Wedding Tips: Handling the Details
Once the engagement is announced and the date is set, the whirlwind countdown to your big day is set in motion. It will seem like the parade of tasks is absolutely endless: cake tasting, photographer selection, the wording on the invitation. Smooth your transition from planning to execution by thinking about the details.
Planning
Wedding Web Sites
There are plenty of web sites willing to provide advice and services in exchange for the chance to place advertising in front of you. Two of the best are The Wedding Channel (http://www.theweddingchannel.com) and The Knot (http://www.theknot.com). The Wedding Channel has features like “Get Ideas,” which shows off the latest in wedding fashions and accessories. The Knot provides customized checklists, budgeting tools, and guest list organizers. These tools allow you to identify and organize your tasks by date and importance. Take advantage of professional products, services, and opinions as you plan your big day!
Girls’ Night In
At some point you’re likely to find yourself assembling key wedding accessories, like programs, treasure chests, or table cards. In quantity, this can quickly become a very large, overwhelming task. Why do it alone? Invite your girlfriends or bridal party over for a night of work and play! Rent a few movies and have daiquiris at the ready while you put your friends to work. A note of caution: keep popcorn and other greasy snacks away from anything that might absorb oil, like paper.
Bridal Party Gifts
Most couples like to present the bridal party with a small, inexpensive gift to thank them for their support. Shopping for a diverse group of people, as bridal parties often are, can be a real challenge. To minimize complications, think in themes. Consider buying coordinating jewelry for your bridesmaids to wear to the wedding. Sets including earrings and necklaces are available from The Knot starting around $20. For the men, consider a trip to your local Swiss Army dealer for matching pocket knives or engraved money clips. Both inexpensive options are guaranteed to be a hit.
On Your Big Day
Bathroom Baskets
Easy to assemble, toiletry baskets in the women’s and men’s rooms are a terrific way to anticipate the needs of your guests. It couldn’t be simpler. Visit your local craft store or department to pick up two medium-to-large baskets. They should have flat bottoms and, preferably, handles. Next, go to the fabric department and buy two or three yards of material. It can be any texture or quality you’d like, and you might consider matching the color to your bridesmaid dresses, if that’s an option. Use the material to line the bottom of the baskets, adding a decorative touch. Finally, visit the travel-size area of the personal hygiene department and stock up on everything! Some items to include are: deodorant, hairspray, Tums, mouthwash, mints, gum, lotion, and hand sanitizer. It’s up to you how much or how little to include. Check with the coordinator at the reception hall to find out when you should deliver the baskets (usually when you drop off the final seating arrangement). Your guests will enjoy pawing through the basket almost as much as they enjoy the free food!
After-the-Ceremony Grand Entrance Music
One trend that’s really taken shape in the past few years is the playing of theme music as you and your new spouse make your grand “For the First Time Anywhere” entrance. This is a moment in which to really make a statement about your wedding planning skills, and to engage your visitors’ attention in a truly fun way. As your wedding party is introduced, you might have the band or DJ play Soul Bossanova (the Austin Powers theme). This is a song everyone knows and loves! As you and your beloved arrive on the scene, some fun choices include Mission: Impossible or Moby’s modern take on the James Bond Theme. All three of these selections can be downloaded for $.99 each from iTunes, but chances are that your DJ already has them.
Sewing Kit
Ladies, this is a must! Pack a travel sewing kit into your purse, or give it to your maid of honor. Wedding and bridesmaid dresses rarely fit off the rack; you never know when alterations might go awry or spaghetti straps might snap. Both disasters happened at my wedding! I had purchased a sewing kit at Wal-Mart for $1.99 and stashed it in my bag. With champagne in one hand and my arm over my head, I stood on top of a table in the bridal suite while my mother stitched my popped seam closed. The kit came in handy again when we had to pin my sister’s strap back onto her dress.
It’s All in the Details
Your wedding should be all about you and your spouse. Plan for every contingency you can before the event, from Grandma needed an antacid to sewing a burst seam closed, so that you don’t have to think about it once there. Engage your bridal party, and make them part of the action so you aren’t the only person doing the work. Most of all make sure that you have fun. Sit down and enjoy your dinner, and take time to have a piece of cake. After all, this is your big day!
