Alright, the wedding date is July 21, 2012 (12 DAYS)! I think that we have everything covered, but I have the feeling that we are forgetting something. Here is what we have so far:
~ Most of the invitations were hand delivered and the rest were mailed weeks ago
~ The wedding liscence application has been put in and paid for, and we are picking it up from the courthouse tomorrow
~ I have a hair appointment for that morning, as do my bridesmaids
~ I have a massage appointent for 3 days before the wedding and a manicure appointment for the day before the wedding
~ Ceremony venue (My grandma's back yard, so if you are adding anything for the ceremony keep in mind that it has be one the simpler side of things so that we can do it ourselves)
~ My dress, veil, garter, jewelry, undergarments, and shoes
~ Justin's suit and shoes
~ The bridesmaids' dresses and shoes
~ The groomsmen's suits and shoes
~ The flower girl has her dress and basket
~ The ringbearer has his suit and pilllow
~ The officiant
~ The rings
~ Chairs
~ The Photographer
~ Rose petals for the flower girl
~ We have NOT bought the flowers for the bridesmaids or myself yet, but we will a little closer to the date (Each girl, including myself, is going to carry a single red rose down the aisle. For the throw bouquet we are going to tie the roses together with a ribbon (And somehow cut off the thorns) and throw that. I don't want the roses to die before the wedding which is why we will be buying them closer to the date)
~ We are working on the music for the ceremony (See the next question that I post to help with that)
~ Reception Venue
~ Food (My mom is cooking it (She is the food manager at the local highschool so she will be using their kitchen to cook it) and a couple of her friends are serving it)
~ Cake (My two future sister in laws are helping me bake it on Friday and we are going to freeze it until the wedding)
~ Decorations
~ We are buying all the plates, glasses, utensils, table cloths, and napkins on Friday
~ DJ (See the next question that I post to help with some more music selections)
~ Card box
~ My mom is in charge of Oliver that day, so I won't have to worry about him too much
~ I got gifts for my bridesmaids and have given them to them, but I don't know if Justin has bought or given his groomsmen anything yet
~I've asked my maid of honor to make a speech/toast. I don't know if Justin has said anything to his best man yet
~ We are just going to decorate Justin's car and ride to the reception site in that.
~I will be sober and will driving home after the reception
~ The honeymoon is 80% booked and paid for but that's not until August 6-12, so we have time for that
I think that's it. What am I forgetting?
A few other questions:
~ Any tips on how to keep a groom in a hot suit cool on what I assume is going to be a pretty hot day?
~ Any tips for a nervous bride on how to stay calm, cool, and collected on the big day? I'm NOT nervous in the 'I want to back out' kind of way, I'm just nervous because I know that all eyes will be on me and when all eyes are on me I tend to get really nervous and usually end up making a fool of myself by getting my words all mixed up or by falling (I'm 80% sure that I'm going to trip at least once walking down that aisle).
~ The ceremony is going to take place in my grandma's "garden", which is really a bunch of green bushes. Any ideas on how to spruce it up a bit? My future mother in law is a master gardener, so if we want to add flowers or something we can. I'm just not sure if I want to add flowers. If we didn't add flowers if there any other way to spruce it up a bit? The wedding is at 3pm, so christmas tree lights or other light sources wouldn't really work. The colors for the wedding are black and white.
~ Any tips on how to keep a groom in a hot suit cool on what I assume is going to be a pretty hot day?
You don't!
If I get to blow the car vents up my dress he can take his jacket off! :)
Jewelry for the bridesmaids
place setting cards for the tables
Program for the ceremony
Place setting gifts for guests
Napkins with name and date
vows
Is the flower girl getting her hair done?
mani/pedi
If no flowers for the garden then maybe white paper lanterns.
Forgive me if I repeated something you already mentioned I was trying to keep it straight in my head while my 2 kids keep talking to me. :)
V.:
Do you have "what if" bag? Needle, thread, safety pin(s), etc.?
Do you have someone to come in and spray Yard Guard about 30 minutes prior to the wedding so people don't get bugged out?
Do you have chairs for your guests to sit on?
I personally wouldn't do much to dress up the place. I'd use the KISS Method (Keep It Simple Silly).
Write your vows down. That way you won't forget them.
Something borrowed?
Something Blue?
Something Old?
Something New?
This one thing kept me and my groom calm on our wedding day:
There are only 5 essential things required for any wedding everything else is extra so don't worry about the rest:
WEDDING ESSENTIALS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
You need 1 groom, 1 bride, 2 witnesses, 1 officiant and the license.
Are you putting such care and concern into planning the marriage that you are putting into the one day called the wedding? Rhetorical question but worth thinking about.
Congrats and relax.
a little makeup bag filled with a bridal repair kit-
moleskin for blisters
tylenol
a needle and thread
femine supplies
lip gloss
a safety pin
antacid
deoderant
hair pins
powder
spare hose (if you are wearing any).
give to a bridesmaid, make her in charge of this.
You can pretty up the shrubbery with some tulle swagged and draped in front.
If you are really concerned about the heat, some pitchers of lemonade, minted water, and iced tea for before/ after the ceremony would be a nice touch. You can have an assortment of pitchers, and an assortment of clear glasses for the wedding party and guests.
A few tins of shortbread/ butter cookies set out as is, or on platters would be nice too.
3pm doesn't require a drink/ snack, but if its hot, I think people will appreciate it.
Congrats on your impending nuptuals,
F. B.
Make someone your "go to" person that day.
Make a list of photos you'd like the photographer to take.
I didnt really read all the responses but make sure you have water out for everyone in the party. Last year my brother in law got married and one of the groomsmen passed out from the heat. There was talk about putting water bottles were they would be standing but no one got to it.
Best bet would be to put someone in charge of it and have one waiting from them and then have extras in a cooler close by. Have them signal the person in charge in a discrete way so not to interrupt the ceremony.
thank you gift for the officiant (usually money)
I am planning my wedding for September and used "The Knot" website's checklist. It's pretty thorough. For the reception site maybe some shepherd's hooks? I use pinterest for brainstorming :)
Key motto for the day, no matter what happens. 'Just roll with it'.
On my wedding day, Dec. 27, it snowed 4 inches. the hairdresser got pnemonia, my sister dropped my dress in muddy snow. I forgot my slip at home (1 mile from church), etc... and I still got married, almost on time. :) Drove all the way from DC to Williamsburg, VA in snow. Woke up the next morning to a sick groom (too many jelly meatballs!) and NO SNOW. Not one spec!!
Car TO the reception: You should not decorate your own car. That is a special job of the groomsmen.
Flowers for the garden: place come colorful mums or rose bushes in pots along the perimeter and entrance to the aisle. For the seating rows, drape some grape wreaths with ribbons on the 'aisle' chair.
Reception: Pack a nice change of clothes (Sunday dress/ business casual) to change into after the reception. Otherwise you'll be driving home in your wedding dress.
Driving home from the reception: to me you shouldn't have to drive yourself home. If its within your budget, hire a Towncar and driver.
Cool groom: have them not wear the jacket. Have them wear the long white shirts, ties, vests, etc., just not the jacket.
Coordinator: If you didn't hire a consultant, you should have a friend or relative that helps keep things on track.
Seating: If you have assigned tables, have a small table with the cards listed in alphabetical order. Have a printed list in alpha order that your friend or consultant can refer to quickly. I had a friend that had the tags arranged by table #. The refer chart was the floor layout/seating chart. It took FOREVER for people to find where they were supposed to sit. People were very unhappy.
is your son in the wedding? when i was married to my ex we had the older boys in the family pull the tiny girls that couldt walk well down in a dressed up red wagon (converted to white for the wedding) if he;s not the ring boy i';d get him somehow doing something cute...also photgrapher to remember the day
have you and the bridesmaid worn your shoes enough so they don't pinch or hurt>
were are you getting ready for the wedding.>
make sure you eat before the wedding which means enough protein so you don't pass out!!!>
make sure you allow enough time to get ready for your wedding so you don't have to rush or feel rushed>
make sure you have back up nylons and underwear just in case>
That's 11 days, so don't show up on the wrong date! If nobody responds here, go to theknot.com for a checklist.
If you are happy, then congratulations on this big move!
Do you have a designated person to handle the "things" that come up? This person could be responsible for things like an emergency kit with things like?
Hairspray
bobby pins
saftey pins
lady products
deodorant
sewing kit
nylons/pantyhose
bandaids
Since it's being held in a garden, do you have someone to spray for bugs? Do you have benedryl should someone get stung by a bee? That would be in that box I mentioned above.
Who is seating the guests?
Who is taking care of the wedding book and guest signatures?
Who is carrying the wedding license and responsible for getting it signed after the ceremony?
Do you have chairs for guests to sit on?
Do your guests have directions to the reception if it's not being held at the same location? If not, who is responsble for that?
Do you have a list of pictures you would like the photographer to take?
- Make sure you know who will be walking the mothers down the aisle for the ceremony
- Photographer? If not a professional, then a designated friend who will be "in charge" of making sure that the key moments are captured AND given to you! People take pictures at weddings, but not everyone passes them on to the couple unless you ask! Ditto on someone recording your vows. We did not have a videographer, but my aunt recorded our ceremony for us and sent us the DVD.
- Guest book if you want one. We had one and in retrospect it just sits in our closet and I wouldn't do one again.
- Favors aren't necessary, but if you want to do something you'll need to figure that out!
Your "other" questions:
1. Have him get dressed at the last possible moment with the tie, shoes and socks being literally on his way out the door. Fans in the "waiting room" for him too!
2. Just remember that things WILL go wrong, but no one (except you) will care. Enjoy every minute of the day- believe it or not the whole thing goes so very quickly. Wear your shoes around the house for several days before. Make sure that you can walk in the grass.
3. You could rent a white trellis if you want some contrast against the green of the bushes. You could also have colorful potted plants lining the aisle and surrounding your ceremony site (think Gerbera daisies or sunflowers). They are inexpensive and can double as centerpieces and/or favors depending on how many you have.
when is the rehersal...rehersal dinner for thank you gift giving
I had my bridal assistant (can't remember what they are called) and she was very, very important and handy, took a screaming child out of the church when needed, helped me with my dress, among a LOT of other things....
Suites for the father and FIL etc...have fun!
Put your underwear you want to wear under your dress on BEFORE your girls help you into it, or you might be embarassed.
Have your eyebrows done at least 3 days before, but a week would be better, the redness can last a while, and if they mess up, you need to have time to "fix" them.
Do not try and do anything to the cake the day of or before your wedding. I decorated mine the night before, and it was the most stressful thing about the whole day/night.
You should have a focal point to stop at when you walk down the aisle.
See if you can find a cheap photographer who will come for an hour or two, check craigslist if you don't know one. Put disposables on the tables for people to use and get neat pictures that you or the photographer won't necessarily see. Have ALL your photos but the ones of you and the groom done BEFORE the ceremony so that you can enjoy your reception. By the time I got done with mine, there wasn't any food left and my guests were getting ready to leave.
Talk to your hubby about changing out of your dress. I did because my bridesmaids were so adamant about helping me out of it, but my guy was so bummed because he didn't get to take me out of it in private later. He actually still talks about how he wished he could. (this might need to be done after he sees you in it because he may feel differently before the wedding and after.)
Are kids invited? Maybe get a teen to watch them so that the parents can have a fun time. I did this and it was wonderful. I think it cost me $20, and it was SO worth it!
Things WILL go wrong, but relax and don't let it worry you.
Since the "garden" is just green bushes, depending on how close the branches and leaves are, I would maybe consider getting some silk flowers and sticking them in there. White flowers and small lights would be pretty if you will still have guests there after it gets dark and you could see the flowers during the daylight.
Have a friend or family member who isn't in the wedding kind of keep an eye on things so you don't have to. So if anything goes wrong, and it might, they will be in the "know" and can deal with it so hopefully you don't have to. I wish I would have done this for my first wedding. I rained 7 inches, all kinds of issues came up, and I had to deal with all of them since I was the only one that "knew" everything! UGH!
Otherwise, it sounds like you have everything. Congrats and good luck!
A friend of mine just had a backyard wedding in MN a few weeks ago. It was, indeed hot, so she and her hubby changed out of their suit/gown and he put on a casual outfit-linen pants & a button-down short-sleeved shirt. She changed into a simple light blue sundress.
You might be able to get some decor ideas for sprucing up the back yard from Pinterest. You don't have to have an account to view the pics, only to save the pics in your own Pinboards. http://pinterest.com/search/?q=backyard+wedding
make up. Congratulations!!
