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Sneaky Wedding Day Surprises

Well, my latest wedding gig was Saturday. Beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. Rained, but not during the ceremony, just a little before and a lot after. You know… right when I was driving home through the canyons with the back of my car filled to the brim with candy buffet containers and reception remainders. Sigh. All part of the service. And better me than the Bride and Groom, right?

But this wedding, especially, reminded me of all the things that can sneak up on you during the day, even if someone (like me) is waving in your face trying to warn you. So, here’s a few tips to avoid that “Wait, What? How did that happen??” feeling. Umm, well…

Brace yourself for clouds on that horizon. (Courtesy of B&G Photography)

Rain, Rain, Go Away: But alas, it won’t. If your ceremony and reception are scheduled to be outdoors, and the forecast is looking cloudy, have a plan. An indoor spot at your venue, an alternative location. You might not need it, but it will stress you out less if you know that it’s there. Better to have and not need, etc. If there’s a lot of decoration for your outdoor, potentially rained-out wedding, try and start it as late as you can.

Your guests can’t find their place cards/tables: 100 people cramming a table, trying to find their place cards. Confusion! I am serious about this – print out a  list of your guests in alphabetical order by last name, with their table numbers. Have someone, preferably whoever set up the place cards in the first place, monitor the table with list in hand. Use actual and full real names, and don’t get cute – arrange the place cards by last name, because everyone knows what their last name is. I once had a guest at another wedding looking through the place cards for his, to no avail. It was there, he just didn’t realize he was Uncle Hootie, because his real name is David Peters. No nicknames, guys.

Reaching Your Bar Consumption: You’ve put down money for the bar, and your banquet manager/wedding planner informs you that you’re about $50 away from your limit.  And the cocktail hour isn’t even over, yet (true story). Toss some more money at it, or shut it down?  At your final meeting with the caterer before the wedding, go over your choices carefully. Is it better to have an open bar, or offer select drinks, instead? How much is each drink plus tax and service? If you know that your crowd drinks, don’t go for the regular schedule of two drinks per person – calculate it at 3 or 4. Figure out the most that it will probably cost you, and go from there.

Watch it!

Time, Time, TIME. There is one definite with every wedding: When everyone needs to get the heck out. That includes your vendors and that includes you. If your photographer is scheduled to leave at 10pm, and it’s 9:50 and you haven’t cut the cake or had your first dance, yet, then odds are they are not going to stick around without charging you. If your venue contract says you’re done by midnight, then you’re not going to be able to stay longer without them charging you. Find out what those charges are beforehand,  memorize them, and decide what you’re going to do if someone taps you on your shoulder and then taps their watch. It happens – toasts can take 45 minutes instead of 20, family pictures can get delayed because you can’t find your Dad’s cousin (who is at the other bar at the other end of the hotel), four-course meals can take a little too long. General rule: You can make up a time delay of 15 minutes or less. Anything more than that and you run the risk of running out of time. Try to nip it in the bud by informing your wedding party and family of the schedule, and where they need to be, when, and to keep the speeches short. Have a watch of your own. And don’t send someone after your Dad’s cousin who doesn’t know what he looks like.

But the one, best approach to facing whatever comes your way? Is to stay calm. It’s all going to work out. You’ll have a fantastic day. You’ve been forewarned, you’re not forearmed, and you’re still going to have a wonderful day. Enjoy it.

So, what other surprises are you worried about running into, and how are you going to combat them? Or did any of you run into any other sneaks during your wedding? Let me know in the comments.

See you at the end of the aisle,