What To Plan Once You’ve Booked Your Venue
Congratulations! One of the first big things to check off your to-do list is done! You’ve booked your venue and that now means your other plans can start to fall into place…with the right amount of planning! Here are some tips to keep your timeline running smoothly and to keep your wedding planning as stress-free as possible.
Set Your Deadlines
With any big project, you need to have deadlines set in place. Sometimes, it’s for the not-so-fun stuff, but they’re the things that you need to get out of the way. Whether it’s deadlines for payments, sending out save the dates, or getting your final guest count. This will allow for a full spectrum of what exactly it is you are planning for.
Plan Another Visit To Your Venue
You’ve probably been dying to get back to your venue from the moment you left it after your initial tour. There’s a reason you picked it, and by being there you were probably inspired, truly envisioning your special day. After you’ve confirmed, leave it a couple of months (depending on your timeline) then schedule another visit/walk-through. At The Elm Estate, we invite our couple to come in for “Detail Meetings”. You can read more about our “Detail Meetings” here.
Connect Your Planner With Your Venue
If you have a wedding planner, you’re going to want to connect them with the venue. Some planners may already be familiar with the property, but it’s still something you want to do so that communication for the day can be seamless.
Find Your Vendors
The list could go on for the vendors that you could hire for your wedding! Once you get engaged, you’ll probably be flooded with recommendations from friends: who they used, what they liked, and what they didn’t like. Food, entertainment, photographers, videographers, cake, etc! It can be overwhelming. At The Elm Estate, we provide a list of our preferred vendors, who we know and trust, who also know our venue and the operations so well. You’re not required to use our preferred vendors, but it can certainly take any fear off of choosing the wrong vendor.
Do A Tasting
Yum!! You’ve selected your vendors, but now you need to sample their food and finalize the menu! This goes for cake and cocktail tasting too! At The Elm Estate, we’ll invite you in for a bar tasting leading up to your big day. A great opportunity to get creative and mix up a specialty cocktail. You could do one for you and your partner, or you could combine your taste and make an “Ours” drink that symbolizes your special day.
Finalize The Details
This goes without saying. With all that planning, you’re going to want to make sure that all the loose ends are tied and that all communication with your property, your planners and your vendors are connected. At least a month before your big day, you’re going to want to get your final menus confirmed and printed, have a timeline written up for your coordinator, have your seating plan and ensure that the site is aware of any extra decor you are going to have or last minute changes, whether it’s to be provided by them or yourself.
Have Fun!
The most important one of all! This day is going to come and go but the memories you make with the planning and the day of, are what you are going to take away when you look back. Remember, the reason this is all happening is because you are there to celebrate your love with your nearest and dearest. There may be times when the lead up feels a little overwhelming, but this really is a once in a lifetime experience and we really can’t encourage you enough to soak it all in and have all the fun!
Here at The Elm Estate, we prioritize our couples’ experiences and the memories that are going to be made on our property. We pride ourselves on the service and support that we provide to our couples from the moment they inquire to beyond their wedding day. Contact us today to schedule a tour and let’s chat about your wedding!