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How to Pick Your Wedding Party

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One of the first thoughts that is likely to come to mind after you get engaged is… your wedding party! Who is going to be standing next to you on the most important day of your life? There are so many things to consider as you start to choose your wedding attendants, so we’re here with some tips and things to consider.

Financial and Time Commitments and Expectations

When you ask someone to be a part of your wedding party, it comes with a financial obligation and time commitment. Your bridesmaids and groomsmen will have the costs of formal wear, shoes, hair, makeup, the pre wedding festivities, potential travel expenses and more. You’re also asking them to give of some of their weekends as well. It’s a good idea to take into consideration your attendants schedule and financial situation. This by no means means don’t ask someone you really want to be a part of your wedding party — but your Scheme planners strongly suggest setting the expectation for your attendants at the beginning. It’s also nice to give them an out too. Explain that you know you’re asking a lot and can totally understand if it’s not something they can commit to. You still can’t wait to grab a drink and hit the dance floor together at your wedding! 

Relationships

Of course when you’re asking someone to be a part of your wedding, the assumption is they’re someone you couldn’t imagine not having stand with you. Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many times an obligatory bridesmaid or groomsman. While we know and understand there are sometimes unique and uncomfortable situations, we strongly encourage you to consider how including this person is going to make you feel on your wedding day and beyond. Do you want them in your getting ready suite on the day of the wedding, are they going to increase your stress level, are you going to look back and wish you hadn’t included them? Then don’t! The awkward conversation prior to your wedding is much better than a stressful day simply because your felt you had to include them. 

Don’t Pull from the Bench

What do you mean? It’s a wedding not a ball game! The days of even numbered attendants for both you and your partner are over. Don’t pull from the bench to create an even number. Chances are you and your partner don’t have the exact same number of people you immediately want to include. Don’t feel the need to start making a list of who you’d ask secondary. As Las Vegas wedding planners, we’re pros at making uneven and unique wedding parties look amazing and feel right! 

Groom’s-Gal, Brides-Man

Groom’s-gal, Brides-man, Man of Honor, Best Maid….or whatever you want to call it! It’s not uncommon for girls to have best male friends or guys to have best girl friends. As the bride, maybe your brother is your best friend and you want him standing next to you, do it! The days of brides only having female attendants and grooms only male are over, and we are here for it! 

Zero, One or Two Attendants

Year after year, we’re finding it more common for couples to have smaller bridal parties. Just because your entourage in life might be quite large, it doesn’t have to be on your wedding day. Including just one or two of your closest peeps is a great way to keep things simple and special. There is also nothing wrong with deciding to forego a bridal party all together and simply stand at the alter with your soon to be husband or wife. You can still have friends and family plan and coordinate all the pre wedding festivities if you desire! 

In conclusion, the only rules when deciding on your wedding party is to consider what you’re asking of them and make sure, no matter what you do, you do what is best for you! Throw the rest of the rules out the window. The Scheme team has planned and coordinated weddings with no wedding attendants all the way to wedding parties of over 30! We can’t wait to hear about your wedding party and what your Las Vegas wedding looks like. We can help make the day flow perfectly, no matter how many attendants you choose. Contact us today!

Benefits of Having a First Look

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If you’re in the wedding planing process and chatting with photographers, chances are you’ve heard about The First Look! It’s one of the Scheme Team’s favorite moments of the day and certainly something we suggest you consider, even if you’re a traditionalist. 

Recently, Las Vegas Wedding Photographer, Liz of Elizabeth Le Photography, contributed an article to Planning By The Book on the topic. We are excited to share just why Liz recommends a first look here on the blog. 

Why I Love a “First Look” Article by Liz Le of Elizabeth Le Photography

Do you want to add a magical element to your wedding day? Have you considered doing a First Look? Maybe you’ve heard about this new trend but don’t know much about it. Or maybe this is a new concept for you. A First Look is essentially when the couple sees each other for the first time on their wedding day before the ceremony. Usually your photographer is present in the background to capture this special moment. 

So you might be wondering: Is this something we should consider for our big day? There are many reasons to do a ‘First Look’, some practical and some emotional. As both a photographer and past-bride who decided to do a First Look I’ve put together my top 4 reasons for doing one. 

Alone Time

For my own wedding and for many of my couples, the First Look was the only private time we spent together. The wedding day is a whirlwind of events and emotions. You are whisked from one task to the next and before you know it the day is over.  For me it felt like the day ended way too quickly and I was sad not to have more time to soak it all in. The First Look forces you to to take time out of your day for just the two of you. It extends the day a little bit longer so that you can have a moment alone to connect and remember why you are getting married in the first place. 

More Time With Your Guests

The First Look gave us the ability to join our family and friends during cocktail hour, to sip our signature drinks and eat the appetizers we so carefully picked out.  It was so nice to mingle and hang out with our guests and share with them the excitement of saying “I do!”

Reduce Anxiety

Time and time again, my couples tell me that they are so glad they did a First Look for this reason.  A First Look has a way of calming your nerves and eliminating any jitters you may be experiencing.  My couples say that the minute they lock eyes on each other, their jitters immediately disappear.  Once all the nerves are gone, you can be more present and excited for the ceremony! 

Imagine this, you are both tucked away waiting for the moment to arrive to walk down the aisle.  You are so nervous, you may not want to trip, mess up your vows, or ugly cry in front of everyone. You are so nervous that as you are walking down the aisle that’s all you’re thinking about and you can barely make eye contact with anyone.  By the time you get down the aisle you just want to see your groom or bride. But what happens when that moment finally arrives? You can’t even hug or kiss each other.  You have to wait to the very end and by then that moment has passed.  Don’t get me wrong, that moment is very powerful, but it definitely is not like a First Look where you can hug, kiss, laugh, cry all you want and get it out of the way because no one is watching you.

Better Photos

When you choose to do a First Look, not only will you get more photos but you’ll also get better quality photos.  Since it is planned in advance, you will get to choose an ideal location with perfect lighting. Your photographer won’t be rushed to get all the shots in a short amount of time and you certainly can get more variety with different locations. Not only that, but you will have just finished getting your hair and makeup done so you’ll be looking your best at this time. And if you cry there’s time after to fix your makeup before the ceremony.  Most importantly, you are on a high after the First Look so these photos are usually the most natural and emotionally filled photos you’ll get from the day together.  

So maybe you love the idea of having more time together, being able to maximize the photo-experience AND getting to spend more time with your favorite people during cocktail hour. But you’re worried that doing a First Look will take away the surprise and excitement of the wedding ceremony.  I know because I had these fears too.  I was SO glad we made the decision to do a First Look because it was our favorite part of the day…and we have some amazing photos to prove it. It didn’t take away from the ceremony at all and only added another special element to our wedding day.  

In the end, this is your day and you should decide what will make it incredible. Choosing to see each other for the first time down the aisle or in a romantic private moment before the ceremony is a personal decision. I hope I’ve given you some insight on why a First Look can make a beautiful day even more magical.

Thank you so much to Liz for sharing your helpful insight. To see more of Liz’s beautiful work, visit her website here. 

For more Ideas, Inspiration and Guidance for your Las Vegas Wedding, you can purchase a copy of Scheme’s Planning by The Book here. 

Hiring a Las Vegas Wedding Day of Coordinator

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Las Vegas Day of Coordinator

You may be able to plan your wedding, but you certainly won’t be able to seamlessly execute it on the day of! Hiring a full scale wedding planner may not be the best fit for you, but we assure you will will forever cherish the fact that you hired a Las Vegas Wedding Day Coordinator. You’ve dedicated all your free time to scouting the perfect venue, tasting and selecting your menu, designing your invitations, selecting your favorite flowers, interviewing vendors, collecting RSVPs, finalizing your table assignments and much much more. Now it’s time to take off your planner cap and put on your veil. 

What should I be considering when hiring my Day of Coordinator?

When selecting your Las Vegas Wedding Day Coordinator, it’s important to find someone you trust. You’re turning your wedding day over to them to manage. You’ll also want to find someone you feel will be a great fit for your fiancé, wedding party and family. You’ll have a lot of interaction with your coordinator on the day of your wedding, so a personality fit is very important. You want to make sure your coordinator understands your wedding day vision, what is most important to you and how you want your day to look and feel. Other important things to consider is what their experience level is and if they’ve worked with your venue and vendors before. Having a coordinator that has a working relationship with your venue and vendor team helps ensure a super smooth day. 

What can I expect when I hire Scheme Events for Day of Coordination?

You can rest assured that Scheme takes every step to ensure the dream wedding you have been scheming for months will be executed as planned. In order to do so, we begin our day of coordination 4 weeks before your wedding day. We have you fill out a quick questionnaire to get initial information which then leads to an in-depth phone, Skype or coffee meeting to go over every last detail. We then do a site visit to envision your wedding day with you. A production schedule is created and becomes the say all to your event. We dedicate an hour to your wedding rehearsal that’s scheduled a day or so before your wedding, then finally, it’s wedding day. We’re onsite orchestrating your vendors, setting up your small details like placards and table numbers, and coordinating your wedding party and the flow of the ceremony and reception. While we’re doing all these things, your relaxing and getting ready and are simply able to be a guest and enjoy a stress free day. 

Does your venue have a need or requirement for a Wedding Day Coordinator?

It’s not uncommon for venues here in Las Vegas to require you to hire a wedding day coordinator. More and more venues are moving to this model as a way to protect the integrity of your event. Because the venue is focused on what their obligations are, like food and beverage, they can’t be expected to handle a lot of the miscellaneous duties that a wedding day requires. Perhaps your venue doesn’t require a planner, but still had a lot of logistical difficulties. We strongly encourage you to hire someone for wedding day management. Having someone on your team that knows the ins and out of unique venues like The Smith Center, Neon Museum, or The Doyle will be one of the best investments your make. 

My venue has a coordinator, do I still need to hire my own Wedding Day Coordinator?

We look forward to working with great venue coordinators. They are wonderful and make our job easier. However, we work best as a team. Venue coordinators are responsible for their contracted services, such as, ensuring the venue is clean, prepared and ready for decor setup, providing flatware and glassware, ensuring food and service are timely and above standard. Your day of coordinator sets your decor, answers all the tough vendor questions, walks you down the aisle, cues the DJ, prepares your best man for his toast, explains etiquette, answers guests’ questions and is by your side throughout the day. Simply put, we work for you, your venue coordinator works for the venue and together we are a great team.

Scheme Love From Katie:

“We used Scheme Events for our day of coordination, and Tara went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect on our wedding day! From the moment we sat down with her a month before the wedding, she took everything off our plates and enabled us to have a stress-free day and just enjoy it! Her professionalism and experience are unmatched. I can’t say enough about how helpful Tara was, and I would recommend Scheme Events to anyone! “

To read more about what our past couples have said, click here. 

To inquire about hiring Scheme as your Wedding Day Coordinator, click here! 

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