Pull Off That Wedding Like Clockwork … Even if You’re a “DIY” Queen
Recently, I headed back to my hometown to help my mother and sister with the final planning for my sister’s wedding. Every member of my family is a “Do-It-Yourself” junkie, so we had an unbelievable amount of flower arrangements, pew decorations, garlands, candles and silver to deal with.
You name it, we had to set it up. What’s more, we had a total of four hours to decorate the church and a huge reception hall, a large lobby and two gazebos.
When I arrived back at the old haunts before the big day, I honestly felt a bit overwhelmed — only four hours to decorate! And all those decorations and rooms! But as it happened, we pulled it off. And what’s more, we even had time to relax and admire our handiwork.
The first thing we had to do was figure out how many people were able to help us decorate. And though it really helps, it isn’t totally necessary that your helpers have an eye for design. Anyone with two arms and a pair of eyes is perfectly suited to come and lend a hand.
Here’s how we made sure that things came off as planned: before the wedding, my mother and I set up a preview of all of the arrangements in my parents’ basement, exactly as we wanted them set up in various spots around the hall and Church. And then with a digital camera, we snapped a photo of each arrangement so that we had a visual guide illustrating our intentions for all our helpers. A digital camera and a computer with a color printer are handy here, but old-fashioned 4×6s are just as good — it just takes longer and costs more to get them developed.
When we finished arranging everything in the basement, we tagged each arrangement with a small piece of masking tape and a number. What we aimed for is arrangements that started at “#1″ and went left to right — methodical enough even for the crazy hustle and bustle of the Big Day.
Then we packed everything for transport in banana boxes from the local grocery store. You’re probably thinking, “why banana boxes?” Simple: they’re strong and light, so you can fill them with just about anything and not have to worry about the bottom dropping out. When each box filled up, we labeled the top with the contents’ intended destination (“On top of the piano in the lobby.”). Then we loaded up boxes in mostly-logical order, grouping similar decorations together, into a rented box truck.
When we arrived on the morning of, a crew of 12 was waiting for us (yay!). So we hopped out of the truck and handed out instructional sheets to everyone. These sheets explained how everything was labeled, what the rooms’ general layouts were, what to expect once they opened the boxes, and who they could ask if they had any questions at all. From that point, everyone was off and running.
It went like clockwork, and everyone let us know they were grateful to be on the same page. Thanks to that extra time we spent pre-planning and organizing, we actually finished early. We had a few moments to stand back, enjoy the final effect and even take a few pics of the gorgeously-decorated venue before the guests arrived.
And as it turned out, this wedding day was actually relaxing. We didn’t have to rush around for last-minute touch ups. Instead, we were able to hang out with family and friends until the wonderful event drew to a close.
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