I don't know about you, but planning a wedding is tough stuff! There is so much more involved in planning a wedding than I ever thought of before I started to plan my own wedding. Of course, there's the venue, dress, bridal party, food, colors and how you want the tables set up. But what about some of the nitty gritty that makes your wedding yours and that helps things run smoothly? This is where I've come up with 5 wedding planning details that you might not have thought of. These can be thought provoking or you may skip over some and go, eh, don't care. But hopefully it will get you thinking about something different when it comes to planning your own wedding.

1. Think about what kind of wedding you want to have.

   I'm not talking about if you want it to have a rustic, beach, winter or circus themed. (If that's what you really want....) I'm talking about what do you want people to remember about your wedding? Do you want them to remember how great your food was and what a great variety you had? Maybe you want them to leave your wedding thinking about how great the music and dancing was. Perhaps you want it to have an intimate feel to it, or have a really fun and different theme that your guests will never forget. (See circus theme above) Whatever it is that you decide, focus your energy and money on that aspect. Having a general idea and feel will help direct you later in your planning

2. Make a timeline for your wedding day

   And distribute it to your bridal party, immediate family, coordinator, and vendors. It might not be a bad idea to have phone numbers of important people on the same sheet of paper, i.e. Parents of the couple, event coordinator, maid of honor, best man, etc.  A timeline is key to having a successful wedding. It keeps things moving along, it helps avoid any confusion and it lets people know where they need to be and when.

3. Plan for your photographs

   This kind of goes along the same lines about creating a timeline. Consider when you're going to get your couple wedding photos taken. Inevitably, you're going to want to take some after the ceremony. Some of both of your hands together with your shiny new rings, photos at the ceremony site you worked so hard to create, some other smoochy photos of you two (Awwww). But what will your guests do?? When planning where and what kind of pictures you plan to take after your ceremony, consider your guests. Will they be out in the sun? Will there be food and drinks? Will there be activities to keep them occupied? Your guests are there to see you as a couple together, they want to celebrate with you. Your family and friends have spent time and money to come be part of your big day. Take that into consideration when you plan out how long you'll be taking pictures after the ceremony.

4.  Examine your reception layout

   

   One thing I always look for in planning a party/reception area is where are people going to congregate and create lines? Look at where your bar/drink stations are in relation to where the food is going to be. How close is that to a door coming into the event? People almost always go straight to the bar for refreshments when they get to a reception. This means there is a high potential for long lines. If you're doing signature cocktails, ask the bartender to have some drinks ready before you expect guests to arrive. Have self-serve water either on the tables or to the side of the bar. These little details keep lines moving which keeps people moving throughout your wedding.

5. Take time for yourself and your partner

   This is YOUR wedding day. Make sure you can enjoy it. Plan for time to eat, both before and during the wedding. Have someone make sure your water glass is always full. This is where deciding whether or not to have a head table might come into play. Don't be afraid to get in line for food first, everyone will let you! You two have worked so hard to make this your best day ever. Make sure you take time to sit back and enjoy it.

Happy Planning!Shiloh