Reflecting on the wedding process, I want to go back and take a look at the last two weeks going into the wedding. Throughout the entire wedding process I didn’t take very much help from Alec, bridesmaids, or family. I felt like I could do it all. After all, I am a planner. This is where I went wrong. Trying to work, finish up remaining details, and still attend social obligations like birthdays and graduation parties small wedding tasks got put on the back burner. For example, I needed to get all of these bottles to my florist that were being used as vases at least a couple of days before the wedding. But, I could have done it a month before. I waited until 2 days before I needed to pick them up and stressed myself out so much that I actually made myself ill.
Photo Credit: William James Photography
Here is an example of what needed to be done with only 5 days remaining before my wedding: drop off final venue details, pick up vases from the rental company and drop them off at the florist, pack for the honeymoon, pay final vendors, write thank you notes, assemble bridesmaid & groomsmen gifts, mani/ pedi, get my ring cleaned, DIY chalkboards, final dress alterations and pick up my dress. And instead of paying for delivery for my Portland vendors to go down to Salem I picked up everything in Friday including: cake, linens, flowers, cheese, kegs, kegorators – then take them to a variety of places in Salem and all before rehearsal at 6:00.
I thank god that I had the people I did in the final weeks of the wedding. When I realized (after laying awake stressing about the details) that I was going to need help, all I did was simply asked and it got done. Alex killed it and as long as he had specific tasks, he would get it done right away and it was one less thing on my checklist. My bridesmaid wrote out all of our chalkboards and my mom called down the last minute family members that hadn’t RSVP’d. If you have people in your life that can do even what seems like the smallest of tasks, it really adds up in the end because it’s the small things that always get forgotten.
Now let’s talk about how foolish I was about the amount of work I took on in the upcoming weeks. In continuation of my “I can do it all” attitude, I thought I didn’t need to take off that much work. Not many of you know, but I have a full time job as a venue coordinator for a hospital in addition to my wedding planning business. I decided that I only needed the Friday off before the wedding from the hospital. Looking back I would have like at least Wednesday-Friday off to get all of those last minute details done. Then, I also took on a wedding the weekend before my own. Which I certainly could have use the time to prepare, but the bride needed me before I needed the time and it was worth it in the end for sure.
If you learn anything from me, when it comes to the time crunch of the last minute details, take the help that is offered and give yourself enough time to accomplish all the thing that are remaining.
Also have a rockstar team like I did:
Venue: Deepwood Estate
Photography: William James Photography
Planner: Events by Lisa Marie
Florist: Botanica Floral Design
Bakery: JaCiva
Rentals: Danner & Soli
Stationary: Crave Design
