Planning a wedding is a dream come true for many couples, but it can also be quite overwhelming. That's why we started our podcast almost four years ago! In today's world, the internet has made it easier to research and plan a wedding on your own, but there are still some things you won't find in an online wedding planning checklist. Trust me – while they are a good starting point, you can't rely on a generic checklist to plan your heirloom occasion. As professional wedding planners, we have come across many couples who have missed out on specific details that are crucial to making their special day a unique and memorable occasion. In this blog post, we will discuss five things that you won't find in an online wedding planning checklist that we believe are so important when planning your wedding day!

 

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 5 Things you won't find on a free wedding planning checklist

• Create a Vendor Contact List  (and what to do with it!) [3:28]
• Create a Floor Plan for Your Reception [5:14]
• Mistakes People Make When Planning Their Floorplan [6:06]
• What you NEED to do After Guests RSVP [6:52]
• Review Your Vendor Contracts [10:01]
• Assign Someone to Collect Valuables on Your Wedding Night [11:38]
• What Most Online Wedding Planning Checklists Get WRONG [12:55]

1. Create a Vendor Contact List (and Share It!)

This is one of the most important things you should do in the last months leading up to your wedding, which is why we find it so surprising that many online wedding planning checklists don't mention it. When DIYing your own wedding planning, we strongly recommend you create a comprehensive vendor contact list and share it with your venue and vendors. This list should include all of your vendors' names, phone numbers, and emails to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This way, if there's a last-minute change or emergency, you and your vendors can quickly get in touch with each other without interrupting your wedding day bliss!

Want your last minute wedding to do list? Click here for episode 97!

2. Create a Floorplan For Your Reception

We know why most online wedding planning checklists don't include this one. They assume you're going to go with the standard layout of your venue. Not us! Switching up the floor plan and having fun with it can be a great way to add some personality to your space without reinventing the wheel or spending more money. With a diagram and floor plan, you can be confident that the seating arrangements are accurate and that your guests will be comfortable getting up and walking around, heading to the buffet tables, and finding their way to the dance floor. Don't assume that your venue has this covered. Ask for the dimensions of your space and then ask them for feedback or confirmation that YOUR unique floorplan will work.

3. After Your Guests RSVP – Do These 2 Things!

After receiving your guests' RSVPs, assign each guest to his or her seat. We recommend waiting until you are past your RSVP deadline to iron out your seating chart. Then, you'll want to create a logical and comfortable seating arrangement for everyone. That might seem obvious, but if you rely on an online wedding planning checklist – it usually isn't there! PLUS – if you have hired a calligrapher or stationer to assist with your wedding day signage, seating chart, or place cards, you'll want to send this final list to them to ensure they have the correct guest name and seating assignments. This takes more time than you think!

4. Finalize All Your Contracts with your Vendors

While it's common to look over your contract before booking your vendors (PLEASE do this!), it is also important to double-check all your contracts and resolve discrepancies before your wedding day. Ensure that all the details are correct, including the date, time, venue, and services to be provided. Sometimes things change throughout the wedding planning process and it's easier than you may think to forget to inform one of your wedding vendors or confirm the change in writing. In this case, you'll want to pay particular attention to items that are dependent on the guest count, such as flowers, rentals, and catering. Make sure that you have the correct guest count and have communicated it to your vendors so they can accommodate accordingly.

5. Make Sure Someone is in Charge of Retrieving and Storing Your Valuables on Your Wedding Day

This is one of the most important items online wedding planning checklists seem to miss! On your wedding day, you don't want to deal with retrieving and storing valuables like your card box, presents, or family heirlooms. Because let's be honest – it'll likely be the last thing on your mind. Nominate someone well in advance to take care of this task. Ideally, this should be someone who isn't a member of the immediate family or part of the wedding party. Make sure they know when and where they need to pick up these items and securely store them until you can meet them the next day (or few days later).

The Best Online Wedding Planning Checklist? How Can You Make Sure Nothing is Missed?

While online wedding checklists are helpful, they can't cover every component involved in creating the perfect wedding. Because let's also address the elephant in the room – most are created by writers and marketers, not wedding planners! We shudder at the thought. If you are looking to plan a truly unique and memorable wedding day (like we think you should), we have the solution. We packed in our YEARS of experience planning luxury weddings across New York into our Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist here. While it isn't free, we believe that if it can spare you just one mistake (and a ton of time) when planning your wedding day, it's well worth the investment. Learn more here and happy wedding planning!

THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!

• Wedding Planning template shop Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off!
• 1-on-1 Wedding Planner Coaching

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions, DM me on Instagram at @asktheplannerpodcast, call the wedding planning hotline at 585-210-3467, or drop it in your review on Apple Podcasts.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Wedding Planning template shop, including my new Wedding Day Master Organizer which includes the same spreadsheets we use in our day-of production books. 

And for all my planners out there, check out my new wedding planner coaching service! Whether you’re in the first 1-2 years of your business and you don’t know how to increase your prices, build a team, attract your ideal clients, find your brand’s voice, or you’re a little further in your career and you want to take it to the next level with a digital product, start a podcast, or something else, I would love to help you build the dream wedding business you deserve! 

Learn more and schedule a call with me to see if this is what your business needs at verveeventco.com/coach.

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