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Many details are important to remember and take care of before a wedding. Having an organized system and checklist will help you avoid forgetting what to do and bring on the big day.
As a general rule, confirming your wedding date with your venue is a crucial step to follow. First, confirm the date and time with your venue every couple of months leading up to the wedding. Then, a week before your wedding, get in touch and confirm again. Lastly, pack items on your checklist.
A venue double-booking an event can occur. Keeping in regular contact with your wedding venue can help prevent this from happening.
What Should you not Forget at a Wedding
- 5-7 days before the wedding confirm with all vendors
- Marriage Certificate
- 5-7 days before the wedding, check the weather forecast and make a “rain plan” if your wedding is outside.
- Rings
- Check out my article on an Emergency Kit for Wedding Day
Story Time
One Saturday in the fall of 2019 in Orange County, CA, I worked with a mortuary on a Catholic Funeral Mass Service for a family who lost a loved one. Yes, my background and experience is in both weddings and funerals. The first hour was a visitation where family and friends could pay final respects to the deceased in his open casket. The second hour was the Mass Service officiated by the Priest.
I had driven the coach/hearse to the church, and my colleague followed in a utility vehicle which carried about 8-10 flower arrangements. We arrived at the church at about 8:30 am and the visitation was to begin at 10:00 am in the vestibule (an area inside the main entrance of the church).
My colleague and I waited in the parking lot, and at about 8:50 am, we noticed a few cars had pulled up and parked, which seemed a bit early for funeral guests to be arriving. Then we noticed a few women in long blush-colored dresses and men in matching navy suits getting out of their cars. Next, we saw a young girl about six years old with curly hair, wearing a white dress and carrying a basket skipping near the church doors.
It didn’t take a wedding coordinator to figure out that this group of people were part of a wedding party. The big question was, where was the wedding being held? And what time? There was only one church within a five-mile radius, and we were all there.
Minutes later, a white limo pulled up, and a woman with dark hair wearing a white gown exited the vehicle. I walked briskly across the parking lot while my colleague stayed back with the hearse carrying the casket.
I approached a man taking pictures who looked like the photographer. “Excuse me, Sir,” I said calmly. The man dressed in all black lowered the camera from his face and gave a half-smile. “What time is the wedding taking place?” I asked. The man looked at his watch and said, “In an hour, 10 o’clock.” I tilted my head, pointed at the church doors, and clarified, “In the main sanctuary.” “Yeah,” was all the photographer said as he took photos of the young flower girl now twirling around.
I looked over my shoulder at my colleague and gave her a “funeral sign” (my right hand in a fist to my right ear, with the thumb and pinky finger sticking out) which was code for, call the mortuary, and fast.
Sixty seconds later, I was inside the church (now being decorated for a wedding with white flowers, ribbons, bows on the pews, and an aisle runner rolled out).
In my experience as both a wedding coordinator and a funeral director, I have developed keen skills & tactics in “negotiations.” And I have also learned to sit in silence, listen, be patient, and realize there is always a solution. Adaptability is a word and trait that is my best friend in these situations.
Turned out that the wedding was booked 13 months prior by the previous Priest and logged in a manual “pen to paper” type calendar book. The church hired a new scheduling coordinator, and a new computer operating system was activated a month prior (meaning the wedding was never transferred to the new computer system.) There was a new Priest at the church now, and he booked the funeral 12 days prior. So, that is the story of how a wedding and a funeral were booked on the same Saturday and at the same time.
It all worked out in the end, and the wedding took place as scheduled at 10:00 am in the church. The funeral had the visitation in a large recreational room on the other side of campus at 10:00 am, and then at 11:15 am, the Funeral Mass took place in the church after the wedding had ended.
Two darling choir boys directed traffic in the parking lot and pointed wedding guests toward the church and funeral guests toward the visitation. The bride, groom, and family of the deceased were kind and understanding. Crises diverted.
Confirm, confirm, and confirm again!
What are the Little Things I need for my Wedding?
- A Bridal Purse
- Bobby Pins
- Lip Gloss
- Mints
- Small Miror
- Small Bottle of Hand Sanitizer
- Comfy Pair of Flats to Change into Later
- A Shawl or Shrug for the Evening
- Someone to Take Pics with Your Personal Phone
Conclusion
Remember to confirm your wedding date with the venue. The wedding from the story above booked their wedding and never confirmed the date again. The bride called the church a few times to ask general setup questions but never confirmed the date. Nor did the Priest check the calendar when he had met with the couple a few weeks prior.
~ Happy planning and enjoy your wedding day steps ~