Organizing a wedding is not an easy process as it includes a lot of loose ends to tie together. Whilst some of these tasks may be handled at any point, some tasks are time-sensitive.
Here are the five most important ones.
Venue
There are only 52 weekends in a year and some seasons are particularly prone to weddings such as summer and Christmas holidays.
Restaurants, Wedding Halls, Hotels, Civic Centers – all get booked very easy and you can be left with the worst of the lot to choose from. It is usual for wedding halls and hotels to book as far as 12 months in advance due to high demand. The venue should be on top of your list and the first thing to secure a booking on.
Dj
Next in line is the Dj of your choice. Just like the venue, securing a good Dj for the event well in advance is highly recommended. There is a lot of options when it comes to Djs but only a few will suit your individual needs and budget.
By default, DJs are busy in entertainment events such as Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Corporate Events and Fundraisers. At times their availability might be tougher than the venue itself!
Prior to the wedding, it is important to have a sit-down with your selected Dj. An itinerary should be designed and handed over for the entire evening. A conscientious Dj will even ask you questions about the expected demographics at the event so they can prepare the music accordingly!
Entrance, cocktails, performances, dance floor – all should have an approximate target time. Entrance songs are usually separate for the bride, groom and their respective families.
Dance performances by family and close friends are becoming a must at every wedding. It is important to provide the Dj with the cropped music files at least a week in advance. I perform as an Indian Dj, Pakistani Dj and Punjabi Dj in Montreal and many times people don’t provide the final cropped files till the last moment which can be stressful and risky for all parties involved.
Catering
Identifying the right menu for the wedding is quite a task as you try to accommodate a variety of food tastes and restrictions. A tasting session should be had in advance instead of taking a shot in the dark. Most caterers and restaurants offer a free tasting session prior to clients confirming the reservation.
Beauty Parlor
Finding the right makeup artist for the grand event is a challenge tougher than most people anticipate. Whilst looking for the best fit it is important to evaluate the portfolio of the service provider. Sufficient time should be invested in researching client references.
Hair Dresser
Apparently an easy choice to make but very tricky as well, particularly for the bride. It is imperative to identify the kind of clients the hairdresser works with.
Clients vary by demographics and some hairdressers specialize in a particular style or even communities. An Arabic bride might be served well by one hairdresser who may not be a good fit for say an Indian wedding. Choosing a hairdresser who is not well accustomed to your culture may prove a disaster.
The author is a Dj operating in Montreal as DjD and specializes in the Fuzion form of music. Hip Hop, Rap, Reggae, EDM, Bollywood, Indian, Pakistani, Punjabi and Bhangra music is their forte. They also perform as Corporate Dj & Private Party Dj and you can click on the hyperlinks to see videos.