There’s no doubt your multi-day wedding will be the happiest event of your life.
There’s no doubt your multi-day wedding will be the happiest event of your life.
Understandably, knowing how to plan a wedding can be intimidating, especially if you’re planning one in these unprecedented times.
The process of planning a multi-day wedding is the same whether you desire a modest, uncomplicated wedding or a large, opulent affair: Establish a budget, seek inspiration, and begin your guest list.
So, we’ll do it one step at a time down below.
Since it’s possible to be overwhelmed by the planning, we advise you to focus on one job at a time. If you’re short on time, assign some of these chores to family and friends, who will likely be happy to assist you.
Keep reading for detailed info on how to plan a multi-day wedding.
A multi-day wedding allows you to spend more time with your family and friends and unwind.
You go through a rush of emotions from the minute you become engaged until your wedding day.
While the wedding planning process is full of joy and excitement, it is also full of stress and concern as you strive to finalize the details before the big day.
Hiring a wedding planner relieves a lot of the stress on planning a wedding.
Additionally, having a wedding weekend reduces the pressure of the actual wedding day.
Weddings are enjoyable.
That is, without a doubt, the case. On the other hand, weddings tend to be less relaxing for couples in the evening.
You are burdened with thanking each of your guests for attending and doing all of the conventional wedding things, such as first dances, cake cutting, bouquet throwing, and more, rather than genuinely enjoying your first married moments with your new husband or wife.
A wedding weekend relieves the stress of greeting, thanking, and entertaining all of your wedding guests. Because the truth is that interacting with everyone in such a short time is nearly impossible.
The average wedding reception lasts four hours. If you host a 100-person wedding and spend one minute with each attendee, you’ll only have 30 minutes left for the rest of the festivities. It’s simply not possible; therefore, you won’t be able to mingle with all of your guests on your wedding day.
Out-of-town guests will have additional opportunities to enjoy themselves throughout a wedding weekend.
A wedding weekend is essential for guests not from the area where you are getting married.
Your out-of-town guests may make the most of their weekend celebrating you by having many scheduled parties and a specific list of activities to do.
Three days make up the basic layout of a multi-day wedding. You can add additional days for activities, which is advised for a destination wedding or if you have many out-of-town guests. Keep things simple and plan for the following:
Remember that not everyone can afford to take several days off to party, so specify which days are optional.
If most of your guests cannot attend on weekends, you can just plan your event from Friday to Sunday.
Also, if any of your guests have children, remember that they may not be able to leave them behind if you want a child-free wedding.
If you want them to come, be prepared to hire a nanny or make the wedding day the only day they can bring their children.
You want your visitors to feel relaxed as they move from one activity to the next and not like being forced into something they don’t want to do.
Your itinerary should serve as a guide, but any activities outside of the ‘formal’ events (i.e., the dinner the night before the wedding and the ceremony and reception on the wedding day) should be considered optional.
Guests will appreciate it if you offer things to do on-site or in the surrounding area but remember to provide plenty of time for them to rest, get ready, and nurse their hangovers.
We’ve all been there: you go away with pals for the weekend and get a little carried away on the first night, leaving you feeling a little worse for wear the next day. If your guests enjoy a good party, keep this in mind and try to keep the day before the wedding as low-key as possible. Consider a casual BBQ or pizza night that won’t overshadow the big day.
Make some time for yourself.
Set aside some time not only for yourself but also for your visitors.
In general, you should allow 30-40% of each day for guests to do as they like.
Everyone needs a break from partying every now and then.
If you want to go above and beyond, recommend local places for different activities.
You don’t have to feed your guests three meals a day, but at least one complete meal is required.
The sole exception is when the usual regulations apply on the wedding day.
If you’re not serving food during the event, make recommendations for local restaurants.
Changing your menu regularly will keep things from becoming monotonous.
Have Asian cuisine one day and classic American cuisine the next.
You can even switch up the serving method, such as hosting a tapas cocktail party on a welcome night and then serving a multi-course meal at the wedding reception.
A wedding website and/or app are almost required when a wedding takes place over multiple days.
With this, your visitors will always have a reference point and won’t have to bother you about minor details.
Having everything in one area will also be beneficial. Amid all the excitement, it’s easy to become perplexed or stressed out trying to figure out what happens when.
Don’t worry if you’re not a techie; wedding websites are now straightforward to set up.
Arranging a multi-day wedding could be difficult, given how stressful even a modest wedding can be.
As a result, hiring a professional who can handle the specifics may be more convenient.
An intelligent wedding planner may arrange things to save you money in the long run, even though it will eat into your budget.
Finding inspiration is one of the fun aspects of organizing a multi-day wedding.
Consider what you want your wedding to look like and how you want it to feel.
Are you going for a very formal and classic look?
Or how about a more laid-back and rustic wedding style?
The ball is in your court.
There’s no harm in looking up wedding colors, decoration ideas, etc., on popular wedding sites or events on Instagram or Pinterest.
If you can, initiate this process as soon as you’ve figured out your venue and set a date.
You can expect your friends and loved ones to ask where you are registered as soon as you announce your engagement.
That’s why it’s crucial to plan your wedding registry while working on other aspects of your wedding.
Note that you can edit or modify the registry later if your family and friends decide to buy engagement gifts.
Wedding rings are a significant symbol of marriage, so shop for them a few months before your wedding.
Choose a wedding band that complements your engagement ring, is comfy (you’ll be wearing it all day!), and complements your particular style.
Granted, you might be busy planning your wedding, but remember about the honeymoon!
Say you’re planning a honeymoon immediately after your wedding, then use this time to pick a destination, book your flights and lodgings, and start making needed plans.
The big day is here! You, your spouse, your family, and your vendors have put in a lot of effort to complete all the steps in preparing a wedding—so take it all in!
Host a laid-back thank-you brunch before your guests depart.
Remember that folks will prefer sleeping in, especially if everyone was up late partying, so don’t schedule the brunch too early in the morning.
If you have the option, you can continue the celebration the day following the wedding by arranging entertainment or taking your guests out to a fun activity.
This can also be done after the farewell breakfast, with just close friends and family invited.
Some ideas for activities include a group trek, a beach day, or a sporting event.
There’s no hard and fast rule because you can tailor the steps above to your personal schedule, slowing or speeding up when necessary. The amount of time you’ll require is determined by two key factors:
These four questions are a fantastic place to start when figuring out how to arrange a wedding.
You can move forward with other wedding-planning steps after you’ve discussed these questions with your partner:
We won’t lie: certain aspects of wedding preparation are difficult for different people.
Perhaps you enjoy decorating but need help with a guest list. Or maybe you want graphs and numbers but find Pinterest perplexing.
Fortunately, you’ll have a team of individuals to help you once you’ve employed your vendors—and you may even outsource work to your partner, family members, or acquaintances.
If you’re feeling entirely overwhelmed by wedding preparation, it might be time to employ a wedding planner if you haven’t done so previously.
We’re Here to help! We have over 15 years of experience planning and photographing multi-weddings, and we are here to ensure you have and capture your dream wedding to the tiniest details.
In simple terms, we’ll make your wedding rock!
Authors of the book collection “Wedding Tour“, we photograph weddings, cherishing the most beautiful love stories and diverse celebrations.
Our deep love for adventure and curiosity brings a sense of wonder in our work; capturing the truest moments, emotions and personalities to give you an experience to remember and make you smile.
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