15 Tiny Wedding Details You Won’t Want to Forget
I know what you’re thinking, “Oh great, more for me to do! Add that to my already huge wedding checklist!” Let me be clear here, this list is NOT meant to overwhelm you. In fact, if you did NOTHING on this list, I guarantee you NONE of your guests would know the difference.
So why should you care about these details?
Let me explain: my husband was in real estate for decades and to this day he always tells me that you can sense instantly when you walk into a house that has been carefully planned and updated. Most buyers might not notice the crown molding or the upgraded doors, large baseboard and extra casing around the door frames you just know that it looks and feels good. You get that “wow” feeling and you can’t put your finger on it exactly. THAT is how I think of these tiny wedding details. They add that little extra sparkle.
What this list is not
Now you won’t find these items on The Knot’s wedding checklist or any other blog for that matter. These aren’t those big wedding tasks like finding a photographer, florist or DJ. They aren’t going to break your wedding budget or chew up a ton of your time.
What this list is
This list is meant to inspire you to think outside the traditional wedding checklist box by adding teeny tiny things that could make your wedding day extra special, incredibly meaningful and one that will have your guests talking about for years to come. And let’s be honest ladies… isn’t that what we are ALL after? Of course, you need to love your wedding too, but we all want our guests to have a great time and rave about what an amazing time they had. Right?!
They are the little details that you can add in to really make your wedding one to remember. These are items I wish I had personally thought of while planning my own wedding, ideas I picked up from other wedding pros and moments I noticed while attending weddings.
Since officially becoming a wedding professional back in 2012 I have studied weddings and wedding trends and have grown to deeply appreciate those quite little moments and thoughtful gestures that can warm someone’s heart. Your wedding day is a celebration of you and your partner coming together as one and I think these 15 details can help elevate that celebration.
Maybe you will want to implement all 15 ideas into your wedding or maybe only one of these tiny details will speak to you specifically. Like I said that’s totally OK. These are not things your guests will be expecting so nobody will know if you decided to skip them.
OK, let’s get to it!
The 15 Tiny Wedding Details You Won’t Want to Forget!
#1 Have a getting ready playlist
I can’t believe this is one I didn’t think of. I literally have a playlist for EVERYTHING and always have. I blame it on wedding planning brain (is that a thing?) This can be a super fun project to complete over time. Every time you hear a song you love on the radio add it to your list! You could go obvious with all wedding themed songs or select tunes that pump you up! This is a great detail not only for the bride and her bridal party but also the groom as he is getting ready with his groomsmen.
#2 Card exchange between the bride and groom the morning of your wedding
This might be one that some of you have already thought about or planned on doing. The thought never crossed my mind while planning my wedding so I wanted to mention it here in case there are other brides like me. I would have loved to have a super sweet photo of us each reading the letters we wrote to each other the morning of our wedding. Not only that but what an amazing keepsake that you could read again and again.
TIP: If you think this something you would be interested in doing please make sure your partner is aware so they don’t get caught off guard unprepared.
#3 Hand written cards for your parents
While we are on the topic of writing cards to each other I wanted to toss this idea out there: hand writing cards to your parents and saying thank you for everything they did to pull your wedding off. How sweet would it be if you gave your parents that little moment to pause, read your note and look around the party and really take a moment to appreciate what they helped you do.
TIP: Ask one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen to leave the cards on their table setting before dinner. That way when they sit down to eat they can read your special note and you won’t have to remember to do that yourself.
#4 Pre-ceremony drinks or snacks
This is something that is totally unexpected, you really don’t see this often, and it will leave your guests saying “how thoughtful!” If you are getting married during the summer you could have pitchers of water or lemonade available for your guests before they sit down. For a winter or fall wedding maybe some tea or other warm beverage. It doesn’t have to be alcoholic. For snacks you could do popcorn or some sort of trail mix. You want it to be simple and easy for your guests while they wait for the ceremony to start.
#5 Signs with your custom wedding hashtag
If you are going with a custom wedding hashtag it’s important to let your guests know what it is. That way when they post photos on social media you’ll be able to search for them. Leaving signs at the bar, on the dinner tables, desert table, and sign in table are excellent places to add reminders.
TIP: This doesn’t have to be anything fancy or elaborate. You could even print on a simple piece of paper and put it in a cute frame that you get from Home Goods.
#6 Drink menu at the bar
This is such a great way to let your guests know about specialty drinks that are available, which drinks are free (for them) and which are available for purchase. This will keep your bar line moving quickly and the bartender won’t have to repeat what’s available over and over again. Guests can browse the menu while they wait in line and once they get to the front they are ready to order!
#7 Card box signage
It’s pretty rare that guests bring gifts to your actual wedding but some will still bring a card. It’s best to provide a sign so that guests won’t have to ask where they should put the cards. This is especially true if you have opted for an alternative to a card box like a birdcage or bowl.
#8 Labeling your food if you’re having a buffet line
This is something super simple and probably something that your caterers could even do for you. With so many people suffering from food allergies it would be very helpful to your guests if you labeled what was vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
#9 Pack an emergency bag
It’s a good idea to plan for anything on your wedding day. I highly suggest packing some emergency items. Here is a list of all the items I would include:
- Tampons and panty liners – Yes, periods happen the day of your wedding (it happened to me… ugh)
- Touch up makeup
- Deoderant
- Stain remover like tide to go sticks
- Perfume
- Mints/mouthwash/floss
- Mini sewing kits
- Bobby pins/hairspray
- Safety pins
- Band-Aids
- Advil/Tylenol
- Water and little snack
#10 Bathroom basket
In addition to having an emergency bag for yourself you could also provide an emergency bathroom basket for your guests. Here are some items to get you started:
- Tampons/panty liners
- Deoderant (the spray kind, because sharing a stick is yucky)
- Mints/mouthwash/flossers
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen
- Stain remover like the tide to go stick
- Bobby pink/hairspray
- Band-Aids
- Advil/Tylenol/Tums
- Nail File
- Tissues
- Safety pins
#11 Make the kids feel included and special
If you are having kids at your wedding, or in your wedding party, you could do something extra special for them. Some ideas include offering them a coloring book and crayons for the younger kids. For the older kids you could give them a disposable camera and have them go on a scavenger hunt for photos (take a picture of someone laughing, take a picture of two people kissing, etc.)
Tip: You could also have an area for the kids with a baby sitter that can watch, hang out and play with the kids.
#12 Change of shoes
I opted to wear flats on my wedding day because #1 I am nearly 6 feet tall as is and my husband is 5’9” and #2 I wanted to be comfortable all day. If, however, you are planning on wearing some super gorgeous heels please bring a change of shoes. When it’s time to get down on the dance floor slip on your party shoes and get to work!
Tip: You can also provide a basket of flip flops for other lady guests whose feet might also be killing them in those amazing heels. You can get some super cheap flip flops at Old Navy.
#13 Honor the longest married couple
This is such a great way to honor your grandparents (who are most likely to be the longest married couple at your wedding). At some after your first dance and father daughter dance you can have your DJ or band make an announcement asking all married couples to stand. They would then ask couples who have been married less than five years to sit, then 10 years and so on until there is only one couple left standing. That couple would then get to share a special dance together.
Tip: If you know ahead of time who this couple is going to be you can earn extra bonus points by playing their wedding song. If you know they won’t want to dance you could also give your bouquet to the couple instead of doing the traditional bouquet toss.
#14 Plan for the end of the night
Making a plan for the end of the night is a little detail that often gets overlooked. You need to figure out who is going to be responsible for collecting and taking your gifts, cards, signs and anything else you may have brought. Who is responsible for cleaning up if the venue doesn’t provide this? This is one thing you definitely don’t want to be dealing with at the end of the night. Here is a short checklist of items you will want to make a plan for:
- Who is responsible for cleanup? Does the venue do this? Caterers?
- Cards and gifts
- Signage and guest book
- Flowers and table decorations
- Left over wedding cake, cupcakes or candy
Tip: You might want to have one main person who is in charge of making sure everyone takes what their supposed to so the end of the night runs smoothly
#15 Late night snack
Picture this: your wedding has been amazing. Everyone is dancing, laughing and have the time of their lives. Nobody wants it to end but it’s getting late. Then BAM out rolls a cart with hand made donuts. Or a food truck shows up and gives everyone their own mini pizzas. You can really get creative here. There are so many options for late night snacks: hot dogs, mini burgers, ice cream, pizza, donuts and street tacos just to name a few. Your guests will be blown away, this won’t be something that they will expect but you bet it will be something they remember forever.
OK, there you have it! Those are my top 15 tiny wedding details that you won’t want to forget. I hope you picked some ideas that you are excited about adding to your own wedding.
If you need any help deciding on your heirloom garter, bridal party robes or embroidered handkerchiefs I’ve got you girl! Drop me an email at info@ellawinston.com
Until then, happy wedding planning lovelies!
XOXO, Kristin