Hey there awesome friend!!!

If you are like most of my wedding couples, you are diving into the world of all things wedding related and finding out that it can be a lot to take in. Well, here’s the thing, there is certainly a lot of things to consider and think about when planning your wedding…  I’m not saying that to scare you either, but you have a lot to think about for sure.

I love putting together How-To Guides and Wedding Checklists for my couples, so I figured I would put one together for everyone to see and share.  In this Wedding Checklist, I give you the Top 10 Things To Think Of Before Your Wedding Day! You’ll find things to avoid and think about when you’re planning your perfect wedding venue and hiring all of your wedding professionals.

Top 10 Things To Think Of Long Before Your Wedding Day

1. Do not book a venue BEFORE you’ve established your guest list.
2. Taxes, gratuities, and hidden fees… they do exist, so be sure to ask about them … from all your vendors!
3. Be sure to ask the venue about a backup plan if the weather your expecting, turns out to be the opposite. Freak rainstorms happen, don’t get caught out in the rain if that’s not your thing.
4. Ask the venue and your vendors about their cancelation policy.
5. If your date is flexible, ask the venue about possible discounts they have if your wedding is held during the week. You’d be shocked at how much cheaper a Thursday or Friday wedding can be.
6. It’s never good practice to book your ceremony and reception in different towns or across town unless you’re ready to pay extra for vendors to travel to and from and give your guest plenty of time to get to the next location.
7. Ask about handicap accessibility for your family and friends.
8. Get wedding insurance (see below for a company I recommend – not affiliated with)!
9. Ask about any restrictions the venue has about bringing in outside vendors.
10. Absolutely find out what it takes to secure your favorite venue and vendors. Most will ask for a deposit/retainer that will need to be placed in order to hold our special date and time. Make sure to see it in writing.

I can’t stress this enough… have a backup plan!

As you may already know and if not I hope you never have to find out the hard way, but not all vendors are created equal no can you predict the future.

Anything can happen, weather could cause you to move your wedding inside instead of the picturesque outdoor reception location. Your vendors could face a problem or have a family emergency. Make sure there’s a back up for them and that they are able to stick to the contract if an emergency occurs. Also, make sure your vendors are professionals, which means they should all be professionally insured! Don’t take their word for it either, ask for a copy of the professional liability insurance prior to signing a contract and giving a deposit/retainer for service.

Get your own wedding insurance policy!!

Most of the brides of Alfred Angelo’s Bridal store last year were likely never able to receive their wedding gowns, and worse some never received a refund on the money already paid out for their gowns which are tragic. I’m honestly praying that they had their own wedding insurance policy! Let this be a lesson to us all, it pays to have insurance.

Update: now couples are having to worry about cancellations and postponements due to the Coronavirus

It most likely will cost you less than your wedding cake and could potentially save you thousands of dollars and safeguard all of your wedding-related investments if things happen to go wrong. Disasters can happen to anyone. Consider protecting your investment with wedding insurance from places like WedSafe, and EventSured so you can have some peace of mind, too. They have two insurance packages that can help you:

Cancellation Coverage: If circumstances beyond your control such as severe weather or sudden illness force you to postpone or cancel your wedding, this coverage may provide reimbursement for losses and expenses. You may be covered for more than just cancellation or postponement! It can also protect against vendor bankruptcy, damage to wedding photos, attire, jewelry, gifts and more.
Liability Coverage: Most wedding facilities require you to get $1,000,000–2,000,000 in liability coverage. Pay attention to the insurance clauses early in the game to avoid potential catch-up expenses at the last moment. They offer a quick, easy and affordable way to meet venue requirements. They work with thousands of venues across the country, and proof of insurance is emailed to them directly, immediately upon purchase.

If you are looking for a super cute planner, check out this Etsy Shop by PurpleTrail One of my previous couples had this wedding planning book and it was super cute and customized for them!

Happy Wedding Planning!
Heather

Heather J. Keys Photography
Temecula’s Top 20 Engagement and Wedding Photographer

Heather Keys

Along with being an “elder millennial” wedding and lifestyle photographer, I’m also a family gal. I’m recently engaged to my best friend of 10 years, mama to a rad teenage daughter (who happens to photograph weddings with me), the owner of (2) cute little pups, and driver of a yellow Dodge Challenger. On non-wedding days, you’ll most likely find me in the gym by 7:30 am getting my cardio on and then hitting up my favorite local San Luis Obispo California hotspots with my fiance, daughter, and friends. Traveling adventures are my jam, there’s no place I won’t go with my camera in hand.