How To Plan Your Seating Chart

When planning your seating chart, first things first, don’t start the seating plan until after all your guests have replied with whether or not they will be attending your wedding. Planning the seating chart is a rather large task and you don't want to have to keep redoing it.

You can plan your seating chart in a Word or Excel document so that it is easy to update and redo if needed.

The only seats that we suggest you have as 'reserved' are the parents table seats. Reserving all the seats is time consuming and just a lot of extra work plus, your guests will move seats anyways.

It is good to keep in mind that the larger number of tables you have, the more: centrepieces, rented table clothes, accessories, etc, you need.

The best seats in the venue go to the parents tables. Put younger guests closest to the speakers. Put the vendors at a table by themselves at the back of the room.
If you are standing in the back of the dining room looking at the head table, the bride and her family sit on the left-hand side of the room and the groom and his side on the right.


Hope these tips help you plan your seating chart!

How Do You Choose A Disc Jockey?

It is a well known wedding fact that good entertainment makes for a great wedding. So, how do you choose a DJ for your wedding? One of the best practices is to choose one that has been recommend by friends that have used him/her or choose a DJ that is popular in your area.

Once you have found a few DJ's, talk with them and ask questions like: How many weddings have you done? How long have you been in business? What music to you enjoy playing the most?

Find out from the DJ what type of equipment he/she uses and what type of backup equipment they have. Make sure the DJ will take requests from your guest. Most likely you will want the DJ to play 'something for everyone'. Make sure you can see a play list to choose the songs you want him/her to play.

Your DJ should look and act professional. Make sure you get a good feeling from your DJ before settling on the person who will be responsible for a very important part of your wedding.

Wedding Logistics - Stressing You Out?

The logistics of a wedding can become a nightmare if proper planning is not done ahead of time. Logistics, although extremely important, sometimes are overlooked or dealt with last minute causing unnecessary stress. With all the other major items that the bride and groom have to address, we wanted to give you some helpful hints to keep in mind when planning your wedding. Try and ask these questions in advance:

What time can we hold the ceremony?

What happens if it rains?

Is the wedding date we've chosen available?

How many guests will the venue hold?

Is there another wedding scheduled on the same day?

Is there a room for the bride and her attendants to stay before the ceremony begins?

What about the timing and details of obtaining the marriage license (differs by state)?

We hope these hints will help you plan more effectively and cut down on any unnecessary stress.

Brides - Don't Do It All Yourself

It's your special day and you are trying to make it perfect. The problem--you are doing everything yourself. It is great to see the clever projects that couples come up with to make their weddings unique. But when stepping back to look at the situation, there's doing it yourself, and then there's overdoing it yourself. After all, there are plenty of benefits to doing it yourself. You can be sure no one else has the exact same thing, you might keep your budget in check, and (before you actually sit down to hand-tie 200 tiny ribbons) you probably think that it will make a fun story.

The solution: Rather than taking on too many projects, pick the one (or two) that you're really in love with and put your resources (both mental and monetary) into working on those. For the others, do a little research and try to find a ready-made version that makes you happy. With so many great prefab goodies out there, chances are you'll find one that fits your style -- and saves you a whole lot of time!

10 Biggest Mistakes Wedding Guests Make

I saw this on MSN and thought it was interesting (note number 6):

In the course of wedding planning, you'll probably come across a guest or two whose inappropriate actions, odd requests, or rude behavior seems appalling. Don't be shocked -- while you may know the ins and outs of wedding etiquette, some of your friends and family may not be aware of what's acceptable. What can you do? Be proactive. Here's how.

1. Not Sending RSVPs

What they did: Anyone who's ever planned a wedding knows the importance of a punctual RSVP -- from plotting your seating chart to giving the caterer a final headcount, it's hard to proceed without a firm grasp of who's coming. Unfortunately, some of your guests may treat the RSVP as a novelty rather than a necessity.
How to deal: Give it a week. After that, it's time to give them a call. Recruit your maid of honor to help you with phone duties if you're really struggling with missing RSVPs. Or, better yet, send out a group email (use a blind CC) saying that you need to know by [insert deadline] if they're planning on attending. Keep the tone nice, but firm. Then, you only have to call those who don't reply to the email (which really is a double-duty foul).
Stop the cycle: Make the reply-by-date as early as possible, say two weeks from the date you intend to mail the invitations. That way, when your guests see that the deadline is quickly approaching, they'll (hopefully) stick the reply card in the mail right then and there.

2. Sending RSVPs With Extra Guests

What they did: The good news is that the guest has returned the RSVP. The bad news is that she'd love to attend. . .with a person you never invited -- maybe never heard of. Whether she believes every invite bestows the right to bring a date, or a child, adding a name on the RSVP puts everyone in an awkward position.
How to deal: To avoid potential hurt feelings, you need to establish a no-exceptions guest list policy (significant others only if engaged; no children under 18). Then, call the misguided guest to explain the circumstances. Apologize for the misunderstanding, and tell her that unfortunately the limitations (a small reception space or a tight budget) require a strict guest list. The person most likely didn't intend to thwart your list with the addition of another guest, and will gladly come to the wedding solo.
Stop the cycle: Tell your parents, wedding party, and other close relatives and friends, so that they can spread the word when asked. And, of course, address your invitations in a direct manner (don't write "Smith Family" unless they really are all invited). The earlier that a guest knows who's actually invited, the less painful the conversation will be.

3. Bombarding the Bride

What they did: As soon as they received the invite to your wedding, the phone calls began. Guests are treating you like their personal concierge, with questions about transportation, accommodations, and fun things to do while they're in town.
How to deal: Make sure every guest has all the info they need by creating a wedding website. Include a link to the hotel where you've reserved a block of rooms, local museums and restaurants, and driving directions. Put together a welcome basket for out-of-towners with the weekend's itinerary, so that no one feels the need to ask you about the wedding game plan.
Stop the cycle: Some technophobes might still pester you with questions. Go over the guest list with both sets of parents, and decide which key invitees, if any, are not likely to check your website. Print out a copy of the info listed on the site and mail it to them.

4. Buying a Non-registry Gift

What they did: Some guests feel that buying a present from the registry is impersonal. Instead, they go and purchase a gift with a little more -- er, imagination.
How to deal: Shopping off the registry can result in a pleasant surprise, or leave a couple cringing. You cannot, however, be anything but gracious for any gift you're given. While they're typically expected, wedding gifts are technically not required from a guest. If someone has eschewed the registry and bought you a present you know you won't use (or, even worse, they've given you a gift you know you'll have to hide), check whether they sent it with the receipt. If so, they may have realized their gift might not be your style, and it's fine to return the present. Otherwise, write a thank-you note for the thoughtful gesture, and keep the gift for as long as you can stand having it around.
Stop the cycle: Register at an off-the-beaten path store that offers unique gift options like a local museum shop or a boutique home store. That way, the guest can get you something a bit more personal that you actually love.

5. Showing Up Late

What they did: You know how some people show up late to movies because they know there will be 20 minutes of trailers? Some guests may have a similar notion for your ceremony. We know one maid of honor who saw a late guest stroll in directly behind the bride as she walked down the aisle with her father!
How to deal: For those who are really late, ask an usher or your day-of coordinator to hang out near the rear of the ceremony site so they can make sure your processional goes undisturbed, and to have them help any late guest quickly and quietly find a seat.
Stop the cycle: Give yourself a slight buffer for your friends and family who are never quite on time. If your invites say the ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m., plan on walking down the aisle about 15 minutes after that.

6. Bringing a Big, Heavy Gift

What they did: It doesn't sound so bad: Someone brought a huge gift to the wedding. While you really can't complain about receiving presents at your reception -- or, at all for that matter -- it can be a pain to lug them home.
How to deal: Ask one of your attendants to store all the gifts in one place -- preferably a locked, separate room in your reception space -- so that nothing gets left behind. At the end of the evening, that attendant can account for all the gifts and then take them to the most convenient location (probably your home rather than your honeymoon suite).
Stop the cycle: Online registries have made it easier than ever to send gifts wherever you want. Promote this gifting tool by including links to your online registries on your website.

7. Giving Unexpected Toasts

What they did: Weddings can be emotional events, and the toasts are an opportunity for your closest friends and family to share sentiments with the rest of your guests. Those same emotions (and maybe too much alcohol) can do funny things to any otherwise reliable guest, and some may feel compelled to grab the mic when they weren't asked to toast. Embarrassing stories, offensive anecdotes, and rambling rants have all worked their way into wedding toasts.
How to deal: Unfortunately, you need to just grin and bear it. If the toast seems like it will never end, have the best man signal the band or DJ to carefully cut in. The other guests will appreciate the gesture too.
Stop the cycle: Head off unexpected toasts by making sure the emcee of the evening (your DJ or bandleader) has a list of approved toasters. Tell them not to give the mic to anyone who's not scheduled to speak, no matter how persistent their plea for the microphone.

8. Requesting Songs

What they did: You've worked with your band or DJ to put together the perfect soundtrack for your evening. All of a sudden, your ambience is interrupted by the sounds of "Y.M.C.A." and it seems that your Aunt Margie is behind it.
How to deal: Requests from your guests may be inevitable, and if your band or DJ thinks it's appropriate for the atmosphere, they might give requested songs a play. And it might be okay -- you can't control everything about your wedding or reception. But if you're still fuming from the faux pas, talk to the bandleader or DJ immediately afterward and tell them that you would prefer to avoid group dance songs like the "Y.M.C.A.," or any requests for that matter.
Stop the cycle: To avoid any playlist pitfalls, give your band or DJ a list of songs that you absolutely don't want to hear at the reception. If you're worried your strictly-Motown playlist will be disrupted by someone's insistence on hearing his favorite Bon Jovi tune, it's okay to let your band or DJ know that guests' song requests should be politely declined.

9. Drinking Too Much

What they did: A few too many signature cocktails turned one of your guests from the life of the party into a bit of a mess.
How to deal: While it's not your responsibility to babysit your guests, you can't turn a blind eye to someone who's had way too much to drink. If there's any risk that the guest will try to drive, ask your planner, a responsible attendant, friend, or family member to call a cab, and to make sure they take the ride. It's not much fun to send someone home early, but making sure everyone gets home safely is incredibly important.
Stop the cycle: You can't limit the number of drinks each guest consumes, but you can grant the bartender permission to cut off anyone that's has had one too many. Other than that, make sure there's plenty of water on the tables and enough delicious edibles to satiate any guest -- big drinker or not.

10. Crashing Your Wedding

What they did: In the middle of your perfect party, you notice a few unfamiliar faces in the crowd, and wonder, "Who invited them?" Your wedding has been crashed.
How to deal: Don't freak out! With tasty food, fun music, and free drinks, it's no wonder some fun-loving people might want to get in on the action. If you spot a crasher, have the site manager or one of your attendants discreetly escort them out.
Stop the cycle: If you're marrying at a hotel or club that hosts multiple parties in one night, there might be wedding wanderers. Unless you hire a security guard (which is a bit extreme), there's no way to prevent it. If you're really worried, tell the catering manager (and the waitstaff) to keep an eye out for possible crashers.