Every couple starts wedding planning with the best intentions. You map out timelines, build vision boards, maybe colour-code a spreadsheet or two, then swear you’ve got everything under control. And you do… until the tiny details you never thought about quietly gather in a corner like unpaid interns waiting to cause chaos. So, here are some wedding tips to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Feed the people who are helping you
There’s an entire crew working behind the scenes on your big day and they need actual food, not vibes. Photographers, videographers, planners, assistants, band members, DJs, stylists… anyone working more than a few hours requires a wedding vendor meal.
This isn’t just etiquette – it’s one of those wedding tips that keeps your team fuelled, focused and far less likely to fade halfway through the reception.
Ask your wedding caterer to prepare meals that come out before your guests eat. Your vendors will love you forever and your photos will thank you later.
Double-check your legal requirements early
Every province has its own marriage licence rules and processing times. And nothing kills pre-wedding joy faster than realizing you didn’t bring proper ID or the issuing office is closed for a long weekend.
Set a reminder to get the licence well in advance. Confirm who will mail it after the ceremony. Confirm signatures. Confirm your officiant hasn’t disappeared on a yoga retreat. Legal romance is still romance – just with more paperwork.
Plan for weather like it has a personality of its own
Because it does. And it’s dramatic.
Wind will knock over your arches. Rain will test your optimism. Sun will melt your makeup faster than someone can say “you look beautiful.”
Even indoor weddings need weather prep. Will your guests be lining up outside? Does your wedding venue have coat racks? Snow mucking up the entryway? These are all things that the future you will appreciate planning for.
Build more time buffers than you think you need
Every timeline looks perfect on paper until someone forgets their tie, your uncle wanders off or a bridesmaid needs a fashion-emergency sewing session. Give hair and makeup extra breathing room, cushion your photo schedule, and build transition time between events.
A wedding that flows well doesn’t happen by luck. It happens because someone built hidden minutes into the day like little insurance policies.
Assign someone to collect sentimental items afterward
Bouquet wraps, handwritten vows, heirloom jewellery, custom signage, framed portraits, the guestbook you splurged on… all have a magical way of disappearing when no one is officially responsible for them.
Choose someone you trust to gather everything at the end of the event so you’re not crawling under banquet tables looking for Nana’s brooch.
Don’t forget your morning essentials
Wedding mornings get chaotic fast. Coffee is brewing, speakers are blasting, makeup brushes are flying around like casting calls for a beauty commercial.
But in all that excitement, couples always forget the small but crucial items – comfortable clothes to get ready in, water, snacks, chargers, tissues, mints and playlists that set the mood without making your mom say “interesting lyric choice, dear.”
Assign someone to tip your vendors
In case you didn’t know, tipping your wedding vendors is a real thing.
There’s a moment in every wedding where couples realize they cannot – and should not – be the ones handling everything. You’ll have enough on your plate, and gracefully slipping cash to the DJ isn’t something you need to add to the list.
So, this wedding tip is to hand this task to someone who thrives on small-but-mighty responsibilities. A sibling, a close friend or a wedding party member can take labelled envelopes and handle everything before the reception even begins.
Create a post-wedding plan before the wedding actually happens
The celebration doesn’t magically pack itself up once the last song plays, and those end-of-night logistics can get messy fast. Think about where the wedding flowers are headed, who’s returning rentals, what happens to leftover desserts and which car is playing Tetris with the gifts and décor pieces. At the end of your big day, the last thing you want to be dealing with is wandering around wondering who’s responsible for the 47 centrepieces.
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