Weekend weddings in Cornwall: Cornwall wedding planner Caroline Griffiths talks about weekend weddings at Boconnion.
Getting married in Cornwall couldn’t be easier.
More and more couples are choosing to celebrate their weddings over a whole weekend. These prolonged celebrations are on the rise and from a planning perspective, an opportunity to get creative and plan a wedding over a few days is super exciting!
How many times have you heard someone tell you, "It's over before you know it," when describing their wedding day? Well, luckily weekend weddings are the solution to prolonging the celebrations! The question is “How do you plan a weekend wedding?”
Read my latest tips and advice on getting the best out of your extended wedding celebrations.
Nothing beats a day in the sunshine.
1. Weekend wedding venues: It’s often that the majority of your guests will be travelling far and wide to make your weekend wedding at Boconnion. It can be a lot to coordinate for one day which is why a weekend family gathering has become popular. Finding a wedding venue that can accommodate all of your guests in one place is the perfect place to start!
2. Set expectations of budget: Give your guests plenty of time and set the expectations early. There is no doubt that a weekend wedding is going to cost more so make sure your guests are aware of the initial plans so they can consider their own budgets. When it comes to budgeting for your weekend wedding your main focal point will be the big day itself but don’t underestimate how much an evening before or Sunday brunch will cost.
3. Location is key: If you are planning lots of activities in various locations keep them close! Give your guest the relevant information on where everything is with transport options. Make it easy for them to navigate the weekend so it doesn’t become hard work.
4. Plan your spaces: As you’ll have multiple locations to think about it try and use separate areas for different parts of the weekend leaving a hidden area for the actual wedding day to give the wow factor! Consider your styling and how you can utilise the decor across the two/three days to save on budget.
5. Research and Provide: For your guests to make the journey give them as much information as possible so they can plan ahead in our course. If you intend to have a dress code for example. I always advise my couples to put all the information on the wedding invites so they all know the itinerary. Do your research and put together some useful information for your guests to look at. Let them know where the local attractions are, taxis numbers, local supermarkets are.
6. Give your guests some free time. If you are planning an action-packed weekend wedding remember to leave some downtime. This weekend is to relax and enjoy time as a family or with friends. As much as guests will love being with you they will also feel overwhelmed if they are being organised and ushered for two/three days straight!
7. It’s your weekend wedding! Now the majority of couples think about weddings as being a formal affair, traditional, and keeping with the formalities of a typical wedding. This may be how you envisage the actual wedding day but with a weekend wedding you can mix it up a little and throw in some other personal touches. Let’s say you met in Thailand and had the most magical of times in south Asia. Why not have a fusion of Asian street foods, with lots of colour and music. Create a completely different look than what you are planning on your wedding day. Be creative!
8. Choosing suppliers: When it comes to weekend weddings choose your suppliers wisely. Try and utilise the suppliers over the whole weekend so you are not managing multiple vendors. If you hire a cater, see if they can cater for the night before dinner or the Sunday brunch too. This will put your mind at rest and make the planning easier.
9. Hire a wedding planner! The role of the wedding planner at a wedding weekend is quite different to a one-day event. We are not behind the scenes with a clipboard and walkie talkie, instead, very much a secondary host, making your guests, friends and family feel at ease. We’ll be spending a lot of time with your guests, and they need to feel relaxed.
10. Enjoy it! If there is one thing I say to every bride or couple I come across, is that your wedding day is one of the most memorable days you’ll ever have in your life! Don’t spend the whole time worrying or getting stressed out. Relax and remember the reasons why this day is taking place. there will be certain things you will remember from this day so make them good memories!
More and more couples are choosing to celebrate their weddings over a whole weekend.
For more help and advice on planning your weekend wedding at Boconnion get in touch with Caroline at weddings@boconnion.co.uk
