Marriage Madness Checklist

Usually there are two types of brides: super organized or super carefree. Both types of brides are always a pleasure to work with. There are also two types of coordinators: “day of” wedding coordinator, and a wedding planner. The difference between the two is a day of coordinator comes with your venue and will still have a couple meetings regarding details that are important to know ahead of time for your special day. A day of coordinator schedules runs the event staff, timeline, and communication between all vendors such as DJ, Photographer, Officiant, Bridal Party, even sometimes your wedding cake delivery. A wedding planner starts with the couple from the beginning stages of wedding planning such as sending save the dates, helping you choose aspects from florals, to food and booze, to décor that all fits within your wedding budget. Make sure the wedding planner also fits into your wedding budget, they do a lot of work and sometimes the price proves it. Having both is great, but ideally sometimes you only just need the day of coordinator, which usually comes with the venue you decide to book!

At The Sunset Weddings there is a hybrid of both positions. Technically, it is a day of coordinator which with the same traits and characteristics as a wedding planner. Ideally when brides book with us, the wedding coordinator here, is your new best friend living at your special venue to assure that things go off without a hitch! There still needs to be some organization on the back hand of things when working with a day of coordinator. There will be a couple meetings prior to your wedding day to go over details in a manner that is helpful for both yourself and the staff. Ideally, a checklist is the best way to get your wedding visions come to life in an orderly fashion. Here is a helpful checklist of things at The Sunset Weddings that will be talked about when working out the finer details of a wedding day. Remember, every venue is different, and will offer and go over different things.

 Ceremony

• Do you have an officiant? If not, no worries just ask! The Sunset Weddings have officiants we work with and they are super great and supportive!
• Type of Arch
• How many guests attending the ceremony?
• Special Set-Up for chair arrangement
• A special couple exit?
• Have an idea of a Processional Order
• Marriage License

Ceremony Décor

• On the aisle, or on the side of the aisle, anything along the path?
• Chair décor
• Arch décor
• Ceremony favors, or programs

Reception Food & Beverage

• Type of Bar
• Type of Food (buffet, stations, plated)
• Allergies to be aware of
• Passed vs. Stationary Food Items
• Open vs. Assigned Seating
• Dessert options and set up

Reception Décor

• Centerpieces (who is making them, and how are they being set up)
• Favors
• Gift Table Items
• Guestbook
• Outside Vendors being used
• Linen Colors/Color Scheme
• Florists
• Chair décor

Timeline of Events: It is important that all vendors are on the same timeline

• Start of Ceremony
• Start of Cocktail Hour/Formal Photos
• Start of Toasts/Dances
• Start of Dinner Service/Cake Service
• End Time
• Fitting in games/activities/ specialty photos

These are very basic details to get the ball rolling for planning a successful wedding. After looking at a checklist and only a few basic items are crossed off do not panic! The best thing about having a wedding planner or coordinator is that they are there to help and put you on the right path for your wedding. Most of the items and details are best to talk out with your wedding bestie. Sometimes, they have great suggestions of items, or people you might not have heard or thought of. It is always important to intertwine your special day with things that personally mean a lot to you and your soon to be married partner. Personal ideas, décor items, signs, or activities is what will set your wedding a part from the rest and make it something really unique and memorable. Here are a couple websites that make great references for tips and tricks to keep things organized:

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https://www.theknot.com/ – I started with this site first because it truly is an amazing place for all things weddings and events related. They have an amazing blog to read as well. The Sunset Weddings work closely with The Knot and often refer to them as well for some wedding advice.

https://www.weddingwire.com/ – Wedding Wire is just as popular as The Knot. The two websites are probably the most well known for wedding planning. WeddingWire is like The Knot but with their own personal touches and different techniques to make your planning easier for you.

https://www.pinterest.com/ ­ ­- Every bride we work with here at The Sunset Weddings, uses Pinterest! Create your own board and save pins, blogs, pictures, websites, orders, anything you want to create a visual e-board of wedding items. With simple key word searches an entire world will open to you to get your visions across. I highly suggest that you have your Pinterest board at the ready when you meet with your coordinators. Visuals are important for your coordinators because they can help choose colors, décor, even floor layouts that match your style and vibe for your special day.

https://www.brides.com/wedding-ideas – Brides.com is a good website for references and reads. If you are trying to research and get some ideas for your own wedding, go to the direct link I have pasted for you. If you are just trying to kill some time and are non-stop wedding mode, they have great articles about celeb weddings, and advice on all things love.