It’s happening, it’s nearly here! You’ve spent months, maybe even years, getting your plans together for your big day and now you’re in the home stretch, the final few weeks.
When your stress and anxiety levels are already right up there, you might not want to think about yet more things to add to your to do list, but I’m going to talk through some very important tasks you must remember to do in your final weeks to ensure you have a stress-free and relaxed day.
Make sure you check in with each and every one of your suppliers for the day. Make sure they have everything they need and everyone is on the same page. Confirm final timings with them by sending out a schedule of the day - it’s always a good idea to send out the same comprehensive schedule and contacts sheet to everyone, so that all the suppliers have a good idea about where they fit into the wider plan, and not just their small part.
Speak to any guests you haven’t heard from or are concerned about and ensure you know their plans. If guests are travelling from further away, check in with them and make sure they have booked their travel and accommodation. You don’t want a panicked call the night before when they can’t find a hotel room!
Your bank balance is about to take a final hit with the majority of your suppliers requesting final balances cleared 2-4 weeks before the wedding. Make sure you keep a list of who has been paid and who is yet to be paid, and if anyone needs to be paid on the day, have that cash ready to give someone the day before.
Once you have your final numbers, it’s time to put them all in some kind of order. Plan out your seating with spreadsheets, pen and paper or a digital tool like Top Table Planner to make it easier. Remember to make a note on your table plan for your catering team - they will need to know where children are sitting, and where anyone with dietary requirements will be seated.
If you and your soon-to-be-spouse have got new shoes for the big day - DO NOT leave it to the morning of your wedding to spend any time in them. You need to wear them in and scuff the soles up a little so you’re not slipping everywhere, covered in blisters.
Get your haircuts a good few weeks before the wedding to give your hair time to adjust, and start your pamper routine ASAP to ensure your hair and skin is wedding-ready.
Delegation is key for the final weeks! Shed the stress and give tasks to other people to make sure you aren’t doing everything yourself up until the aisle walk. Enlist your bridal party, or have a dedicated professional (yes, like me!) step in for you in the final few weeks to get a handover and take on all those pesky last minute tasks and check ins.
Order the gifts you’ll be giving to your loved ones on the day as thank you gifts - flowers for mums, hampers for your bridesmaids - arrange for some of your bridal party to help hand some of them out in advance.
Now is the time to get some rest and spend some time with that lovely partner of yours before you take this next step! In the chaos of wedding planning it can be easy to lose sight of the end goal, which is a new chapter with each other. Spend some time together with weddings off the agenda (ban the word from your evening) and enjoy your last few weeks as an engaged couple!
Happy Planning!
Val x
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