How to Plan a stress free wedding
NIAMH WHITE
Wedding Coordinator, Horetown House
Planning a wedding is exciting, confusing, time consuming and sometimes stressful. It’s an event most people only take on once and you may never have organised something with so many details and parts before.
We have been hosting weddings for almost a decade (we were very young when we started!!!) so we have figured out a few things along the way. We have had a think about the best way to go about your planning to reduce stress and help you to enjoy the lead up as much as possible.
The only acceptable response to printed invitations is “they are so perfect, I love them, there are no typos”
My Wedding/our wedding
Ok, in an ideal world we would all sit down with our partners and we would both care the same amount about all of the things and we would look lovingly at each others Pinterest boards before agreeing on every euro we spend. However, back in real life there are things that one of you will care about more than the other. So if one of you is really obsessed about paper goods (font heaven!!!) then let that person take on the invites and stationary. If you are not that person and your partner has taken on this job, tell them what your opionions are before they start, not when they come back from the printers!!! The only acceptable response to printed invitations is “they are so perfect, I love them, there are no typos” .
It’s ok to not be involved in every part of the wedding but it is really important that this is a conscious decision made by both partners.
Stress happens when one person is heading off booking cakes and florists without a proper discussion. So decide which bits need a joint decision and which ones each person has free reign over.
Pick a venue that is already what you are looking for
This may seem silly or totally obvious but it really isn’t. We have at least 2-3 couples each year who come to us having already booked somewhere else and then realise that it’s not what they wanted and they can’ t make changes they had hoped for. If you are looking for simple bright space, choose a venue which has this already rather than picking one that has a dark or heavily themed space which you are trying to change.
In Horetown we try to keep the ceremony and dining space as neutral as possible to allow you to add your own style, but we always have enough decor in each room so you won’t need any extra unless you want it.
Stress happens when you thought you had made a major decision and then you have to rethink everything. If you have found a venue that is a really good match and you really have no other choice then check with a stylist or décor company about the costs and possible options before you pay that deposit.
“… check with a stylist or décor company about the costs and possible options before you pay that deposit”
Assemble, prep, box, label!!!
Whether you are arriving to your venue the day before and are doing your own set up or you are arriving on the day and delivering your personal touches in advance you need to be super prepped. Imagine you have been collecting bits and pieces for over a year, a little treat table bunting from etsy, some gorgeous GingerRay goodies from Moss Cottage, and sets of tiny fairy lights on eBay…plus a million other things! On the day of your wedding is not the time to unpack, assemble (there’s always more assembly than you think) and put batteries into all your finishing touches (also buy batteries!!!).
Make sure you gather all of your props and styling items and assemble each one and decide where it it is going to go and don’t forget to add string/cellotape/blu-tack where needed. Then box them depending on where they are going, one for the ceremony space (add in candles and print outs of readings), venue, tables…have it so well organised that someone else can pick up the box and finish the job if you run out of time.
In Horetown we look after the props and styling in the house with decor options for your tables, flowers and even signage available for your wedding. Bring us your own decor boxed and ready to go and we will do the rest.
Stress happens when you have to hand over a job and you can’t explain to the person what you want, or when you have to find six AAA batteries 15 mins before the ceremony!!! (Trust me, buy the batteries!!!)
“…There is always more assembly than you think..”
Talk, decide, plan and then let it go.
In Horetown we start with an online questionnaire which asks about your plans, who is your alternative contact, are you having a cake, when would you like to have your speeches…easy general questions. Then we have our planning meeting which really nails down all the details (who is delivering cake, large or small table, location, décor, cutting instruction, announcing the cake cutting?) This may seem like overkill on the cake deets, but believe me, on the day of your wedding, you don’t need to think about the cake, you just need someone to put a knife in your hand an point you at it and you can smile and try to dodge the icing! So talk to each other, decide what to do, make a plan with your coordinator and Let it go, let it go, don’t hold it back any moooooore! (And for those of you who don’t have a three year old, that is a Frozen reference. A bit off topic but still very relevant!!! Words to live by!!! )
Avoid Stress
- Start by making basic decisions about who is doing what jobs and what’s important to each person.
- Make sure you check in with each other before you make a final call
- Pick a venue that’s almost exactly what you want in the end
- if you need to make big changes, price and check if its possible before you make your booking
- Take everything out of the box and set up for use, attach strings and put in batteries
- Box your props by location and add instructions or labels to make it obvious where it’s supposed to be
- Make your plan with your event coordinator
- Let it go and enjoy your day!
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