Post # 1
Member
1315 posts
Bumble bee
I’ve decided to take on the baking of some of our cupcakes for our wedding, with the help of a friend. I’m also DIYing our flowers [4 bouquets, no centrepieces] with my FMIL’s help.
I’ve decided to do these things
A) to save money
B) I enjoy baking and messing with flowers
C) I believe we’ll get far better results than our budget would cover in purchasing.
My question is, AM I MAD? Everyone outside the Hive (real world!) is horrified when I say this. Not because I am in some way unable, but because apparently the week directly before the wedding is mad busy, and I’m cracked for adding these tasks to it.
So. How mad is it, really? We don’t do rehearsals or rehearsal dinners here, so I don’t have that to worry about.
Should I ignore the naysayers?
ETA we’re also going on honeymoon three weeks after the wedding, so there’s no hurry on packing or any of that.
Post # 3
Member
661 posts
Busy bee
I’m curious on this question as well. : eagerly waits for answers :
bc I’m about 3 weeks out and I’m a madhouse busy woman!
Post # 4
Member
7779 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I hardly had time to breathe the week before my wedding. No lie. It was super busy.
Post # 5
Member
1056 posts
Bumble bee
I’ve wondered how busy it really is too. On top of the fact what all will really need to be done?? I will be having a rehershal and rehershal dinner.
One thing I do know from watching My Fair Wedding with David Tutera is make sure to get rest the day before the wedding!!
Post # 6
Member
10367 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
The week before my wedding was super, insane, crazy busy. A lot of that had to do with the fact that we live in Boston and got married in San Diego – we went 10 days early to finish up the centerpieces (nonfloral but still needed to assemble them) and get everything prepped and organized for the wedding. There was final walkthroughs, prepping for the rehearsal dinner, you name it. I thought we weren’t going to get everything done.
I think DIY flowers AND cupcakes is insane. Pick one or the other. Don’t do both (seriously). Or pick non-floral decor.
Post # 7
Member
2562 posts
Sugar bee
I worked until wednesday before my saturday wedding, I did have some last minute things to do (assembling programs, decorating the hall, mani’s pedi’s, rehearsals, etc) but it was by no means too much to do! I think that especially if you have the week off, you should be fine as long as you have a plan!
Post # 8
Member
1315 posts
Bumble bee
@crayfish: Well you see I’ve to only do bouquets (4) and a handful of bouts. The hotel is providing the centrepieces.
Post # 9
Member
503 posts
Busy bee
I did my own bouquets, my own cake, my own centerpieces, and a million other things. Basically the only thing we got was a rental company. The week before the wedding was absolutely insane, but I got through it and it was well worth it. My one advice is to delegate–I didn’t do this as well as I could’ve. Make a list of every little stupid thing that needs to be done, and do not assume people will just “get it”. Ask very specifically for certain things to be done. Of course, nicely. People love to and will gladly help, but sometimes we’re so absorbed in all things wedding we don’t realize the rest of the universe has no idea what we’re thinking.
Post # 10
Member
1315 posts
Bumble bee
@Ms Mini: Yep I’ll have the week off, and TBH I’m hoping to get the programs wrapped up a few weeks in advance… Once we select the readings, there’s not much to change in those, really, is there?
Post # 11
Bee
2362 posts
Buzzing bee
- Wedding: June 2010 - New York Botanical Garden
To be honest, things were not that crazy for me the week before wedding-wise BUT we had just a moved a week earlier and I got strep throat that week and was totally out of comission, so if I had a project like that, it would not have gotten done! If I had not gotten sick, it would not have been a big deal for us, but you can never plan for that!
Post # 12
Member
31 posts
Newbee
The week before my wedding, I don’t think I slept more than three hours a night. I was busy with DIY flowers (with a lot of Bridesmaid or Best Man help), finalizing contracts/vendor stuff, managing relatives, moving into a new place, writing placecards, etc etc etc. Try delegating some of that stuff if you can, because lots of unexpected things will pop up right before the big day!
Post # 13
Member
1315 posts
Bumble bee
@babymilka74: Very good point. Already in my head is a little running list of “Oh I could ask X to do that, and Y to do this…” I think I might need to get that on paper, because it seems very disproportionate in what different people might have to do!
Post # 14
Member
10851 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
My week was pretty low key. So long as you do as much as you can as far in advance as you can, you’ll be totally fine. So about 2-3 weeks out, I started boxing stuff up that needed to go to the venue and labelling each box, what was in it, where it needed to go. Done. Move that out of the way. I delegated a lot of “day of” kind of stuff to Darling Husband and a friend who was acting as DOC. I found the week leading up to the wedding was pretty relaxed but that’s because I spent SO much time before making sure all the tiny details I wanted were done and packed away. I didn’t leave anything thinking “oh I’ll take care of that later.” DO IT NOW! We DIY’ed the baby’s breath accents (on Thursday, we had them in Oasis foam), and I baked about 4 dozen cookies the night before the wedding (Friday). If you’re organized, I say go for it 🙂
Post # 15
Member
1398 posts
Bumble bee
I would love to see more answers on this – Fiance and I have been arguing for months over how many days we have to take off before the wedding. He wants to fly in Thursday morning (like 7am from the redeye on wednesday). he says we shouldn’t have to do anything, his parents are bringing the centerpieces, the bach party will by thurs night and the rehearsal dinner on fri. Unless we were DIYing a bunch of things I can’t really argue with him that we will have much to do, but I keep saying “everyone on weddingbee says its going to be crazy! They talk from experience!” But his answer is always “Yea but WHY, what do WE actually have to do?” I have yet to come up with a real answer.
Post # 16
Member
10851 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@babymilka74: To second what you said, also illustrate things. I’m not kidding. Little pictures. I walked into my tent and saw that the waiters had put the little birds on the place cards backwards. Why would you want a birds butt looking at your guests?!
