Planning a wedding is a full-fledged ordeal, as everyone probably knows. However, there seems to be one aspect of the planning that is generally left out. The end of the wedding. It’s left out for a good reason. So it’s completely natural not to think about all your gorgeous decorations being ripped from the walls and stuffed into the nearest garbage can. However, that time will come, and unless you make the appropriate preparations, you could be tearing down your wedding at 1:00 in the morning.
So here are some things you need to make sure to add to the end of the wedding planning to-do lists:
1.) Cleaning up. Unless you’re celebrating at a private residence (like your parent’s home), you must be aware of the closing time. Some venues require you to clean up and out by a certain time. While others require the party to end at that time and allow you to come back in the morning to pick up the remnants. Either way, this needs to be sorted out. If you are going straight to your honeymoon from the wedding. You need to have someone on hand that will help with the cleaning.
2.) Getting guests home. If you’re going to provide alcohol at your wedding. You must provide a way for guests to get safely home. Whether it’s a cab that has been rented out for the night or a “tipsy trolley” (as we call them back home). Which is a bus system that can schedule a pickup of guests at a designated time and take them back to their hotel. Maybe a member of your wedding party has stated they won’t be drinking and can help take guests home. Either way, it’s essential to make sure everyone gets home safely. If an accident occurs after the reception. Your wedding will surely be considered a sore subject for years.
Additional Tips
3.) Getting your stuff home. A few years ago, I attended a wedding where the bride and groom had everyone meet at a local beach for the ceremony and reception. Since it was a local beach many guests walked and brought their individual presents. However, at the end of the night, there were no vehicles at the reception. This wouldn’t have been a problem except there were quite a bit of presents. So someone had to make the trek back up to the hotel, pick up a car and drive back down to get the presents. Naturally, it wasn’t a huge deal. It was still a pain in the neck.
Make sure you can get everything from the reception you’re keeping back to your home or hotel room. This includes presents, leftover cake and food (if you didn’t have a caterer), whatever flowers or decorations you need to preserve, and anything that can’t be left in its current location.
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