For all their wondrous potential, weddings are also stressful events that require a great deal of planning and coordinating. Now, there are plenty of blogs and magazines offering tips on how to make your special day run more smoothly. But as operators of what many consider the leading wedding venue in Fremantle, we’ve found that most of these publications leave a few important tips out.

With that in mind, here are four insider tips from the wedding planning team at The Esplanade Hotel:

1. Schedule Some Time for Yourself
   A wedding can be a magical, once-in-a-lifetime event that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful. On the contrary, the actual day of the ceremony may end up feeling more like a chore than a life event to look back on with fondness. That’s why it’s important to go out of your way to schedule some ‘me time’ for your big day. If you’re staying at The Esplanade, you might consider giving yourself 15 or 20 minutes here and there to retreat to your room and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee. That’s one of the advantages of chartering Perth wedding venues that also offer on-site accommodation.
2. Involve the Bridal Party in Coordinating the Day’s Events
   The bridesmaid’s and groomsmen participating in your ceremony can be expected to do more than stand at either side whilst the bride and groom exchange vows. It’s a good idea to sit down with them a few days before the big day so that you can walk them through your expectations for the ceremony and reception with as much detail as possible. If you’re hosting your wedding at The Esplanade, you’ll also have a dedicated event organiser on your team. We recommend inviting this person to your sit-down with the bridal party, as well.
3. Make a List of Items to Take Home from Your Wedding
   The Internet is full of guides recommending things that you don’t want to forget to bring on your wedding day (here’s a thorough example from Brides). But what you often don’t hear from the experts is the importance of making a list of things to bring back home from your big event. At many of the weddings hosted at The Esplanade, the bride and groom have brought in a few of their own decorations or even furnishings. In the rush of wrapping up the reception, it can be all too easy to overlook these items. Save yourself the headache and make a list of things that need to return with you.
4. Collect Wedding Photos from Guests
   These days, just about everyone has a digital camera, and this means that you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your photo album with even more images than your own photographer was able to get. There are a few ways to accomplish this, starting with setting an official hashtag for your wedding day and encouraging attendees to use it when posting their favourite photos on social media. You can also assign someone in the bridal party with the task of downloading photos from guests onto an external hard drive. BuzzFeed has compiled a few more tips for collecting wedding photos here.

If you’re just getting started planning a wedding in WA, be sure to have a look at our affordable wedding-day packages at The Esplanade Hotel. And please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.