedding planner or stylist
If you can fit this in your budget this is absolutely the way to go. Everything is taken care of and you can enjoy peace of mind that a professional is overseeing your event. The right wedding planner or stylist will help your wedding rise to the next level of crispness, co-ordination and elegance. Fees for wedding stylists might be lower than you think and most offer free consultations. You have nothing to lose by enquiring and may find the services provided priceless.
In conclusion, try and do as little as possible the last couple of days before your wedding, all your hard work is about to pay off and it is ok to depend on others for this. Your wedding party, your venue, your relatives and your suppliers are all there to help, let them!