Tips for making the most of your wedding with multi-day celebrations
Why not extend your wedding celebrations to make the “best day of your life” last a whole weekend? This is becoming more popular, not just for destination weddings, as couples try to prolong the festivities as much as possible…
Send your save the dates early
If you’re asking family and friends to commit to a whole weekend to celebrate your nuptials then make sure you ask them way in advance. It’s normal practice to send your save the dates around 9 to 12 months before, but we recommend doing this earlier if possible. The sooner you let them know, the more chance they’ll be able to guarantee their attendance. In terms of choosing a date, it could help picking a bank holiday weekend as many people already have this off work.
Choose a venue with on-site accommodation
Picking a wedding venue that offers on-site accommodation can take the stress out of organising other accommodation and transport. If the venue only has accommodation for the wedding couple, the wedding party or immediate family then this is still very helpful – perhaps prioritise grandparents or elderly guests who would prefer not to travel elsewhere. Crondon Park, our wedding venue in Essex, has a beautiful bridal suite just 30 yards from the Baronial Hall (perfect to fall straight into bed after a long night of celebrating) as well as five other bedrooms. For your other guests, you can often communicate with local hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Planning your itinerary
Putting together a strong itinerary of events is important. You need to balance fun and exciting activities with some more casual, low-key ones too. Remember that you don’t have to fill every minute of the weekend because your guests will appreciate some downtime to rest and recharge.
It’s great to let your guests know the itinerary a couple of weeks in advance, as this will help them plan outfits, transport and money. A few ideas are: BBQ party, afternoon tea, farewell brunch, morning yoga classes, planned walks.
Make a wedding website
This is a good idea for any type of wedding as it allows your guests to access all your wedding information in one place. You can include everything they would need to know, from dress codes to menus. It also gives you the opportunity for guests to reply with dietary requirements or any queries.
Hire a professional planner
Sorting the logistics for a multiple-day event can get confusing and complicated. Considering hiring a professional wedding planner to help you iron out the details. They can take over any responsibilities you don’t want, such as liaising with venues and suppliers, organising transport and handling itinerary issues.
Provide welcome bags
Welcoming each guest with a bag of goodies is usually appreciated, especially at a whole weekend event. You can include items guests probably haven’t brought with them; such as a water bottle, some snacks to keep your guests going, maybe some painkillers and plasters and other little things like teabags.
We hope these tips help you start to plan your multi-day marriage celebrations. Crondon Park would love to be part of your festivities, so please feel free to contact us to see how we can help.