Eventually, if you’ve planned your fall wedding right, there will come a time when all the big tasks have been taken care of and there’s nothing left to do but wait until the big day. So what the heck are you supposed to do to calm your nerves and keep busy in the meantime?
Here are four quick wedding to do’s to channel your energy productively and get a few more small things done for your upcoming nuptials.
1. Brainstorm a wedding hashtag
Personalized wedding hashtags, even ironic ones, are all the rage in the age of social media. It’s not just about bragging online once the photos come back from the photographer – it’s about compiling all the digital memories made by family and friends in real time under one unique, searchable title.
Will you go with a marital wordplay or a portmanteau of your first or last names? Whatever you land on, consider incorporating it into a step and repeat backdrop for your indoor photo booth for that touch of celebrity and style.
2. Stock up on last-minute supplies
Let’s pretend every detail of your whole wedding is paid for and, lo and behold, there’s a little money left over.
Hey, we said pretend.
What do you do with it? Put it toward the honeymoon? Not a bad idea. Buy some extra decorations or doodads? No, that just leads to more serious planning. Instead, spend it on emergency supplies to protect you and your guests from inclement fall weather or other unavoidable party fouls.
If your venue is outdoors with limited indoor space, think about investing in a few canopy tents, space heaters and extension cords. Don’t have that much cash left over? Snag some full-sized umbrellas, cheap fleece blankets or a few boxes of hand warmers. Fully stocked bathroom baskets with things like stain remover, tampons, sodium bicarbonate, breath mints and aspirin will save guests from embarrassment, indigestion or a bad hangover. Dime-store shopping is also an inexpensive, highly effective way to take your mind off the stress of the big day.
Who sits where depends on who’s coming.3. Crunch the numbers on RSVPs versus seats
One possible downside to fall weddings is attendance. Turnout may be an issue. With summer over, not many people have the vacation time or expendable income left to invest in a weekend wedding adventure. And considering how popular the season is, there’s a chance attendees may have other ceremonies to attend on the same date.
So with only weeks or months until the ceremony, take a breather and review who’s coming and who politely declined. Check in with those who have yet to respond and finalize a list. If you haven’t already mapped out a seating arrangement, congratulations – you just found an outlet for all that excess enthusiasm.
4. Distract yourself with honeymoon planning
In 2017, newlywed couples spent, on average, $4,000 for their honeymoons, according to WeddingWire. But lucky you – the weddings are usually followed by late fall or early winter honeymoons. More importantly, they portend off-season travel and hotel discounts on pretty much any destination.
So let go of the wedding – for now – and start looking into day trips and restaurants you and your partner can enjoy once you both drive away from the whole shebang, happily married.
