Without a doubt, hosting a simple wedding ceremony is easier to manage than hosting a grander one, and it allows you to give the tiniest of details your very own personal touch. However, things don’t always perfectly go to plan in the middle of a wedding ceremony no matter how “simple” it is – but fret not for this article will help you touch all the bases before and during the big day.
1. Safety First 
Even if you aren’t planning to have games, dancing or other physical activities, accidents -big or small- can still happen when you least expect them to. This is why it is wise to prepare a first-aid kit before the wedding ceremony and pack it with key items. But if you are fortunate enough to avoid any form of accident, there’s still the possibility of having a guest who’ll experience a discomfort of some kind, so it’ll be wise to include the following in you first-aid kit: ibuprofen (offer it to those who shall experience headaches), antihistamines (to fight nausea), and loperamide (used to treat stomach aches). If you can ask a nurse relative or friend to be in charge of the first-aid kit (or at least have her or him sit where the kit’s easy to get to), then that would be ideal.
And if the wedding ceremony will take place at someone’s home, there should be a single room with exclusive access to the bride, her family, the groom, and his family where personal belongings can be stored. Even in a simple wedding setup where the guests aren’t that many, it isn’t possible to track everyone’s movements at once. Being extra careful on that special day won’t hurt anyone. But in the case of non-home weddings where no such room exists, there should instead be a spot (or even furniture) that will be exclusively allocated to the previously mentioned party. This can be a table, an isolated zone on the floor, a cabinet with a lock, and so on.
2. Notify Your Guests About Where The Wedding Will Take Place
In your invitations (whether the digital or physical kind), be very specific about the venue specifications. Will you be hosting on a farm? What’s the general climate in that area? This will help the guests decide on what they should and should not wear.
Not just because it is a simple wedding means that it is destined to be unremarkable! You can try transforming family photos into party decor. Or put some witty (but not offensive) jokes or poems on the chairs. And to make it easier for everyone to find pictures of the big day after they’ve gone home, tell the guests about unique wedding hashtags which they can add in the photos that they’ll upload on their social media channels.
4. Strive To Be A Law-Abiding Host
Governmental permits may take a long time to process, so these should be taken care of at the soonest possible time. The most important legal authorizations include parking, noise, fire and the serving of alcoholic drinks. Research thoroughly about the local area’s regulations when it comes to parking multiple vehicles on the road, the possible need for a licensed alcoholic beverage caterer, the surrounding neighborhood’s public disturbance noise curfew, and if you’ll have to purchase a fire extinguisher. So even if an angry neighbor shall attempt to disrupt the event, you’ll have the essential papers to back you up. A lawful celebration is the way to go!
5. If It Is An Outdoor Ceremony, Time To Get Shady
Not even the most sophisticated weather forecasting gizmo can perfectly predict the weather so if renting a tent is not financially feasible, the selected ceremony location must at least provide a good level of tree cover. In addition, the presence of shade ensures that there’ll be minimal squinty eyes in the wedding photographs!
6. A Refreshed Guest Is A Happy Guest
If you can only afford to pick one between pre-lunch (or pre-dinner) appetizers and pre-ceremony refreshments, go for the latter. Because as just might be expected, someone who’s just eaten an appetizer will look for something to drink next! Pre-ceremony refreshments need not be expensive and must be in accordance with the present weather conditions. Is it a cold season? A small cup of steamy tea or coffee will fit the bill. Hosting amid the summer? Instant fruit juices or just plain ice water will do the trick.
7. Stay Organized
Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and forgetting things! Hosting a wedding ceremony can put a lot of pressure on someone, and that added stress can result in difficulties in concentrating and remembering what should be done next (surprise!). Make sure you print (or keep a digital file of) the event flow and contact details of the VIPS and vendors.
8. Make A Last Minute Check 1-2 Days Before The Ceremony
Try to visualize the actual wedding ceremony. Where do you think something might go wrong? During the handing out of thank you gifts because they are not the right number? You may want to recount those freebie bags or pouches. Will all the vendors be present? It’ll be great to send them a short text or call to confirm if they really know what time they should be at the site. If one of them is not feeling so great, at least you’ll still have some time to reach out to a new vendor (or even check online how you can DIY). Has the caterer or family cook been given an updated headcount? If not, now’s the best time to do that.
After you’ve cleared that initial question about what might go wrong, now ask yourself about how the wedding can be improved aesthetically. Using a chat app, you may want to suggest to the female guests to get their nails done so they’ll look amazing in the photos. Rehearse the vows out loud and consider replacing some words or phrases that are way too difficult to pronounce. Or ask the jeweler who sold the rings to give them an expert but instant clean so they’ll look really lovely come wedding day. The sky’s the limit, so let your creativity shine!
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This content was originally published here.