Outdoor ceremonies are very popular these days, but there is always that famous question “What if it rains”? The weather is the one thing that you cannot organise, but you can be prepared!
Sick with worry leading up to your big day? Anxiously checking the weather forecast? Here are some ways to ease the concern and embrace what you cannot control…. (The weather)!
Stop obsessing over the forecasted weather: Should you check the forecast leading up to your big day, absolutely! But don’t obsess and work yourself up over it, because as we all know the weather is in the hands of Mother Nature! We cannot control it. Another reason not to fixate on the weather, is because the weatherman has been known to get it wrong from time to time and can sometimes be misleading. It may rain in the morning and clear up just in time for your ceremony!
Have a contingency plan and communicate it: If you have prepared for the worst-case scenario with a back up plan, then you will certainly ease the worry of bad weather on your special day! Be sure to keep all of your guests and wedding vendors in the loop. A great idea is to include rain cards with your invitations, outlining what your wet weather action plan is, alternative locations and directions. Inform all of your vendors of the contingency and set an expectation by informing them what the cut off time will be.
Change the ceremony, but not the location: Do you have the option to alter your ceremony location? Perhaps there is an undercover area such as a gazebo or you could rent a tent. To have your wet weather option within the immediate vicinity is ideal, as this enables you to make a quick decision close to the ceremony start time. This also means that a simple announcement can be made to your wedding guests.
Keep it pretty: Provide aesthetic umbrellas, gumboots and blankets for all of your guests and the bridal party. Not only are you looking after your guests, having alike wet weather items ensures consistency in your images. These items can also double as great props to have fun with during your wedding shoot.
Embrace it: At the end of the day, a wedding is the celebration of two people declaring their love and making a life commitment to one another. The weather doesn’t matter and what will be, is what will be so instead of getting annoyed or upset, look on the bright side, make the best of it, laugh it off and dance in the rain!
Having an outdoor ceremony, can certainly be a wet weather risk, however if you are well equipped with a good contingency, be realistic and prepare yourself for your special day not being exactly how you imagined, then you will be thoroughly covered for the possibility of rain on your wedding day!
Josh and Alison tied the knot on Valentines Day 2015! Merriment Weddings had the honour of transforming the semi-rural private residence into the most beautiful rustic setting. After weathering a little rain, the ceremony went ahead as planned and was delivered beautifully by Celebrant, Carol Martin. The relaxed, but lively cocktail reception followed, with entertainment provided by Big City DJ and GMT Photography captured the essence of this wedding beautifully. We wish Josh and Alison all the very best and thank you for letting us be a part of your special day.
Congratulations! You are about to set off on your journey down the aisle! It is the most exciting and happy time in your life, however panic mode is inevitable! Many brides find it one of the most stressful periods in their lives!
Planning a wedding is usually a once in a lifetime event and the planning period should not be feared! You are allowed to enjoy being engaged and not endure unnecessary stress in the lead up to your big day!
Yes, there is a lot to accomplish in a short period of time, but it does not have to be complex or stressful!
So, now that you are engaged, what is next? Here are a few simple steps to get you started!
- Announce the news! Share this wonderful news with your family and friends!
- Work out a tentative date! Family and friends are just as excited as you are! As soon as you announce your news to the world, the first question they’re going to ask is, “have you set a date”? If you have an idea of when you will tie the knot, this will satisfy your family and friends until you can confirm the exact date.
- Celebrate! This is one of the most exciting times in your life! Have a party! Pop the champagne and show off your new bling!
- Think about how you want your special day to be! Do you want a big traditional wedding, a small intimate wedding, or something in between? Keep it simple for now and focus on a few elements such as food, décor and entertainment. This is a good time to start making boards/pinning on Pinterest and looking through wedding magazines!
- Determine a wedding budget! Work out what is important, what things you can do without. Ensure to be realistic, overestimate and include every aspect of the wedding in your budget! Also set up a spreadsheet to keep track of your budget.
- Confirm the date and book your ceremony and reception! Your wedding date may be dependent on the particular venue that you are keen to book. The venue might not have availability. Have a few dates in mind to allow flexibility.
- Consider who will be part of the bridal party! This is another aspect that friends and family will want to know, the minute that you’re engaged and it doesn’t hurt to tick this off the list early! You may want to delegate some wedding tasks to your bridal party and knowing who will be in your bridal party will also help you work out the number of dresses, bouquets etc. you will need, which takes you back to the wedding budget.
We hope you find these few initial steps helpful. If you require further advice on where to start and what to do, contact us to discuss! We can offer inexpensive packages that provide guidance and invaluable advice!
This is a common misconception and a question that wedding planners are often asked!
There certainly is some confusion about these two roles! Although complementary, they are absolutely not that same service and their roles are very much different!
Below is a brief overview of each role to set the record straight!
The Venue coordinator
The venue coordinator works directly for the venue and acts as a salesperson as well as being the main point of contact between you and the on-site operations team.
Their role is to assist you with any aspects of your wedding concerning the venue such as assistance with food and beverage selection, menu tastings, compiling a wedding day run sheet and coordinating venue payments.
The Wedding Planner
A professional wedding planner is your very own personal consultant, with a vested interest in every aspect of your wedding. A wedding planner will become involved from the very start to ensure every detail of your day is a success and orchestrated exactly how imagined it to be!
Wedding planners become the main contact for all suppliers and service providers such as your celebrant, photographer, entertainment and florist. Your wedding planner’s primary goal is to ensure that you, as the bride and groom are taken care of, every step of the way during the planning process and on the actual wedding day.
In conclusion, both venue coordinators and wedding planners play a key role and are valuable people to have during the planning process and on the wedding day itself.
Wedding planning distracts you from all of the wonderful, enjoyable things about getting married. Planning takes a lot of time and effort resulting in stress and emotions running wild.
A wedding planner will take care of all the details of your wedding day, allowing you to enjoy the fun parts, whilst saving you precious time, freeing you of stress and keeping you sane!
So, just what are the benefits? What will a wedding planner do for me? below are some of the important roles of a professional wedding planner.
The Time Saver
Wedding planners will save you a huge amount of time. The average bride spends around 10 hours per week planning her big day! Imagine all of the extra things you could be doing with those 10 hours!
The Money Saver
A wedding planner will save you money by negotiating contracts on your behalf, helping you to manage your wedding budget and suggesting cheaper alternatives.
The Connector
Wedding planners know which suppliers are reputable and the ones that are not, as well as recommending suppliers who are right for your style and budget.
The Advisor
Wedding planners have the knowledge and expertise to advise you on all things related to weddings.
The Problem Solver
A wedding planner will deal with problems that you don’t want to deal with on your big day, solving last-minute issues and having a back up plan in place, giving you piece of mind.
The Logistics and Timings Coordinator
Confirming details, timings and managing logistics – things you don’t want to deal with in the lead up to your wedding and on the day itself.
The Correspondence Manager
A wedding planner will manage all communication and paperwork, ensuring that all the contracts, invoices, and payments get signed and delivered on time.
The Decision Maker
When you are procrastinating and finding it difficult to make a decision, your wedding planner will be objective and weigh up the pros and cons.
The Inspirer
A wedding planner will inspire you and come up with creative ideas for a wedding theme and styling elements.
Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming experience and hiring a professional wedding planner can be one of the best steps to take. They will become your best friend throughout the planning process. Wedding planners are not only for the rich and famous, they cater for all types of budgets and sizes. They can make a big difference and can be the most cost-effective move in the end. A wedding planner is a great support system and one of the most important things they can do for you, is provide you with peace of mind, which is absolutely priceless!
