When planning a wedding, it is a really stressful affair! So it’s no wonder when things get overlooked. Having gone through wedding planning myself, I understand and know what the thought process is! Having a guide to help me remember important details like lodging, transportation, and day-of details were super helpful.

Here are fifteen really important details that you cannot forget, no matter what stage of planning you are in right now for your wedding.

1. Having a backup plan for bad weather. This is huge! Most brides expect their day to be bright and sunny and oftentimes forget that rain, hurricanes, storms or snow can easily get in the way of their dream plans. Have a backup plan no matter where you’re getting married so you won’t be caught unprepared!
2. Know when the sun sets. This is HUGE. If you are having an outdoor ceremony and you plan for your ceremony to be at 7pm in winter, the sun will have already set by then! Have a plan that allows time for after the ceremony for pictures ensuring that you have plenty of daylight for the activities you have planned for your big day.
3. Transportation for your bridal party. Oftentimes, bridal parties leave getting ready locations at different times than the bride and groom but earlier than the guests.
4. Designate someone to be point of contact for the day of. Most brides assume they’ll be answering their cell phone and be able to direct people in the middle of getting ready and getting married! From personal experience, this is SO not the case. I didn’t touch my cell phone until around 6pm that evening after everyone had already left!
5. Eat food and drink water. Most wedding day time lines are 8 hours long. In the middle of the day, the bride and groom will be getting ready and oftentimes forget to eat something. Having a catered lunch or prearranged lunch is always best. Drink lots of water! You don’t want to be fainting in the middle of the ceremony because you’re dehydrated.
6. Leave enough time for dress alterations. Most brides find their dress about 6-10 months out from the big day. However, if you don’t find a dress that’s a perfect fit, make sure you find your dress over 7 months out from the day so there is plenty of time to get it adjusted.
7. Designate someone to pick up gifts and decor at the end of the reception. If you are doing a traditional wedding with a send off and exit, you won’t want to worry about loading up you or your new spouse’s car with all the gifts and decor. Have a family member or good friend gather up the gifts and take them somewhere for when you return from your honeymoon.
8. Budget for gratuity. This is a very forgotten thing in the middle of wedding planning! Tipping your DJ, Photographer, Caterer, Event Planner, or anyone else you’ve hired for your day is huge. Yes you’ve already paid them for their services, but an extra thank you for a job well done is always welcome!
9. Write out a Do-Not-Play list for your DJ. It can be super fun to pick out all the songs you want to hear, don’t forget about the songs you don’t want to hear. Especially during eating or cock-tail hour!
10. Bring a change of clothing. This is important! If you are going the traditional route – I.E. heading right to your honeymoon, bringing a change of clothing is super important! You can either change at the reception and wear it as your exit, or exit and then change before hopping in your coach and heading off onto your fairy tale honeymoon. Wearing your dress and tux will not only increase the risk of damage to it, but it is also uncomfortable!
11. Order Vendor Meals. This is a super overlooked part of the wedding day. your vendors are working super hard to make sure everything is perfect for you. But they’re humans too and they need a break just like anyone else. Don’t forget to include them in your caterer count when ordering food. It helps sometimes to even set aside a table for them as well to make sure they have somewhere to sit and rest during the meal.
12. Factor yourself into the count for food as well! In the business this is often as overlooked as vendor meals!
13. Establish a wedding website before sending invites. Invites can be mailed and arrive in as little as one day after mailing. If you haven’t already established a website, it will make it difficult for your guests to RSVP or check meals.
14. Include an envelope with your RSVP card and invite. If you’re sending a paper RSVP card, don’t forget to send an envelope with the return address on it with!
15. Provide extra seats at the ceremony. Take into account that people do not naturally like to sit next to each other. Include at least twenty extra seats than people for the ceremony.

If you’re planning a wedding, hopefully these fifteen details will help your planning go a little smoother!