20 COMMONLY FORGOTTEN WEDDING DAY ESSENTIALS | Plan ahead with our list of 20 commonly forgotten essentials for every wedding
- Be The One
- Jul 19, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 4, 2024
There's so much that goes into making a wedding day special so there's bound to be one or two things that slip your mind while you plan for your big day!
Make sure you're staying on top of wedding planning and not leaving anything behind with this list of 20 most commonly forgotten essentials for the day.
1 VENDOR MEALS
It's natural that your first thought would be ensuring guests have a great time at your wedding and are entertained, fed and watered, so it's easy to forget about the people serving you on the day.
If you’re having your wedding in a venue that provides waiting staff (such as a hotel) then you don’t need to worry about providing meals for them as the company will take care of this, but anyone who you’ve hired externally to work the day will require feeding - people such as photographers/videographers and DJs.
Most vendors will have something about a food/beverage allowance in their contract but please don’t forget to feed the people working on the day!
2 GRATUITIES & FINAL PAYMENTS
It’s easy to get swept up in the magic of the day, with all the anticipation and excitement, but unfortunately you will need to keep at least one foot on the ground as you’ll need to arrange final payments.
Some vendors have it set up in their contracts that they are paid a % deposit and the rest of the payment on the day. You will need to have this payment with you on the day or have the transfer scheduled with your bank.
It’s also a good custom to tip your workers, so ensure you’ve got cash for that too. I recommend putting one trusted person in charge of delegating final payments and gratuities so you don’t need to worry about handing out payments on the day.
3 MARRIAGE LICENCE
It is shocking how many people forget to arrange a marriage licence. Unless you have one you can not get married! It’s as simple as that…
A marriage licence can take up to several weeks to get approved so don’t leave this until the last minute.
Did you know that clients who book to work with us receive a FREE checklist to help keep you on track of tasks?! It even has recommended deadlines! See some suggestions of how we can help you here.
4 PHYSICAL COPY OF YOUR VOWS
Writing your own, personal vows can be a beautiful way to personalise the ceremony and wow guests. However, it’s not impressive if you’re planning on reading them from your phone and it suddenly runs out of charge because in the madness of the night before you forgot to leave it on charge…
I recommend attempting to memorise them, but I understand that sometimes nerves can get the best of you and your mind goes blank, so please ensure you have a printed or handwritten copy of your vows in your pocket or with a trusted member of the bridal party. I promise you won’t regret it.
5 WEDDING DAY TIMELINE
A lot of couples will create a timeline for guests so they can know what to expect from the day. This is a great idea so you don’t get bothered with the same questions all day long, but this usually includes what time the ceremony and reception starts, when the meal will be served etc.
I recommend having a detailed schedule for the entire day starting with what time you plan to wake up, when hair & makeup will be arriving etc.
If you’re interested, t his is just one of the ways we can help you with organising for your big day. After all, it’s always good practice to know when the latest you can leave but still make it to your ceremony on time is. Get in touch for a chat now and claim your free checklist!
6 EMERGENCY KIT
A few days before the wedding make yourself a little box filled with a few items often needed in an emergency. This includes things, like safety pins in case a zip breaks at the last minute, bandages for covering cuts or ugly bruises, stain remover, painkillers for unexpected cramps and even a lint roller.
7 PENS FOR YOUR GUESTBOOK
In the madness of remembering to pack all your DIY items and table decor into the car it can be easy to forget little things - especially something as small as a pen 🤦♀️
It might seem simple but please don’t rely on your venue to offer you pens. I’m not suggesting the venue will withhold their pens from you if you asked, but please try to remember that they may not have the right kind of pen - for example they may only have office pens which might not work, depending on the type of paper you’ve chosen for your guestbook. The ink may not show up well.
Remember your sharpies!
8 CEREMONY ACCESSORIES
This includes items such as a pillow or little bag to hold the rings or baskets for your flower girls to carry down the aisle.
If you’ve chosen to ‘jump the broom’ don’t forget the broom!
9 CAKE KNIFE
Don’t assume the people providing the cake will also provide a cake knife!
Depending on the venue you’ve chosen, some may provide one as part of a package but you should definitely enquire about this at your consultations beforehand.
10 BACKUP WEATHER PLANS
If you’ve decided on an outdoor wedding it’s best practice to have a back up plan in case of bad weather. Especially in the UK the weather can be unpredictable, so it’s best to have a plan B in writing in case your original plan can’t go ahead.
If your alternative plan is to get wet then so be it but make sure you’ve communicated this with whoever is in charge of running the day - either an event planner or coordinator.
Oftentimes, if not told otherwise, staff will assume bad weather means relocating chairs and decorations inside - if you have a specific room you’d prefer or don’t want this at all then you need to let staff know.
Just like how you’ll be asked to provide a clear and detailed room set up for your event coordinator to follow, you’ll need another for the backup option. I recommend they are clearly labelled and kept together.
11 OVERNIGHT BAGS
Don’t forget toiletries for the morning of and morning after…
We recommend having this packed a few nights before so you have plenty of time to grab any last bits you or your future partner might have missed.
Most people remember to pack something to get ready in - usually a specially made robe with either your name or the word ‘bride’ written on, but so many seem to forget a set of clothes to pack everything away with the day after. It obviously doesn’t need to be anything special or custom made, but you may still want to take pictures so something cute never hurts.
12 BREAKFAST THE MORNING OF
In the excitement of the day, with nerves and schedules and people coming and going, it can be easy to get caught up in everything and forget to eat breakfast.
It may seem obvious but please don’t forget to schedule breakfast for everyone that needs to get ready.
If you don’t think there’ll be time for a sit down breakfast between getting your hair and make-up done then either schedule yourself room service, or go out and buy some sharing bits. The point is that you should arrange this the night before.
13 VENDOR INFO SHEET
Create a list of all the information for each of the vendors you have hired for the day and keep this safe - either in your emergency kit or with a trusted member of the bridal party.
This list should include everyone's contact numbers, what time they are scheduled to arrive, as well as if they require any final payments on the day (we recommend you keep the payments with this info sheet too).
God forbid someone doesn’t arrive on time, now you have a quick reference contact sheet.
If you’re finding being so organised tricky, this is something we can help you with as virtual planning assistants. Check out a few of our suggested services here.
14 CONFIRMING TRANSPORT
If your ceremony and reception are in different locations then you especially need to check that you’ve confirmed what time your chosen transport is arriving as well as what route they will be taking to the reception.
You may wish for them to take the long way round so you can have a little alone time with your new husband/wife/life partner.
It’s also a good idea to make sure you’ve made it very clear to guests whether or not you will be providing them with transport to and from your location or if they will need to arrange transport themselves. If you require guests to drive then ensure your location has enough parking spaces.
This is something that we recommend you include on your wedding website!
15 ORDER OF SPEECHES
This is something you will probably go over during the rehearsal, but make sure everyone that you’re expecting to make a speech knows this, as well as the order in which they will be doing so.
You may even wish to hear the speech beforehand if you’re someone who doesn’t care for surprises.
16 WEDDING RINGS
Everyone thinks it’s adorable to have children acting as ring bearers during the ceremony (it is) but please don’t think it’s acceptable to leave the kids in charge of the rings safekeeping before the actual ceremony.
Hand the rings over to the kids' parents or a trusted member of the bridal party on the morning of the ceremony and only hand the rings over to the children a minute before they’re due to walk down the aisle.
Trust me…
17 SIGNAGE
This refers to more than a seating chart.
Don’t assume guests will know where the restrooms are… Of course, some venues will have adequate signage already, but if your wedding reception is being held in a marquee then a sign informing guests of where they can find certain things can be really helpful. This can include things such as where the guest book is, where the photo booth is etc..
Additionally, if you’d prefer guests not to take pictures during the event then have a sign that lets them know this. It also works if you have a custom wedding hashtag you’d like guests to use.
18 PHOTO LIST
A photo list is something that you give to your photographer ahead of time which includes all of the shots you’d like them to take for you. This can include the first dance, cutting the cake, speeches etc… It can also include certain family member combinations. Even if you’d like the pictures to seem spontaneous, a good photographer can pull the necessary strings to get the shot you want in a way that seems natural and not at all forced.
If you’d like help with this, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
19 CHILDCARE
If you have children attending then we suggest you ensure there’s enough to keep them entertained for the entirety of the day. We recommend things such as games, puzzles, colouring books or (if you have the budget) an entertainer. (This applies for during the ceremony too)
Additionally, if you don’t want guests leaving early because of varying bedtimes, it might be worth hiring a babysitter for the evening. Although a nice idea, please keep in mind that not everyone will feel comfortable leaving their children with whoever you choose.
If you don’t feel too creative and would like help creating a custom activity book for the little ones attending your wedding, get in touch for a quick quote. Remember virtual assistants are there to lend a helping hand with odd tasks so work out MUCH cheaper than hiring a wedding planner.
20 GIFT TRANSPORT
Although many choose to gift cards or money these days, if you’ve requested guests to give a physical item then you will need to ensure you have allowed enough space in the car to take them all home with you.
Have you ever noticed that when you go on holiday your suitcase is always packed really neat and organised on the way there but somehow on the way back there never seems to be enough space, even though it’s the exact same amount of stuff..? It’s the same with packing a car..
If your car is full of DIY items on the way to the venue, remember that somehow there’s always more on the way back.
If you’ve got friends or family travelling home in the same direction, it’s always worth asking if you can store some of your bits in their car.
There you have it!
That’s 20 commonly forgotten details for the day of the wedding. I hope that having read this you can now go into your wedding day feeling prepared and equipped for anything that could be thrown at you - whether that’s a late photographer, rainy weather or broken zippers.
Congratulations and enjoy your day!
