Planning a country or interstate weddinG?
tips and tricks.
So you have planned a wedding a few hours away or abroad. You have locked in the amazing wedding reception. What other things will you need to consider?
Hi I’m Mel, the manager and one of the vocalists of Heatwave Band. (Yep that’s my wedding pic above.) I too have planned a wedding abroad so I thought I’d share a few points that may be helpful in your planning stages.
When you plan a wedding that is some distance away there are extra decisions and costs to consider. To give you an insight into some of the extra points we came across, below is a list of helpful ideas and advise. Hopefully this will make the planning process a bit easier.
As you can see I am just a little passionate about the weddings we perform for! Are you planning a wedding in country Victoria or interstate? Drop me a line to find out how we can make your wedding unforgettable with the most amazing live band.
My motto is always treat our amazing clients the way I would like to be looked after. Contact me at anytime to discuss your wedding day and how we can make it a show stopper!
Mel
Choose suppliers you can trust
This may seem to be an obvious point but finding suppliers that either have been recommended to you or have great reviews is a fab start. Do the ground work and make sure they have an invested interest in your wedding.
Are they personal? Are they contactable? Do they respond to inquiries in a timely manner? Have they performed their services in the location of the reception before? Will they be there on the day or do they sub out the work?
With Heatwave it’s a relief to know we a formed band with no surprises, I am the vocalist and band manager so I’ll happily answer any of your queries along the way (no matter how small or frequent these queries may be). What’s more, I’m there on the day to make sure your requests come into fruition. One of the many benefits of hiring a real band.
Factor in extra commuting costs including accommodation for suppliers.
We never shy away from a road trip! Performing at weddings interstate or in country Victoria are always an adventure. It’s hard to predict what the extra costs may be for a band or other suppliers to travel but watch out for exuberant price hikes and riders!
Of course all services need to account for the extra time and costs they will incur for traveling but all within reason. If they have quoted far beyond what you have expected chances are they don’t really want to travel. The best way is to gain some perspective. Shop around to see what the going rate is per 100km. Great suppliers can justify their fees so setting realistic budgets for the ones that matter does help.
Accommodation is another consideration and for Heatwave it needn’t be 5 stars of luxury. (Although that would be lovely it’s not necessary) We just require separate beds for each performer and a minimum 3-star accommodation with linen and towels provided.
Where are your wedding guests going to stay?
Attached to the invitations my hubby and I also listed a few accommodation options for our guests.
This takes the guess work out of how much it will cost your guests to attend the wedding.
A little extra effort here also makes your guests feel like you are making every effort for them to attend. A welcomed touch! Like many of our guests, they may also choose to stay on a few extra nights and make the most of this little getaway.
Follow up with your suppliers.
Yes this is a must, follow up with all of your suppliers one month and a week out from the wedding to go over any last minute changes and confirmation of any special requests.
Try to create one running sheet rather than separate ones specific to suppliers needs. This may be another obvious point but sending through the same detailed running sheet to all suppliers will keep everyone in the loop and on the same page. Don’t worry about irrelevant information, the more info the better – Suppliers will sift through what is important for them!
This running sheet should also include specific supplier contact details so we can all contact each other if need be. I would much rather contact the venue to find out any tricky load in details. Wedding videographers may want to touch base with the photographer for any special shots they would like to collaborate on.
Make every moment count!
The most amazing and unexpected advantage of having a wedding abroad is you are often together for a few days.
For us, catching up with all of our family and friends, especially ones we don’t get to see very often, extended the celebration.
A special touch is to plan a few breakfasts or dinners with any guests who choose to stay. This will make their extended holiday feel a bit more special and appreciated. Who doesn’t want their wedding celebration to last a bit longer?
We would be up to performing chilled groovy sets out on the lawn the following day! Just helping out with extra ideas:)
Trust and enjoy.
Finally remember to trust your decisions and enjoy the day!
It is easy to micromanage your wedding, especially when you have been living and breathing the planning for the months/years prior.
Whatever happens on the day, happens. Enjoy the unexpected! Seeing our guests randomly pass by on their buggies was a teary moment of happiness I was not expecting – They came all that way for us! The moment when my hubby raised the wrong knee at the end of our first dance that left me fall to the floor. Haha! Another classic unforgettable moment. Also yelling out “OPEN BAR!” when we hardly hit our minimum spend with an hour to go was a surprise. It cleared the da
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