The Wedding Day Schedule

Your wedding day schedule is critical for making sure that everything is organized and that all key players know exactly where they should be, when they should be there, and what they should be doing. Here are a few tips for you wedding day schedule:

1. Start preparing it right away. Set aside some time every week or every few weeks to update your wedding schedule. Be sure to include the times your contracted vendors have agreed to make deliveries and so forth. As you add more vendors and more details to your schedule you will be able to readily pick up on any discrepancies or logistical issues which you can sort out sooner rather than later. Also, filling your schedule out over time will help to ensure that nothing is left out (and that you're not scrambling through notes and paperwork at the last minute).

2. Give your schedule out to all the key players at least one week prior to the date. The key players include all the vendors that will be present on the wedding day (such as your photographer, your DJ, your musicians, and your officiant) as well as your wedding party, parents, and your MC.

It isn't necessary to give the FULL itinerary to everyone; you can customize schedules so that everyone has a timeline that is relevant to them and their duties for the day.

3. Review the schedule with those whom you give it to. Don't assume that people will take as much time and care in going through your schedule as you will. Take the time to review and confirm the details contained in your schedule with each person you give it to. This is especially useful because others may be able to pick out logistical issues that you may not have noticed.

4. Don't expect everything to run perfectly. A good schedule will set out a very solid guideline for the day. However, things almost always pop up that will throw your schedule off at least a little. Try to roll with the punches throughout the day and catch up when you can.

Better yet, let your wedding planner take care of the scheduling details so that you can focus on soaking up the day.

Happy Planning!

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination

"Many marriages would be better if the husband and wife clearly understood that they're on the same side."

Zig Ziglar

Weekly Wedding Quote

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility."

Leo Tolstoy

Lighting Up Your Wedding Reception

When you made up your wedding budget did you add a line for lighting? My guess is that for about 49 out of 50 of you the answer is "no". Creating a look and feel that's "just right" has become a big priority on many couple's lists. For most, this means investing more time and money in choosing decor elements such as linens, chair covers, and centerpieces. Lighting doesn't usually come in to the picture.

I have to be honest here, when I planned my wedding lighting didn't factor in at any point for me either. It's not on the "lists" that you get with the planning binders at most book stores, nor is it on any of the "to-do" or "budget" lists you can find online. So for most people planning a wedding for the first time, it doesn't even come up as an option.

Well, I'm giving you that option now. CONSIDER LIGHTING! The way your reception is lit can make such a HUGE difference as to the overall look and feel of your wedding day. Paying a professional lighting company to set this up can be costly but is well-worth the investment. Just check out some of the examples below.

This "before and after" shot is one of my favourites. It really illuminates my point (Ha, ha! - C'mon... that was funny).

When discussing your lighting options consider how you want the room to feel; your colour choice will have a big impact on this. Check out how each of the colours below change the atmosphere for each event.

AMBER

BLUE

PINK

PURPLE/BLUE

Make sure you discuss your lighting options with your photographer, your decorator, and your venue to ensure that all logistical and practical elements have been considered.

Happy Lighting!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Weekly Wedding Quote

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally

What SIZE is Your Budget?

In January I posted some tips on saving money as it relates to the timing of your wedding. Today I wanted to give a little advice on saving as it relates to size.

Size can be broken down into three categories: "Size" of the guest list, "Size" of the wedding party, and "Size" in terms of grandeur of your theme.

1. Size of the guest list: Clearly the difference between a 20-person guest list and a 220-person guest list will have an impact on your budget. But what about a 200-person list versus a 180-person list? Most would think that the 20 extra people would have little impact on the overall budget - it's only 20 more plates, right?

Consider this, 20 more people means two or three more tables set up for your reception, three more tables means three more centerpieces (which will typically amount to another three plates), it also means more rentals, more menu cards, more place cards, and more servers to serve those extra tables. Besides tables, you're also looking at more invitations, more reply cards, more stamps, more guest favours, ...

2. Size of the wedding party: This is yet another place where people tend to forget the impact size will have on their budget. Yes, in most cases the bridal party will pay for their own attire, so you're off the hook for that one. But what about bouquets and boutonnieres? What about wedding party gifts? What about transportation (can you get a cozy 8-person Lincoln Town Car or will you have to rent two limos)? Then there's the rehearsal dinner where, if you're paying, you'll have to pick up the tab for your entire wedding party - and quite possibly their significant others too.

3. Size/Grandeur: Clearly, if your wedding theme is "bigger is better" you're looking to dish out some big bucks. Big cakes, big hall, big centerpieces, etc. Smaller, less grand themes (such as "garden party luncheon") can be extremely charming (and much easier on the wallet). So when talking about grandeur consider "Breakfast at Tiffany's" over "19th Century Royal Gala".

Happy Planning!

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination

Weekly Wedding Quote

"I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, a church filled with family and friends. I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for; he said one that would make me his wife."

Author Unknown

Friday Wedding?

One of my brides recently asked me about doing her wedding on a Friday. I advised against it for a number of reasons... the biggest of which is the fact that everything is already booked for the Saturday - and when weighing the pros and cons it wouldn't be worth it to switch.

But don't worry, my advice was in the couple's best interest, I promise - I really don't have anything against Friday weddings. In fact, in some cases a Friday wedding is a really fantastic option!

I recently stumbled across the Your Heart's Desire blog where wedding planner, Emily Edwards, wrote a great article about Friday weddings. Another great article on the topic comes from the Associated Content website, you can check that one out here.

And besides... because Friday weddings are a little more unusual (and therefore may require some advanced planning on your guests' part) it's a great excuse to send out some fun Save-the-Date cards; like the adorable one pictured below (I know... I'm reaching, I just wanted an excuse to post this picture... I love it).


Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination
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A Wedding in the Middle of a Recession?!

Last month I posted an article with some budget saving tips as it relates to the timing of your wedding. Now, the issue of timing begs the question: are you crazy for planning a wedding in the middle of a recession? The short answer... no.

These days you can't go anywhere without hearing something about the recession. Whether your purse strings have been affected or not there's certainly a lot of fear around money spending these days.

For that reason, planning a wedding now may seem like an irresponsible decsion. Some couples have opted to wait a year or so before dishing out the big bucks; but many are moving forward with their wedding plans. In your face, recession!

Those people may be the ones who realize that planning a wedding now may actually be the smartest way to go. Consider this: If you're feeling the pinch is it not feasible that perhaps the venue and vendors you're looking to hire may be feeling the pinch too? I've spoken to a few people who have told me that they're negotiating like never before to keep the business coming in; so negotiating a discount or adjusting your package options may be a little easier to do.

That being said, there are still companies that are THRIVING these days - and some refuse to budge on their prices because they simply don't have a reason to. But there's no harm in asking (worse case scenerio: they say no).

There are more great budget tips at the WeddingChannel.com. Be smart in your budget choices and stay confident in your decision to move forward with your wedding plans. Careful planning, smart negotiation, and a bit of creativity can go a really long way.

Happy Planning!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Destination Wedding Planning & Sandals!

Cindy and I are now certified Sandals reps! In addition to this fun news I'm also happy (and oh so bitter) to announce that Cindy will be heading off to Sandals Jamaica in April (seeing as I'm due for baby #2 in May I won't be able to attend... I'll get over it).

Cindy will be on the island for a full 7 days to check out several Sandals resorts, test out the restaurants, assess the beaches, check out the suites, and maybe do a little snorkeling. This is an amazing opportunity for some first-hand Sandals sampling (the things we do for our clients, honestly).

While she's up there Cindy will also be certified through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada as a Destination Wedding Coordinator. (Yes, there will be classes while she's there... this is a business trip after all). So keep an eye out late in the spring when we add the Destination Planning Package to our roster of services.

In the meantime we have access to some fantastic resources for those of you planning destination weddings at Sandals. They don't call these resorts "Luxury Included" for nothing. It's certainly worth checking out. If you have any questions about planning your Sandals wedding feel free to drop us a line.

Happy Planning!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination