IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS!

So wedding planning is in full swing. As the days pass, and you keep checking that countdown App on your phone, you can hardly contain your excitement.  Every time you chat with your bridesmaids, or your parents, you can’t help but think of something new that would just bring even more life to your big day. Pinterest isn’t helping to keep you calm, because you’ve pinned so many great ideas and finding it hard to forego a single one.

This brings us to the nitty gritty of things. Details details details.

Between venue tours, cake tasting, food tasting, rehearsals, fittings, and so much more- it's easy to forget about the little things when wedding planning, but! DO. NOT. STRESS. I intend to walk you through some of them. You might need a little dance floor creativity, a creative guest book idea or a really awesome exit strategy. Whatever boxes you have to check off, get inspired by some of our tips and tricks for some of the most looked-over planning details. 

 1)   THE BAR!

This is the spot that most of your guests will visit a few times throughout the night, assemble and chat, and even recommend the drinks they like to each other. All of these are great reasons why this is an opportune place to add a burst of colour or some personalized décor element. You can spice up your cocktail menu with a couple signature sips that have unique garnishes like berry-infused ice cubes or fresh herbs. There are his and her cocktail ideas that guests enjoy. You can even go a step further by considering having your signature cocktail recipe printed right on your coasters or beverage napkins. For the bar itself, signage goes a long way when enhanced with a few floral arrangements and greenery.

                                      

Photo taken from Pinterest, (Aisle Perfect)

2) THE GUEST BOOK

I’ve seen some pretty interesting guest book ideas on Pinterest. Jenga blocks were my personal favourite, but we ended up choosing a 3-d wooden heart guestbook. It takes more than setting out a couple of pens to make a guest book enticing enough to get all your guests to sign in. The trick is to show off your creativity and make it a fun, interactive activity. 

                                                  

Photography: Alaina Ronquillo Photography 

Guestbook: DecentCraft on Etsy

      3) LIGHTING

      I understood the importance of great lighting at the wedding of one of my closest friends. It was an outdoor reception venue and the décor was rustic. The photographer the couple contracted had a pretty impressive turnaround time, and the photos were breath-taking. The photographers captured the lighting perfectly and it was clear that the right lighting can do a few things: It can create a sense of intimacy in a large space, highlight décor elements you really want to take centre stage, and make you and your guests look awesome in photos.

                                       

                                        Photography:  Yaisa Tangwell Photography

               

 4)    SIGNAGE

Now before I delve into this aspect of wedding details, let me just put up my disclaimer: I am absolutely OBSESSED with signage, and this isn’t just limited to wedding signage. House décor as well. I. AM. OBSESSED.

I digress. Back to wedding planning- you don't want your guests getting lost between the highway exit and wondering if they’re at the right place. If you spell it out for them, they're more likely to be on time and the entire day has a better chance of running smoothly.

So it’s a given that your invite should also contain both your ceremony as well as reception address. This way, your guests know exactly where they're going. As a safeguard, consider including a map from the ceremony site to the reception venue in your programs or your invites. For the day-of, create signage for each wedding spot (the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception) directing guests where to go.

                                                   

Photo taken from: www.stylemepretty.com

 5) THE FAVORS

I don’t believe favours are a necessity, but they're a nice way to show thanks/appreciation to your guests. If you're looking for a cute thank-you gift your guests will actually use, I would always recommend something edible. We did gourmet popcorn, cake pops, donuts, and definitely incorporated our Trinidadian culture by making sure our guests enjoyed “black cake” especially made by the Mother of the Groom. Our guests fully enjoyed everything, and our cake pops especially were a big hit.

                                                      

Photo by: Alaina Ronquillo Photography

Cake Pops: Raleigh Cake Pops

6) THE CAKE

The wedding cake/ cake table is often a main focal point of the reception space where many of your guests will congregate to take pictures. Let’s not forget that it's also going to be the centre of attention for your cake-cutting photos, so you'll want to set that stage perfectly. I found what I loved on Pinterest, but I’ve seen many other brides get really creative in this area. I was a guest at a wedding where the groom was a game enthusiast and they had the most awesome Super Mario Brothers cake. Simple but noticeable details like these make your wedding day so much more personal and memorable.

 7) THE EXIT

A stylish wedding exit can be a real life exclamation point for your big day. You can choose to go out with a bang- literally, and you could go big with a fireworks show or sparklers (of course pending local fire ordinances). You can also get a little more creative: Drive away in a vintage car decorated with bright flowers, or jump into a sleek, stylish sports car.

I can go on and on with the details. There are so many other areas that you can express your creativity, such as photographs in the back of the bride and groom chairs at the sweetheart table, a designated kid table with games and other activities to keep the children at your wedding pretty busy, but I will stop here.

Your details truly drive home your personal style. This is an extensive area that you can have fun with, while still ensuring that your guests are wowed, and your photographer captures the most amazing memories that you can always keep close to your heart.

                                                      

                                                       Photo taken from Pinterest