The Final Stretch: All The Things The Month Before Your Wedding
Today’s post all about the month before your wedding – we have a guest blogger! Stellaluna Events intern, event planning enthusiast, Kelly Saroff Allen. Being recently married herself, Kelly is sharing a little wisdom today on how to get organized and stay in control the month before your wedding.
The month before your wedding becomes major crunch time. You’re finally able to accomplish some of those things that you’ve seen on your to-do list from the beginning, but you’re also wrapping up final details. On top of that, you have guests calling you inquiring about wedding info.
It’s an exciting time seeing all of your hard work come together, but it can also be extremely stressful on top of all of your other responsibilities. Here are some tips and tricks to help you manage the craziness of the final stretch before your wedding day.
Accomplish the Essentials First
The most important item the month before your wedding is likely determining the number of guests attending your day. You will need to give a final number to the caterer, venue, and florist/decor. While you probably received most of the responses from your guests by the RSVP deadline, there may be a few outstanding. Make all of your follow up calls to guests who have not yet responded.
Create a wedding weekend timeline, including tasks that will need to be accomplished as well as the actual flow of the day. Make sure to share this with your wedding party, your parents, and your fiancé’s parents.
Work in Advance
Get as many of the items on your wedding to-do list done in advance as possible. All of your vendors should be booked by this point, but if you have missed one, book them ASAP!
While you won’t have final numbers, determining what items to put in your welcome bags can be decided months in advance. You can even order more than you think you’ll need ahead of time—just be sure to check store return policies so you can return items after you get back from your wedding (and honeymoon)!
Trust your gut! If you find something during your Etsy and Pinterest searches that you think would be perfect for your wedding, purchase it! Don’t wait until the last minute. You’ll be so tight on time the month before your wedding that you’ll be grateful to already have it in hand.
Lean on Your Team
As the bride, you shouldn’t have to follow up with your fiancé’s distant relative who has yet to respond to your invitation. Ask your fiancé, parents, and future in-laws to follow up with those guests for you. As the bride, you will be making lots of final decisions and your time is limited.
Your wedding party and families expect to help you with last minute details. So don’t hesitate to ask them for help when you are running short on time! Putting together welcome bags or favors are great projects for those willing to help.
Pick Your Projects Wisely
What is more important to you? Welcome bags or signage? Escort cards (an essential item) or favors? You will have to make tough decisions in the month before your wedding as your time will be severely limited. When time runs out, forgive yourself for the Pinterest idea you didn’t do and know your guests won’t realize the difference!
Get Organized
When you hand over your guest list to your venue or coordinator, you should have copies of the guest list sorted alphabetically and by table. If you have any special requests, you need to inform your coordinator as well.
If you have personal items you want displayed such as photos or signage, do your best to gather these in advance and envision exactly where they will be located in the space. Order these items by priority so that you don’t spend time on items when there is no room to place them at the venue!
Finally, make sure you take time for yourself during the month before your wedding. You will have many demands on your time, but make sure to stay focused on the prize—marrying your fiancé! Comment below and let us know what your month of wedding stressors are!
Need more month of wedding advice? Check out our post on Who Do I Give Vendor Tips To At My Wedding?
