Wedding Planning Tips and Tricks
With over 30 years of experience, en Ville has learnt many tricks and tips to planning a great wedding or event in the Greater Toronto Area. Here are just a few ideas.
Guest List
It’s a good idea to decide on the approximate number of guests you are inviting, before you settle on the venue. This will then be the deciding factor of where you will hold your venue. A good rule of thumb, is to allow 25 to 30 square feet per guest. This may seem big, but it’s not when you add in that space the tables, wait staff and a dance floor.
Blackout Dates
Check to make sure you’re wedding date does not coincide with another date, such as a trade show, fund raiser, or local event that the venue might have already booked.
Credit Card Rewards
If you don’t already have a credit card that gives you great reward programs, sign up for one that does. Whether it gives you airline miles, or shopping deals, combining all your wedding purchases to this card will help you accumulate thousands of points, which could go towards your honeymoon!
Mother Nature
If having your wedding in a tent, consider renting fans if it’s going to be a very hot day. You don’t want your guests leaving early if it’s too hot in the tent. The same goes with winter loft receptions, make sure there is enough heat to keep your guests cozy. If you are planning on a sunset ceremony, make sure you know when to say your vows by checking sunrisesunset.com/Canada.
Prioritize Your Guest List
Start with immediate family, the bridal party, and best friends at the top of the list. Then aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends that you know you want to share your special day with. Then add your parent’s friends, perhaps your neighbours, coworkers and so on. If you need to cut down you make the cuts from the bottom of the list until you reach your ideal number of guests.
Be Organized
Make a wedding planning schedule and try to do things one by one in a logical order. For example don’t hire any vendors before you have confirmed your date. Don’t decide on your cake until you have decided on your flowers. It is no good booking a band or DJ, until you have decided on where you are having your reception.
Wedding Day Map and Driving Directions
Make sure your guests have an accurate map and driving instructions of where they are going on your wedding day. Don’t always rely on them using online map programs or GPS, as sometimes they are not accurate. You don’t want your guest arriving late and stressed.
Picking the Right Wedding Dress
When you go shopping for that dream wedding dress, don’t go alone. All the wedding dresses will start to look the same after a while, and you will forget which style you really loved, and looked the best in. Take a friend or a family member with you and ask them to take photos of you in each dress that you like.