I like to meet with my brides about a month before their wedding to finalize their schedule and locations. It’s also great when my brides bring me a Vendor List. This list has all of the contact information for all of your wedding day vendors. So many of my brides have such beautiful details that I always am asked where a bride found something or who she used. The other benefit of such a list is that it keeps you organized with everyone’s information in one place. When it is time to finalize time and locations with all of your vendors you can pull out your handy list. At the rehearsal hand it over to your maid of honor in case any calls need to be made. If you would like to get started on yours early just send me an email and I will send you our list or feel free to copy the list below. It has a bunch of vendor categories listed on it – or you can make your own. Don’t forget the fun things like who is doing your hair and makeup!

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This great tip was brought up during a fun dinner with wedding planner Kathy Piech-Lukas from Your Dream Day. I was telling her that I wish I could pack a bustle in our emergency kit. There are just so many different kinds of bustles that there is no way to help out and know every kind of bustle and how they work with each dress. Kathy said to make sure that at least one person (preferably two) go with you for your final dress fitting. And it is best that the person doing the bustle goes to the final fitting. This is great advice that is often overlooked because it is so close to the wedding and there are a lot of appointments to schedule. We had one bride pull out a 2 page handwritten instruction sheet for how to do her bustle. Of course she was in the dress so she couldn’t help much. When should you bustle the dress? Most brides bustle their dress when they are leaving for the reception or when they arrive at the reception hall. You can use the loop inside the dress to help carry the train during photos (this is a great job for the groom to help with too). We do put time into the schedule for bustling the dress. It can take 2 minutes to 20 minutes, so be sure the have whoever is helping you practice the bustle a few times while at the final fitting. That way they can ask questions with the seamstress still there.

Special thanks to Kathy for this great wedding tip! The photo above has bridesmaid Laura bustling Sarah’s dress. We photographed Laura’s wedding in 2005 and she has been a bridesmaid in many of our weddings since then. Thanks for referring us to your friends Laura and for being such a helpful bridesmaid!