Planning Checklist & Advice Guide
Easy How-To Advice for DIY Planning Your Wedding ~
Below, choose 1 of these simple Wedding Planning How-To Checklists & guides for do-it-yourself planning of your wonderful Beach Wedding or destination wedding at NC or SC beaches (or a cool Vows Renewal)!
These below steps should take you 1-7 days to complete, depending on how small or big your want it.
**READ ALL STEPS before starting!**
BTW: we offer you customized Packages for your Ceremony & Photos, but you need to plan the rest of your event, so…
FOR BIG: groups of 30+ people–scroll down to BLUE box
FOR SMALL or SIMPLE: groups 2 to 25 people-RED box
SMALL or SIMPLE Wedding D.I.Y Checklist:
- CHOOSE LOCATION: Consider parking spaces and limits of elderly or handicapped guests.
- Elopers: consider hiring a low-price, no-fuss, skilled videographer–Bob Collins on our Suggested Vendors.
- CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE: or a week or window, or at least a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4 …
- Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES? Such as a certain super-nice Officiant or talented, fun Photographer, etc? Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. SET A DATE and ask for a Temporary Hold on that date with each of them. TELL those vendors that you love them, and you need to find accommodations first, and you are coming right back.
- CAREFULLY RESEARCH and BOOK ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST. We post hotel/Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage. BUT:
- WARNING: most travel websites include nearly-useless listings that are too FAR away from your beach/ceremony! More than 1 hour away. So…
- CAREFULLY! BEFORE you book rooms/rentals, DO NOT SKIP THIS! double-check the actual physical address of that building! IF you aren’t sure how far it is from your ceremony site you may check the distance between the 2 street names on Google Maps.
- THEN once you are sure, BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST!
- Next, Read all contracts before signing, ask questions too.
- BOOK OTHER SERVICES: we recommend other good companies on our Suggested Vendors page.
- FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos! (All short-hair people NEED to use hairspray or gel to avoid ‘Medusa’ crazy hair in the wind. AVOID ignoring this-its a big deal!).
- GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony state, NOT your home state. See how to get your NC or SC license nearby the beaches HERE.
- A license from any NC county can be used inside any other NC county! Same goes for within SC. Call ahead to your license office to find out what to bring! NOTE: SC ONLY requires a wait-period plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that roadtrip well ahead.
- Get your rings & clothes: we recommend you choose non-neutral colors–read more HERE….
- Answer your Vendors’ questions quickly.
- For an overnight stay, email us for lists good local restaurants and hotels.
- Before you leave home:
- Contact and confirm with all your vendors.
- Pack your IDs, your marriage license, and the rings.
- Pay off balances due (or whatever those contracts tell you).
- If ceremony is outdoors, prepare to be FLEXIBLE for weather with this advice LINKED HERE.
- Hit the road and come have fun getting married!
BIG Wedding D.I.Y. Checklist:
- CHOOSE LOCATION: Consider parking spaces and limits of elderly or handicapped guests.
- GUESTS: decide how many and who–HERE IS HOW. Honest advice: for a destination wedding, fewer people is better for your outcome.
- Consider the health and mobility of elderly and handicapped on long boardwalks, shifting sand, staircases, standing for 30 mins, maybe hot weather.
- Consider whether you help them find hotels/houses. Do some guests need pet-friendly hotels? do some need chairs?
- Consider guests’ cars parking space at wedding site, or renting transportation vans, or check if your hotel offers a shuttle.
- consider school days for guests with kids.
- Consider hiring a videographer to record for those not attending.
- CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE: or at least a specific week or few days window, or at least the month and whether you want a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4…
- Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES? Such as a certain super-nice Officiant or fun talented Photographer, etc? Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. SET A DATE among those they name. TELL those vendors that you love them, and you need to find accommodations first, and you are coming right back. Most offer a Courtesy Hold IF YOU ASK FOR IT.
- Next, CAREFULLY RESEARCH and BOOK ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST. We post hotel/Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage. BUT:
- WARNING: most travel websites include useless listings that may be FAR away from your beach/ceremony! More than 1 hour away. So…
- CAREFULLY! BEFORE you book rooms or rentals, DO NOT SKIP THIS!! double-check the actual physical address of that building!!
- IF you aren’t sure how far it is from your ceremony site you may check the distance between the 2 street names on Google Maps.
- THEN once you are sure, BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST!
- Next, BOOK YOUR FAVORITE VENDORS second! Go back and do the paperwork for them. Read all contracts before signing.
- BOOK YOUR FOOD: we have a list of good local ones, just email us.
- BOOK a Wedding Coordinator if you have 30 or more guests. Seriously, you shouldn’t be working & stressing on wedding day…ruins it for you and others.
- SET your colors, your theme, tell your vendors. Be bold-neutral colors on a neutral beach is ‘meh’ photos - you will camouflage!
- BOOK OTHER SERVICES: we also offer rental bouquets or boutonnieres, live or recorded music, honeymoon basket, etc, but we recommend other good companies only on our Suggested Vendors page.
- FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos!
- Plus all short-haired people NEED to use LOTS hairspray / gel to avoid looking like cockatoo bird heads, in the strong beach wind.
- Book an Engagement Photo Shoot…use them on your invites, Save-the-Date cards, table decor at reception!
- Send out invitations. Require guests to RSVP by at least one month ahead.
- GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony state, NOT your home state. See how to get your NC or SC license near these beaches HERE.
- A license from any NC county can be used in any other NC county! Same is true within SC. NOTE: SC requires a wait-period, specific ID cards, plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that trip well ahead. Call ahead to your license office to find out what to bring!
- Get your rings and get your colorful wedding clothes see WHY here!
- Collect RSVPs, answer vendors’ emails questions quickly.
- Email us for lists of good local restaurants and hotels.
- Last 2 weeks before ceremony: Contact and confirm with all your vendors, Coordinator, pay off balances (or whatever the contracts say).
- IF ceremony is outdoors, prepare to be FLEXIBLE for weather with this advice HERE.
- Pack your suitcases, remember to pack your IDs, marriage license, rings, then come have fun getting married!
