When you plan a wedding, you can easily forget to organise basic things, even ones that are painfully obvious. This happens because there are just so many elements to keep track of. To combat this, we’ve gathered a list of wedding essentials to help guide you through the process of planning your wedding. You’ll find some of the suggestions obvious, and others will be a surprise.
Amazing food
Okay, so having food at your wedding has most certainly crossed your mind, but have you made having high quality food a priority? Think back to all the weddings you’ve been to and consider the meals you ate. Were you often feeling a bit flat after being served an average meal? If this sounds like you then definitely don’t let your own guests suffer the same fate. Choose caterers that cook with seasonal produce and taste the menu before you confirm which caterer you’re going with. Also, make sure you have delicious options for the various dietary requirements like vegan and gluten free. Little touches like these will keep your guests happy and satisfied.
Beverages for everyone
Often at weddings, you’ll have beer, wine and champagne as the included drinks, but you should consider people who don’t or can’t drink, children and the older guests too. Have some non-alcoholic options like some fizzy drinks, juice or even just water. So many people forget to have table water at their weddings which isn’t good for those going hard on the booze. And for the older guests, consider having a tea station. We Brits love our tea so keep the older guests happy, along with probably everyone else by having a tea station.
Seats
Having seats at your wedding ceremony may seem obvious but I don’t know about you, but I’ve been to at least 5 weddings where there weren’t enough seats for all the guests at the ceremony. This results in your guests getting super tired from standing and those sitting feeling awkward that they have a seat when others do not. It’s a massive faux pas that too many couples don’t think that much about. Provide seats for all of your guests, it’s the nice thing to do and will help them enjoy your day more. Standing around for extended periods will tire everyone out, and nobody wants a room full of tired guests.
Weather remedies
Like the seating, providing solutions to combat the weather conditions will show how much you’ve considered the comfort of your guests. No one can be comfortable at a wedding if the weather is too much to handle and it detracts from the ceremony or reception.
If the weather is really hot, consider providing handheld fans, sunscreen, parasols and lots of iced water will make your guests more comfortable and they’ll love you for it. Let’s face it, the last thing you want is your great aunt Mary collapsing from heatstroke.
If the weather goes in the other direction resulting in freezing temperatures, consider have a fire pit, providing blankets and having a hot chocolate station. This is ideal for glamping themed weddings or any that are taking place outside. Of course, if you’re marrying in the dead of winter, perhaps consider an indoor venue where temperature controlled heating will keep everyone comfortable.
A celebrant
Booking a celebrant is probably the most important thing you must do for your wedding. Without a celebrant, there is literally going to be no wedding. To get married officially you need an official to do it, so you really need that celebrant. If you plan to marry on a weekend, find and book your celebrant super early. They book out quickly, especially on weekends.
Accessibility for all guests
An important thing to consider when you plan your wedding is the accessibility of it. Sure, you might think all of your guests are reasonably fit and you personally don’t know anyone with an obvious disability so you don’t feel the need to always provide seating or accessible entryways. However, what if someone you know has an illness that they haven’t mentioned, what if someone becomes pregnant before your wedding or even injures themselves and ends up on crutches. Considering your guest’s requirements is paramount to having a successful wedding.
Entertainment
For the majority of weddings, you’ll want to be entertained in some way. Some couples do this by having great music and lots of dancing. Others choose to have a photo booth or lawn games. Whatever you end up doing, you’ll want your wedding to have some kind of entertainment. Have a think about what you want your wedding to be like. Think about other weddings that you went to and enjoyed. Did they have a lot of dancing? Or was there limited music and lots of chatting over the great food? Consider yourselves as a couple, what you enjoy and consider your guests too.
Cake or dessert
Lately, traditional wedding cakes are becoming less and less popular. People now choose to have dessert tables, “cakes” made of cheese wheels or no cakes at all. Not having a something sweet like cake is a mistake. Everyone needs cake at a wedding. It’s often the thing that I personally look forward to most at a wedding, after the ceremony of course.
You don’t have to have a traditional tiered cake covered in crisp white fondant to satisfy the cake portion of your wedding. You can choose to have desserts like a range of pies if they’re your favourite sweet thing to eat. You can have cupcake towers or trays of donuts. There doesn’t need to be actual cake but there should definitely be something that’s sweet. Sugar is the perfect pick-me-up after a long day and weddings are huge and exhausting. Even you’ll appreciate the sweet treats at the end of the night when your feet are sore and you’ve talked and smiled so much that your face hurts. So pick something that you and your partner love and everyone else will love it too.
