My wedding venue is pretty much a blank canvas and we're bringing everything in ourselves...even catering and flowers. So, we don't have the option of paying our vendors to do the setup and cleanup.
For example: our venue has chairs we can use, but we have to set them up and also move them from the ceremony area to the reception area if we don't want to rent another set of chairs. I don't want to ask my family or DOC to do these jobs either.
For all those DIY brides out there, how did you it? Who strung your lanterns and layed out the aisle runner? Did you just hire a couple of people to do everything? or did you enlist the help of family and friends? Help!
My family and close friends stepped up to the plate for decorating the day before the wedding, being DOCs the day of, and striking after we left for the honeymoon. I did not let anyone help me wthile I was planning, and towards the end, they were desperate to help and I was too frazzled to say no. I appreciated their willingness to do anything and everything that was needed, and now I know that I can't/shouldn't DIY anything by myself. It was a lot of fun to be together like that, especially since we love getting together and we're not often able to.
thanks so much! Sounds like you had a lovely time with your family.
Unfortunately, our venue doesn't allow us to come in the day before. We can only decorate the day of the wedding, and on top of that, they charge us by the hour the moment a vendor walks in!!
are you sure they can't allow you to come in the day before, especially if they don't have another event? You should try to convince them. Other than that, honestly, do not do it yourself. its too much. Either hire someone to do it, or get some family/friends to do it. And don't feel bad about it!!!
If you can't get in the day before, and the venue charges as soon as you walk in (which sucks, btw!), I'd probably just suck it up and hire someone. They'll probably get it more quickly and efficiently than family/friends, and save everyone a lot of stress.
We got lucky, and got to spend all day Friday decorating and setting up. I managed to do most of it myself, and then two friends arrived early to help with the rest. We had a small, simple wedding, and even that still took a few hours.
Friends and family! Ask people close to you (who might not mind missing the first part of the reception).... Your close friends and family will be eager to help.
That sounds like a job for the groomsmen to me! :) It will take you and your ladies much longer to get ready before the wedding, so it can be something to keep the groom and his groomsmen busy with? As long as there is also a place onsite for them to get cleaned up before they get dressed? Either that or other friends and family. They are all there to help you make your day special, and I'm sure anyone would be willing to help! Good Luck.
We had this same issue! The schedule I had set up gave us an hour from the time we got to the facility to the time we were to walk down the isle. Granted out facility set up the chairs and buffet tables for us, but I'm sure we could have done it even if we'd had to do that. For a success story, we ended up starting a half an hour late and only because our officiant/friend got lost and was late.
Here's how I did it! I enlisted my friends very early on and asked them to help me as our wedding gift. I wasn't able to have all the girls in my bridal party that I wanted to, so these girls I asked to help were all very close friends. They helped me do all kinds of things the day before the wedding.
As far as the wedding day, I had everything organized and placed in boxes. For instance everything that my mom needed to set up cookie buffet table number 1 was in the box labeled as such. I also put together very detailed (read: ocd, scary!) layouts of the tables so that they would know exactly where I wanted everything placed on the tables. Some of my friends were assigned to do odds and ends decorating things and I made sure that everything they needed (including scissors, tape, etc.) was in their box with a layout of what they needed to do. I also had it set up so that everyone broke down what they had put up, that whey they knew exaclty what they were looking for.
The night before the wedding the girls all hung out at my house so I went through everything with each girl. I showed them the layout, walked them through each thing in the box and answered any questions they had. By the time we got the facility everyone knew exactly what they were being asked to do, and it was set up before i even knew it! In fact they kept pushing me out the door because I kept trying to set up table cloths and such.
All the girls really enjoyed being involved and I they all said it made them feel more involved and investing in our wedding (and not like hired help which I was afraid of). Anytime I'm asked to help the key is that they tell me very clearly what they need me to do and give me the tools i need to do a good job of it! Feel free to PM me with your email address and I can send you some pdf's of my scary, ocd lists and diagrams and such. Good luck!
We're doing something similar. We were going to be able to set up the day before, but now the venue has another wedding booked, so we'll be going in the day of. Luckily, the wedding isn't until late afternoon/early evening, so there's plenty of time that morning. I don't have all the details yet, but ideally, I would have everything planned out ahead of time like bonniebelle101 (sounds awesome, btw!!!) and all the groomsmen and bridesmaids will know exactly what to do and it won't take too long. I don't mind helping with the setup, since I'm a total type A / OCD person and want to make sure it looks the way I want it to, but my fiance doesn't like the idea of me doing work that morning, but also doesn't like the idea of us seeing each other that day, so we can't both be there doing setup. So if I can't change his mind (he has so few opinions about this stuff, so I like to try to listen when he does have one), then I'm going to "hire" a friend of a friend to be my DOC and be in charge of the groomsmen doing set up. I guess we have it a little easier, because our caterer said her staff would be happy to help out in any way they can. So we'll be setting up things like paper lanterns and the caterers will be putting up the table linens and putting the centerpieces on the tables, etc. Hopefully it will all work out!
My wedding venue is pretty much a blank canvas and we're bringing everything in ourselves...even catering and flowers. So, we don't have the option of paying our vendors to do the setup and cleanup.
For example: our venue has chairs we can use, but we have to set them up and also move them from the ceremony area to the reception area if we don't want to rent another set of chairs. I don't want to ask my family or DOC to do these jobs either.
For all those DIY brides out there, how did you it? Who strung your lanterns and layed out the aisle runner? Did you just hire a couple of people to do everything? or did you enlist the help of family and friends? Help!
posted by jasperucla 5 posts 2 months agoMy family and close friends stepped up to the plate for decorating the day before the wedding, being DOCs the day of, and striking after we left for the honeymoon. I did not let anyone help me wthile I was planning, and towards the end, they were desperate to help and I was too frazzled to say no. I appreciated their willingness to do anything and everything that was needed, and now I know that I can't/shouldn't DIY anything by myself. It was a lot of fun to be together like that, especially since we love getting together and we're not often able to.
posted by NiftyBa 95 posts 2 months agothanks so much! Sounds like you had a lovely time with your family.
Unfortunately, our venue doesn't allow us to come in the day before. We can only decorate the day of the wedding, and on top of that, they charge us by the hour the moment a vendor walks in!!
posted by jasperucla 5 posts 2 months agoare you sure they can't allow you to come in the day before, especially if they don't have another event? You should try to convince them. Other than that, honestly, do not do it yourself. its too much. Either hire someone to do it, or get some family/friends to do it. And don't feel bad about it!!!
posted by dreambml 425 posts 2 months agoIf you can't get in the day before, and the venue charges as soon as you walk in (which sucks, btw!), I'd probably just suck it up and hire someone. They'll probably get it more quickly and efficiently than family/friends, and save everyone a lot of stress.
We got lucky, and got to spend all day Friday decorating and setting up. I managed to do most of it myself, and then two friends arrived early to help with the rest. We had a small, simple wedding, and even that still took a few hours.
posted by peihan17 222 posts 2 months agoFriends and family! Ask people close to you (who might not mind missing the first part of the reception).... Your close friends and family will be eager to help.
posted by Maude 131 posts 2 months agoThat sounds like a job for the groomsmen to me! :) It will take you and your ladies much longer to get ready before the wedding, so it can be something to keep the groom and his groomsmen busy with? As long as there is also a place onsite for them to get cleaned up before they get dressed? Either that or other friends and family. They are all there to help you make your day special, and I'm sure anyone would be willing to help! Good Luck.
posted by HumarockBride 173 posts 2 months agoWe had this same issue! The schedule I had set up gave us an hour from the time we got to the facility to the time we were to walk down the isle. Granted out facility set up the chairs and buffet tables for us, but I'm sure we could have done it even if we'd had to do that. For a success story, we ended up starting a half an hour late and only because our officiant/friend got lost and was late.
Here's how I did it! I enlisted my friends very early on and asked them to help me as our wedding gift. I wasn't able to have all the girls in my bridal party that I wanted to, so these girls I asked to help were all very close friends. They helped me do all kinds of things the day before the wedding.
As far as the wedding day, I had everything organized and placed in boxes. For instance everything that my mom needed to set up cookie buffet table number 1 was in the box labeled as such. I also put together very detailed (read: ocd, scary!) layouts of the tables so that they would know exactly where I wanted everything placed on the tables. Some of my friends were assigned to do odds and ends decorating things and I made sure that everything they needed (including scissors, tape, etc.) was in their box with a layout of what they needed to do. I also had it set up so that everyone broke down what they had put up, that whey they knew exaclty what they were looking for.
The night before the wedding the girls all hung out at my house so I went through everything with each girl. I showed them the layout, walked them through each thing in the box and answered any questions they had. By the time we got the facility everyone knew exactly what they were being asked to do, and it was set up before i even knew it! In fact they kept pushing me out the door because I kept trying to set up table cloths and such.
All the girls really enjoyed being involved and I they all said it made them feel more involved and investing in our wedding (and not like hired help which I was afraid of). Anytime I'm asked to help the key is that they tell me very clearly what they need me to do and give me the tools i need to do a good job of it! Feel free to PM me with your email address and I can send you some pdf's of my scary, ocd lists and diagrams and such. Good luck!
(wow! this is long. sorry!)
posted by bonniebelle101 291 posts 2 months agoholy cow you ladies are amazing! Thanks for the info. Hopefully I can be half as organized as bonniebelle101
posted by jasperucla 5 posts 2 months agoWe're doing something similar. We were going to be able to set up the day before, but now the venue has another wedding booked, so we'll be going in the day of. Luckily, the wedding isn't until late afternoon/early evening, so there's plenty of time that morning. I don't have all the details yet, but ideally, I would have everything planned out ahead of time like bonniebelle101 (sounds awesome, btw!!!) and all the groomsmen and bridesmaids will know exactly what to do and it won't take too long. I don't mind helping with the setup, since I'm a total type A / OCD person and want to make sure it looks the way I want it to, but my fiance doesn't like the idea of me doing work that morning, but also doesn't like the idea of us seeing each other that day, so we can't both be there doing setup. So if I can't change his mind (he has so few opinions about this stuff, so I like to try to listen when he does have one), then I'm going to "hire" a friend of a friend to be my DOC and be in charge of the groomsmen doing set up. I guess we have it a little easier, because our caterer said her staff would be happy to help out in any way they can. So we'll be setting up things like paper lanterns and the caterers will be putting up the table linens and putting the centerpieces on the tables, etc. Hopefully it will all work out!
posted by hwong14 85 posts 2 months ago