"All The Small Things" - beyond Blink 182 ; )

Rainy Wedding

Hey there!

You’re planning an event and you have the best intentions, right?

You are thinking “my guests are going to come and they’re going to have the time of their life! They’ll be talking about my party for years to come!”

You’ve done it all: the food’s going to be great, the cake is verified deliciousness, the lighting design for the room will be amazing, the music will ROCK the dance floor… so many details, right? So many BIG details…BUT: what about the *small* details?

Like for instance you’re going to have the ceremony in this awesome tree grove that is only about 1.33 miles from the reception site. It was so great when your wedding coordinator showed it to you, and you can hardly wait to get married right there in that exact spot!

When it comes time to print your wedding invitations, where will you say that ceremony is taking place? “In that gorgeous grove” won’t do it. Street address? Nah. How about just street? Uh, no. What street? There was no street. It’s in the middle of this grove that our wedding coordinator took us to.

If you stop and think about it, could YOU even find the place again right now if you had to? How are you going to describe to your guests exactly, precisely how to get there?

It sounds like a goofy/nightmare scenario, but as in all of our cautionary blogs here at SIM, it comes from a real experience that we had in the field. Many guests couldn’t figure out where to go and it took us three tries to take the right trail back into the woods with our gear to get back there. Luckily, we made it, but it was a stresser. And, to make things more, uh, challenging, arrow/indicator signage wasn't allowed to be put up to show people where to go. So fun!

What about your beautiful mid-summer ceremony on the top of a mountain? Or, in the backyard of a historic mansion? Again, awesome, but - what happens if you find out on Thursday that it’s supposed to be 110 degrees out on Saturday? I’m thinking you are buying 120 parasols and bringing out some ice water service for your guests. A little sunscreen wouldn’t be a bad call either. Heatstroke is not a memory you want from your wedding day : )

Lastly, one of my favorite things to see at the reception is a guest care kit in the restrooms. Some people go all out with this, but things like Tylenol/Advil, some small mouthwashes, gum, Kleenex, dental floss, etc can really save the day for one of your guests in need.

So, remember: give perfect, easy directions if necessary, put up little signs for your guests, anticipate the weather and provide for those that may not have prepared and think of the little things that will go a long way in showing that you care for your friends, family and co-workers.

- Adrian