When it comes to your wedding day, the excitement for what is supposed to be one of the most memorable days of your life can often be overshadowed by feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed. It’s understandable – whether you are having a garden wedding in Dubai or a city wedding in Glasgow, you have a lot to deal with!
From choosing a venue to finding the right dress, from personalised décor elements to the tunes the band will play, there is a lot for you to think about. But while you are organising the big things, don’t forget to pay attention to the smaller details — these will make your wedding day really, truly yours.
Read on for eight small wedding details that make a huge impact when done well.
1. Entrance
Oh, the entrance! This is the first thing your guests will see as they step into your wedding world and you want to ensure that they immediately feel the vibes of your big day. An inviting entrance-way will make all members of the party feel welcome and will set the tone for the rest of the event.
2. Lighting
Similar to the entrance-way, the lighting you choose will help to translate the mood you want to set. The kind of lighting you need will vary based on your location, but if you are working with a large space, the right lighting will still make it feel intimate. If there are certain special décor elements that you want everyone to notice (hey, it is your day, you decide), then plan for lighting that highlights these spots — and don’t forget the band!
Just as importantly, make sure there are enough spots with great lighting for everyone to take photos that they look good in.
3. Chairs
You want your chairs to match the overall style of your wedding, whatever that may be. You also want there to be enough places to sit, so plan to provide extra seating at the ceremony — just in case.
In many scenarios, it isn’t practical to think that you can smoothly move the chairs from the ceremony to the reception, so take those logistics into consideration and acknowledge that you may be better ordering two sets.
4. Allergies
Well before the day, make sure to give a list of which guests have food allergies and eating preferences (whether it be gluten-free, vegan, nut allergies, etc) to your caterer and then follow-up with a list of where they will be seated.
Your caterer will be overjoyed, your guests will get their suitable food, and you won’t have to worry about whether or not your hippie Aunt will make a scene when chicken is placed in front of her!
5. Cake-Table
In the midst of trying to organise everything, don’t forget the importance of how you choose to display your cake. It sounds obvious now, but often brides fail to remember that this is where their cake-cutting photos will be taken.
Not only you, but many of your guests will want to take photos around it (as well as just enjoying it), so spend some extra time on the presentation and design of both the cake and the cake-table.
6. “Managers”
After all the planning you have put into this day, the last thing you deserve to be doing is managing anything else. Ask someone to keep your cards and gifts safe, until you have slept off your potential hangover. Ask someone else to be a photo manager — their job will be to round up the important people who need to be in group shots.
If you are providing transportation for guests, have someone else who will be on the bus or in the car to make sure they arrive at the correct destination. In other words, have different people managing the various strands of your event. So you can focus on enjoying.
7. A Rain Plan
Let’s all hope that this doesn’t happen, but sometimes (no matter how hard you wish), Mother Nature has another plan. Save yourself a full-on anxiety attack by having a solid rain plan that can easily be put into action and that you will still be happy with. Whether you are using luxury wedding planners in Dubai or doing your own thing in London, having a Plan B never hurts.
8. The Exit
Last but not least, you can’t forget about your exit! While guests will remember lots of highlights from throughout the day, how you and your new partner leave will be the taste that is left in their mouths. Make it as dramatic, as elegant, as funny, or as classic as you want — do I need to remind you one more time that it is your day?!
With all the bridal magazines on the market, Pinterest and your-soon-to-be-mother-in-law’s advice, all the details of planning a wedding can seem utterly paralysing. However, if you take these eight little details into account (along with some of the bigger stuff), then you are guaranteed to have a standout celebration. Oh, and remember to enjoy it, will you?
AUTHOR BIO
Dora Helmeczi
From 2008, with the creation of Budapest Wedding, Dora has successfully organised hundreds of destination weddings in Hungary. The agency is now one of the biggest in the Hungarian market and is considered the country’s only high-end wedding planning office. Dora’s partner Gabriel Gilbert came onboard in 2015, and working intently to extend their offices, in 2016 they launched Dubai Wedding — their bid to become a globally recognised name in planning outstanding weddings.