Who’s on your wedding team?
Article By Carley Lintz, CTW Features
Weddings involve a lot of little details. Ensure they’re all covered with these eight team members.
Anyone that has planned and executed a wedding knows – it takes a village. There’s the caterer, DJ, florist, photographer, and many others who come together to ensure your big day goes off without a hitch.
But, unless you can afford an entire crew of hired hands, there will still be plenty of small details that need to be handled the day of your wedding. That’s where your volunteer team comes in.
“If you’re doing all the decorations and styling, definitely have friends and family around to help with that,” advises Carly Okoth, Lead Planner at Willow Planning in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. “It really alleviates the stress for the couple.”
So, before you head down the aisle, make sure you have the following roles assigned to a trusted friend or family member. Also, don’t forget to “have everyone’s job written down on a spreadsheet to help you remember,” Okoth adds.
Vendor coordinator
If it’s not in your budget to hire a professional wedding coordinator, ask a member of your volunteer team to handle the vendors. This role is in charge of communicating with vendors to ensure they show up on time, have the necessary supplies, and know exactly where to go.
- Designated decorators
While your florist may install any floral arrangements, you still need a crew to set up the rest of your décor. Designate a small team of crafty friends to set up tables, hang bunting, and set up centerpieces to create your wedding ambiance.
- Go-fer
This role is for the safe and organized driver on your team. Your go-fer is the person who picks up all the last minute items, like rentals, or emergency supplies, like extra extension cords.
- Kid wrangler
If you have pint-sized wedding party members (i.e., ring bearer, flower girl, pages), you need an official kid wrangler. This person oversees the kiddos right before they walk down the aisle – ensuring everyone stays clean and calm – so their parents can take their seats for the ceremony.
- Point of contact
No matter how clear your wedding invitations are, there are still bound to be questions from guests on the big day. Appoint a team member to field non-emergency questions. That way, you can focus on enjoying your big day and not giving directions to the church to five different people.
- Gift attendant
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for wedding gifts – especially cards – to go missing while everyone is celebrating. To avoid an unfortunate incident, ask a team member to supervise the gift table and place presents in a safe location once all the guests have arrived.
- Tip Manager
It’s customary to tip certain vendors, such as the DJ or bartenders, for excellent service. Avoid scrambling last minute by placing tips into labeled envelopes ahead of time and appointing someone to hand them out after the wedding.
- Cleanup crew
The last thing a couple wants to do at the end of their wedding is break down tables or throw away trash. “If you don’t have a wedding planner to do this, designate a family member or friend to pack up signs, left behind favors, sunglasses, bouquets, etc.,” Okoth says.