As a wedding planner there are million and ten pieces of advice we want to give to all our brides as they tackle the process of planning their big day.  Below you will find just a few of our wedding consultants most indispensable secrets!

Guests

Our first and most critical piece of advice has to do with your guests; those individuals who you deem most important in your life.  There is no hard rule when it comes to the number of people you invite to your wedding, who to include, and where the cut off should be.  Invite as many or as few guests as you desire, just make sure to have enough space for everyone.   For every guest the venue should have approximately 25 square feet of space for each guest. If you plan on having 300 guests, it is important to find a space that is 7,500 square feet or more.  This allows plenty of room for seating, staff, entertainment, and activities.

Black Out Dates

If you are planning on having out of town guests, it is important to be sure there are adequate accommodations for all of them.  Before booking anything check the local events calendar.  If there is an annual tree lighting, charity run, or conference in town the same weekend you want to get married it may be beneficial to make other arrangements.  If the date is unable to be changed look into a different location.  There are going to be certain dates within the year where area hotels will not have availability.  The last thing you want is for your guests to be unable to attend due to lack of accommodations.

Mother Nature

Unfortunately, the weather is an element that is outside everyone’s control.   Your vision may include a beautiful outdoor wedding with a late-night reception in a white tent on the lawn of your childhood home.  This grand vision is perfect in every way except that you are dead set on a wedding in the middle of July in Michigan where the weather is often hot, humid, and unbearable outside.  Guests are likely to skip out early if they are uncomfortable.  We have seen the weather scenario play out not only due to heat but also the cold.  When you are planning your wedding, it is crucial that you take into account all of the scenarios mother nature is known to dish out.  Outdoor summer weddings need to consider the heat and bugs.   Fall weddings should consider the potential for drastic differences in the temperature from the intense hot Indian summer day that is known to occur in the middle of October to that ever-possible flurry.  Have a few plans in place: one for the picture-perfect day of your dreams, one for the worst weather situation possibly imagined, and one that meets in the middle.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at http://www.eventplanningdc.com

Leave a Reply