insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 18 - August 2016 | Page 72
WEDDINGS
Wedding planning countdown:
5 top tips for the final weeks
An experienced wedding and event planner based in Kent, but who works throughout
Sussex, Surrey and London too, Joanne, AKA The Wedding Dolls, knows how to plan a
wedding with personality. Her unique mix of creative, inspirational and down-to-earth
advice will have you planning a big day that’s totally about you, and that saves you time,
money and lots of unnecessary nail biting. We asked Joanne for her top five tips for the
final weeks leading up to your wedding.
1
What to do and when
2
Include in your preparations a list of everything you need to do in the
week before the wedding, the day before the wedding and on the
morning of the wedding itself. List out all the jobs and put the name
of who is going to do them next to each one. Be logical and realistic
about what you can achieve in the time available. Don’t expect your
bridesmaids or best man to be able to do lots of running around the
morning of the wedding – they’ll be busy enough getting themselves
ready and getting to the church too!
3
Planning Timetable
Make sure you have a timed plan of your day.
Include every hour from set up right through to
the last dance. Email it to all of your suppliers.
The more they all know the easier it will be for
them to set up on the day and get themselves
prepared. It will help the day run smoother if
everyone knows when everything is happening.
4
In and Out
Make sure you know what time you can access your venue and let your
suppliers know. Some venues will let you deliver items the day before,
but don’t just assume that you can. They may well have another wedding
on, or just don’t have the storage space. Also, check when you need to
remove all of your items, so you can work this into your plan as well. It’s
a good idea to nominate someone to deliver and collect, and make a list
of everything that should be dropped off and picked up just to make sure
nothing is forgotten.
Mobile Mission
Make sure you have a list of all your suppliers
along with their mobile phone numbers on the
day itself. Give this to one of your ushers to
look after just incase there are any last minute
changes and you need to get hold of them. If you
can, give your suppliers a mobile contact number
for the big day itself – again this can be one of the
ushers if you don’t have a Wedding Doll on hand!
“The more preparation you can do in the lead up to the big day the better,” adds Joanne. “Getting
your plans down on paper will make it easier to see what needs to be done and when. If you feel
that you won't be able to relax on the day handling everything yourself, you can hire The Wedding
Dolls to make sure all the jobs get done and that the day runs smoothly from start to finish. Perfect
for couples having a reception in a marquee, at home, or hiring a venue that doesn't have an on-site
wedding coordinator such as a country barn or a village hall, our wedding day management service
costs from £625 for 12 hours and includes a pre-wedding meeting. Happy planning!”
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5
Photography Timings
Make sure you give your photographer a list
of all the shots you want taken on the big day.
Listen to their advice about how many shots
you can have and when is best to take them.
It will help if you can have an usher on hand to
round up family just before they are needed – it
will make things feel less rushed and certainly
less stressful.
The Wedding Dolls
07872 160911
[email protected]
www.theweddingdolls.co.uk
@theweddingdolls