Choosing What You DIY
Our best advice: Choose carefully what you plan to DIY. Planning a large scale event is hard. There are so many pieces that have to come together, and all at the same time. Be selective with which ones you choose to take on! Decorating and favors are so much more fun and rewarding way to put your personal stamp on a wedding. Carrying around dirty dishes and leaking ice bags in formal-wear should not be one of the things you DIY!
Don’t think of staff as stuffy, think of them as indispensable! No one misses service staff… until they’re not there.
I hear it all the time: We don’t need that many people, it’s an informal affair! Don’t think of staff as stuffy, think of them as indispensable! No one misses service staff… until they’re not there.
It’s tempting to let your family volunteer to wash dishes or “take care of the food”, but it is an amazing gift to let them be present and celebrate your day with you. Having staff at your event allows you to be free to visit with the new in-laws, meet or reconnect with friends and far-flung family. We have worked many weddings with staffing donated by family. Often your Aunt, Uncle or Cousin were not aware when they offered, that cleanup would extend well past the bar closing. This either creates extra work for the bride and groom, their parents, or could result in the loss of your venue deposit. Weddings are busy enough, don’t add to the chaos!
Read: Determining Your Event Needs to get an idea of how many staff may be quoted for your event.
Build a Good Team
A good bartender will go a long way in making sure drinks are mixed well and consistently, spreading your liquor purchases out over the party and saving you from the over-pouring volunteer. They can keep coolers stocked and keep ice flowing.
If you are serving alcohol, there is another tricky component: the unruly wedding guest. Our bartenders are trained to deal with guests who may be celebrating your vows a little too much. Let us tactfully redirect them, serve them watered down bevvies, or, if necessary, gently and politely cut them off. We won’t mind if they hold a grudge, we certainly don’t want you to have to deal with this on your big day.
At the end of the night, there are rentals to be processed and venue standards to meet. Cleaning fees could be lobbied by either the venue or the rentals company. This could lead the the loss of your deposit or additional charges, definitely not the best start for new family relations! For our operations manager, the most important part of staffing her backyard rehearsal dinner was walking back through her kitchen at the end of the feast, and finding it: clean! Dishwasher loaded, pots and pans washed, leftovers stored, fridge stocked, no mess between her and the bed. (Beauty rest- so important before your big day!)
At the end of an event, brides and grooms find that knowing that either a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator had their back was one of the best investments they made. Just because you have a wedding planner does not mean your event is not DIY. Planners can take care of only vendor management and day-of logistics, leaving you free to craft to your heart’s content!