Planning a wedding often results in endless to do lists and constantly feeling as though you will never get it all done. It is easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in the moment, but there are a few huge time saving tips that will go a long way on the wedding day.
Pre-fold your napkins. This is one of the biggest faux pas I see on a wedding day, and it can make or break how the rest of the day is going to go. Now don’t get me wrong, I completely understand that folding napkins for hours the night before your wedding probably isn’t your idea of a good time-- but think of it this way: if you have 200 guests and 1 day of coordinator, your planner could spend the better part of two hours folding napkins for every place setting. While it is something that definitely needs to get done, there are probably better ways that your coordinator can be put to use day of.
Prepare your tip envelopes. In the midst of the hundred other things to get accomplished the week of the wedding, you want to be sure to have cash on hand to cover any tips, final payments, and last minute expenses. Typically, you can pass these off to your planner the night before and they will handle passing them out for you!
Plan meals for the bridal party pre-ceremony. We say it all the time, but you need to make sure you eat something before you walk down the aisle! This is for a few reasons: 1) You don’t want to drink on an empty stomach 2) You probably won’t get much to each during the reception, and 3) You don’t want to pass out when you’re standing up at the altar!
Write decorating notes. Despite all of your best planning efforts, you want to be sure to include any notes about decor in with the boxes of things that need to get setup. You have distinct ideas in mind for how and where you want your decor setup, and the last thing your decorating team wants is to disappoint you because things aren’t just how you envisioned them!
Don’t leave blank chalkboards. If there’s one thing that gives a planner anxiety, it’s opening up a box of decor to find dozens of unexpectedly blank chalkboards. If your planner is anything like me (or is me), they’re probably MORE than happy to create them for you, but they can take a lot of time out of an already hectic day, so it’s best for everyone if they can be done in advance.
You are NOT expected to remember everything come wedding day, but the more organized you can be going into the big day, the more you can relax and just take things as they come!