Crunch Time …

One Week to Wedding Day The final week before your wedding day can be a stressful time filled with many details that need to be confirmed. Some of the last minutes details that need to be completed in the week before your wedding include confirming the details of your honeymoon, packing for your honeymoon, giving the caterer a final count for the number of guests, confirm details with the photographer, florist, DJ or band and the limousine driver.

If the couple is hosting the rehearsal dinner, now is also the time to confirm these arrangements. It’s important to attend to all of these tasks but it is also important to take some time to get some rest and relaxation as well. If you have friends and family members who are willing to help out, you can delegate many of these tasks to reduce the stress of the final week before your wedding.

As your wedding day approaches it is important to begin making preparations for your honeymoon. Early in the week before your wedding you will want to confirm all of your honeymoon arrangements such as transportation, hotels and any other special plans you have made for your honeymoon destination such as excursions, dinner reservations or lessons. You may also want to pack for your honeymoon during this time to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and trying to pack the day before or even the day of your wedding. Getting the packing out of the way early will help to alleviate any concerns you have over being prepared for the honeymoon and gives you something to look forward to. If you procrastinate with your packing you may find yourself dreading even talking about your honeymoon because doing so makes you realize that you are not yet prepared for the honeymoon. Most caterers also require a final count for the number of guest in the week preceding your wedding. If all of your guests have not yet responded to your invitation, you might want to consider calling them instead of assuming that they will not be coming to the wedding. These phone calls can save you the embarrassment of not being prepared for additional guests. Having a confirmed response from all of your invited guests will ensure that you give the caterer an accurate number of guests. Now is also the time to confirm the final details with all of your service providers such as your photographer, florist, DJ or band and transportation provider. It’s important to confirm details such as times and expectations to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and that you will have all of the services that you are expecting at your wedding. You might also want to make arrangements to pay your balances with each of these providers if you have previously only left a deposit.

While you may be hesitant to provide payment in full before the service is rendered and most of these services providers don’t require you to do so, you could make arrangements to leave the balance with a responsible friend or family member who will ensure that they are all paid on the wedding day. Many of these agencies will only accept cash or certified checks so you will have to provide the balance in either of these forms in individual envelopes to your trusted friend. The rehearsal dinner is usually held the night before the wedding so it is important to confirm the details of the rehearsal dinner in the final week before the wedding. Whether the couple themselves is hosting the dinner or another person is taking on the responsibilities of the event, it is still necessary to confirm all of the details such as time, location and number of guests. Also, since the couple typically uses the rehearsal dinner to thank their parents, the wedding party and anyone else who has supported them in the wedding planning, now would be the time to plan out exactly what you plan to say during this offering of thanks. While it is important to speak from the heart, it’s also important to make sure that no one who has really gone out of their way to assist the couple is left out of the thank you speech.

Finally, while there are many details that require your attention in the final week before your wedding it is also important to take some time for yourself and do something that you consider relaxing. Whether you go to a spa to get a massage or spend an evening at the movies, it’s important to take some time to just relax before your wedding day to ensure that you are not completely frazzled by the time your wedding day arrives. The final week before a wedding can be extremely harried and filled with last minute details but it is important to take some time to relax during this week. It’s important to ensure that everything is in place for the wedding and that nothing is overlooked but it’s also important to remain calm and not get caught up in the details of the wedding. Allowing yourself some relaxation time will ensure that you are well prepared for your wedding and that you have fully enjoyed the planning process.