The World According to Weddlady

How Safe is Your Wedding from Rain?

 

No one likes to think of rain on a wedding day. Denial, however, is a terrible inclement weather plan.

First, know that putting alternate plans in place for unwanted weather isn’t dooming your wedding day to rain clouds and thunderstorms. There is no penalty for having good sense (there is however a penalty for burying your head in the sand and saying “it won’t happen to me”). Make a decision to give yourself the best possible chance of success on your wedding day and create a wise, implementable Inclement Weather Plan.

Take the following into consideration when you plan for rain (or worse):

• Where are you planning to hold your ceremony or reception? Is there an obvious indoor location that offers a suitable alternative?
• Is a tent necessary in the event of rain? Is your location suitable and safe for a tent? How far in advance do you need to contact the rental company and how close to the wedding date can you cancel without incurring hefty penalties?
• If your events are indoors, will the available parking facilities work in all weather (dirt lots or low-lying areas may flood). Is the distance between the parking and wedding site inordinately far? Is a valet service available or warranted considering the conditions?
• What day and time will the rain call be made? Who will make the final decision (hint – save this for a trusted family member if you feel you can’t handle the stress and still make an objective decision)? Who needs to be notified? Your caterer, rental company, florist, transportation company and entertainment may all need to take extra measures for a flawless event.
• Do you need to make special considerations for your musicians? Is electricity involved? Do you need to provide shelter for an expensive instrument, and can they safely transport their equipment to your site?
• Will your rain plan safely and comfortably accommodate all of your guests? Will seating changes be necessary?

Of course, there are always circumstances that we absolutely cannot control. When dealing with freak blizzards, hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions, the best you can do is open every possible line of communication with your guests (especially those who are traveling) and your service providers and accept that as important as your wedding day is, the safety of all of those involved is paramount.

Make plans for inclement weather well before you need them and you’ll reduce the stress of everyone involved and set the pace for an amazing wedding day!

Can’t Keep Up? 5 Ways to Simplify Your Wedding Planning

Why is it that in giving all kinds of unsolicited advice and input, no one ever warns brides of an important universal truth: life, with all of its demands and stresses simply does not stop when you’re planning your wedding.

This can be frustrating, especially when your life is pretty crazy to begin with. Perhaps you’re in grad school and trying to complete an advanced degree. Maybe you and your fiancé both have high-intensity careers.

It’s hard enough for you to have lunch together once a week and now you’re expected to coordinate an event like none you’ve ever planned; one that costs more than almost anything you’ve ever purchased, and with a team of people you’ve met all of once?

If you’re stressed, it’s hardly a wonder!

Here are some painless steps you can take to simplify your wedding planning and reduce the stress:

1. Delegate: accept that by losing a little bit of control you’ll gain a bunch of sanity, something you could use more of right now. Let your fiancé choose the DJ, or give your mom your favor specs and let her sort out the rest.
2. Prioritize: not everything needs to be decided at once. Choose your venue, your caterer (if necessary) and your wedding planner in the first round as early as you can. Give yourself a month or two then select your photographer, florist and entertainer. After a little break secure your invitations and baker. Depending on your priorities and the demand for the pros you really want, you may shuffle some of these around, but know that you don’t have to pick everything all in one fell swoop. Give yourself time to internalize your wedding priorities and attend to your “non-wedding” life demands.
3. Choose a Board of Directors: hand pick the people who will help you make decisions and then very nicely let everyone else know that you have it under control. Be selective – if your dear sister drives you absolutely nuts, exclude her from the short list (but be nice and give her some task, as inconsequential as it is, that she can work on so she’ll feel important). Weddings are by nature committee-style projects, but you’re the Chief Operating Officer – choose your advisors and block out the rest of the voices.
4. Make a Plan: a written plan. If you start your event timeline early, you can easily visualize which decisions have been made and which ones are outstanding. You’ll feel more in control of the process and have fewer “have I thought about every possible thing” moments. Streamlining the work makes everything easier.
5. Hire the Best; then Trust Them: be diligent in your screening process and hire the professionals best suited to your wedding needs. Then trust them. Micromanaging isn’t the same thing as communicating, and it will only serve to drive you AND your pros batty. Choose wisely and communicate effectively – you’ll have done everything humanly possible to have the wedding day of your dreams. Maintain a sense of humor and it will feel like a magical day.

Don’t let the stress of life compound the stress of planning a wedding. You have the power to take control of your planning process and implement some great practices. If you do, you’ll thank yourself on your wedding day.