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If this is your first time planning a wedding, chances are you’re overwhelmed by all the information out there. In our quest to make wedding planning more enjoyable, we’ve outlined the 10 things we find most couples overlook so you can be more prepared.

 #1 How to Track Gifts

It’s true that these days most guests mail gifts from your registry, but for those who don’t, you’ll want to make sure gifts are safely stored. If you’re at a hotel/ venue, ask if they have a gift attendant. If not, you can have your planner or a non-immediate family member track and put away your gifts. Sign-up for The Wedding Course and we’ll provide you with your template for collecting and tracking wedding gifts so nothing goes missing.

#2 The Importance of Lighting

Lighting is magic. It can transform a room into whatever you envision, whether it’s a nightclub or warm, welcoming space. When planning your wedding budget, we encourage you to include lighting as a line item so your details can be highlighted and so much more.

#3 Hidden Costs

Many couples forget to add things like alterations, postage, taxes, and gratuities into their budgets. When you sign-up for The Wedding Course, we include an entire list of line items for your budget that are often overlooked or forgotten.

#4 Transportation

If everything isn’t happening in one place, make sure you’ve made arrangements for your transportation to/from each place. Whether you hire a driver or ask a friend, make sure you have a solid plan. And if you’re transferring the majority of your wedding guests or wedding party, you want to make sure you’re working with drivers who have insurance and are licensed and bonded. You only want professionals taking care of those you cherish most dearly.

#5 Vendor Meals

When budgeting for your hotel/caterer, make sure to include meals for all your on-site wedding vendors. This is most likely required in their contracts, but we like to remind our couples to account for this when building their budgets. Most times, hotels or caterers will provide a vendor meal at a reduced rate. We always recommend serving them a hotel meal as they’ve put in many hours to ensure your wedding day is a success.

 #6 Planning to Eat

We cannot stress enough how important it is to eat on your wedding day! If you’re at a hotel, pre-order a room service meal and make time to eat it. For any other venue, make sure you bring snacks or send someone out to get food. Fainting on your wedding day is not an option!

#7 Collecting Personal Items

If you have family heirlooms as part of your ceremony or a really special guest book, you’ll want to make sure you have a plan for who will collect all these items so nothing is lost. If you have a wedding planner, they will most likely take care of this. If not, it’s a great Maid of Honor or Best Man task.

#8 An Extra Dress Shirt

Whether you work up a sweat on the dance floor or someone gets makeup on your white shirt, you’ll be thankful to have an extra one to change into! You can store this in your hotel room if you’re having a hotel wedding or in the venue’s changing room. We always like to store these somewhere private or close to the party for a quick change.

#9 Vendor Gratuities

It’s not mandatory to give a gratuity to your vendors, but if you’ve enjoyed working with them or they’ve gone above and beyond, it’s a gracious way to thank them. We suggest that all couples set aside some money in their budget for this. 

#10 Your Marriage License

This may seem like a “no brainer”, but it can be easily forgotten in the hustle bustle of wedding planning. Remember each state has their own rules and deadlines for obtaining your marriage license, so be sure to do your research and give yourself plenty of time to secure it.

Check out The Wedding Course for this and so much more detailed, actionable and helpful wedding planning information to keep your wedding planning fun and stress-free!

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