July 12, 2024
Your Ultimate Guide to Planning A Wedding Weekend
Everyone says your wedding day goes by in a flash, which is why wedding weekends are becoming increasingly popular. It seems long gone are the days of your ‘big day’ being just one day!
A wedding weekend is not just about adding extra celebrations on either side. It’s a multi-day, carefully curated experience for your guests. They are filled with exciting and memorable moments beyond just the ceremony and wedding breakfast. It provides an opportunity to prolong the celebrations, benefitting the guests as much as the couple!
In this post:
What is a weekend wedding?
Any wedding is about storytelling, woven together through many chapters. These chapters tell the story of you as a couple and encompass each event and element of your wedding weekend. Each chapter is perfect on its own, but also weaved together flawlessly with others creating an unforgettable celebration. Every separate moment or event of your multi-day wedding must stand alone and go by without a hitch, while also fitting seamlessly into the overall wedding experience.
A wedding weekend typically spans 2-3 days, sometimes even more. As destination and weekend wedding planners, we find the most loved format involves a welcome party on day 1, the main wedding day on day 2, and a farewell brunch or lunch on day 3. Some couples choose to add extra chapters, such as a rehearsal dinner or pre-wedding luncheon for immediate family members. Whatever the format, the itinerary and organisation of each moment are everything! You want to ensure there are no awkward gaps where guests don’t know what’s happening, or for anything to feel disjointed. Each element should effortlessly follow the next, ensuring a unified and well-thought-out celebration.
Why Wedding Weekends Are a Great Choice
Having multiple days allows you to break away from the traditional formalities of a single wedding day. More time equals more fun! It provides more scope to have variety in style and design, and curate meaningful itineraries for guests to enjoy. Across the weekend, there will be time to take it all in at a slower pace, for you to spend with family and friends, and truly experience every moment for yourself. After all, there is nothing worse than FOMO!
Whether in the UK or abroad, at ByChenai Events we specialise in crafting unique and bespoke wedding weekends, and we absolutely love them!
Welcome dinner at Wynward Hall
Key Considerations For Planning A Multi-day or Weekend Wedding?
Drawing from years of experience, I have summarised my top considerations for planning a multi-day or weekend wedding.
1. LOCATION & VENUE
The location sets the tone for the wedding celebration. It’s understandably quite an overwhelming place to start wedding planning as it requires careful consideration. Think with both your head and your heart – don’t just pick a venue because of its beautiful setting. Consider whether it will logistically work for the wedding you are hosting!
Single Location
Whether you are considering a wedding at home or at a venue, decide if you want to hold all the celebrations in the same location. If so, is there enough space to play with, to give you a point of difference between each of your events, rather than using the same space each day? When at a venue, make the spaces work hard for you! We’d always suggest keeping the main wedding areas a surprise for the big day. However, get creative and explore other potential locations on-site for your welcome party. Just because the venue hasn’t hosted a dinner in the Market Garden before doesn’t mean they can’t consider it. Try pushing the realms of possibilities (within reason, of course) to create something unique to you!
If you need to reuse some of the same spaces, don’t panic. Think creatively about how to make it visually different, with a clear but cohesive point of difference. Remember, this may require a decent decor and crew budget to transform the space in a short amount of time.
Multiple Locations
Alternatively, hosting different elements in different locations, such as the welcome party in a quaint local village pub, certainly makes a point of difference between each day. However, you’ll need to plan the logistics and guest experience of getting from A to B more carefully. Consider what is in the local area for guests to explore during free time in the itinerary.
Accessibility
Accessibility is also a crucial consideration for location, especially for overseas guests or a destination wedding. What is the nearest international airport, and how will these guests travel to the venue? Will you be organising transport, or will they need to make their own arrangements? Accommodation is equally important for both overseas and local guests. Are guests able to stay on-site at the venue, or are there nearby hotel options at varying price points?
An experienced wedding planner will help you navigate the location and venue search and present options which fit the criteria of your wedding weekend.
>> What does a wedding planner do?
2. Budgets
Naturally, adding more elements and days to your wedding will increase expenses. We would not recommend reducing your wedding day budget allocation to allow for added days, as you don’t want to compromise on the wedding day itself. That being said, with careful planning and sensible decisions, extra events in a weekend itinerary do not have to cost the earth.
Prioritising Your Budget
Start by envisioning your dream wedding day and the events that might surround it. Create a draft budget by prioritising the wedding day itself, as this is the main event. The majority of your budget should be assigned to it. After you’ve determined this budget, you can work from the middle outwards to see what else you can afford to add on.
Separate Event Budgets
Each event should have its own separate budget, allowing you to clearly see where costs are allocated. Each individual event budget will then sit within your ‘master budget’, potentially leading to 3-4 budgets to manage. This might seem overwhelming, but an experienced planner can handle these with their eyes closed!
Guest Considerations
While your budget is important, you must also consider the costs involved for your guests. You are not obliged to pay for everything, but offering inclusive suggestions is polite. Be transparent from the start about what will be included in the weekend and what costs your guests will need to cover, such as travel or accommodation. Provide budgetary guides to help them determine what is personally feasible for them.
With thoughtful planning and clear communication, you can create a wedding weekend that is both memorable and financially manageable for everyone involved.
3. Itinerary & Guest Management
Having a wedding weekend gives you the time and opportunity to create different experiences for your guests. A well-thought-out itinerary is essential, considering all the touchpoints along the way. You need to ensure everyone is looked after throughout — from pre-planning to guest arrivals to the main wedding day —striking the perfect balance to avoid overwhelming guests or making them feel rushed between events.
Good communication and transparency are key. Be open and honest about what the weekend will entail for your guests, and make it flexible! While you want all your guests there throughout, be clear that this is not an expectation. You don’t have to divulge every last detail in advance, but inform them about the activities where they may need to bring a pair of wellies, or where they will need to pay for their own drinks.
Travel & Accommodation
For guests travelling from overseas, make suggestions for the closest international airports or railway stations, and details of transfer or taxi companies they can use. Offer a range of accommodation options to ensure there is something for everyone, including those who are more budget-conscious.
Check if your venue offers check-in, housekeeping and laundry facilities. This is particularly important for private venues as opposed to hotels, as many ‘private estate’ venues with accommodation may not offer these services as standard. Guests will likely expect to be able to have their shirt ironed or dress steamed. If the venue doesn’t offer this, don’t panic —as your weekend wedding planners, we can organise these services for you.
Extra Touches
Another lovely guest experience consideration is those extra touches – think welcome gifts, in-room refreshments, guides for the local area, and hangover kits (!). A welcome gift sets the tone for the weekend ahead and could be placed in each guest’s room with a personalised note, itinerary, map and local treats for them to enjoy. We feel these are especially lovely when guests are staying in separate hotels if the venue cannot accommodate everyone, as it makes them feel included right from the start.
Breaking the Ice
While you and your partner will know everyone, it’s important to remember that some of your guests might not know anyone and a weekend of celebrations with mostly strangers might feel daunting. Start your itinerary with something casual and fun to break the ice and allow friendships to start blossoming!
Downtime & Relaxation
Lastly, consider what guests can do when there isn’t a planned event happening, and don’t forget to factor in some downtime. For example, before the ceremony, guests may have the morning to themselves. Provide suggestions on activities they can enjoy. Perhaps a walk around the local town, a massage at the hotel spa, or simply a lie-in with breakfast in bed? You want your guests to feel relaxed and to have some time to themselves.
Sunday pool party at Cornwell Manor
Sample 3-Day Wedding Weekend Itinerary
Here’s a sample itinerary to give you an idea of how your multi-day celebration could unfold:
Friday: Welcome Party
- Afternoon Arrival: Guests check into their accommodations and receive a welcome gift bag, including an itinerary, local treats, and a personal note.
- Evening Welcome Party: A relaxed and informal gathering at a charming local venue, such as a quaint pub or a scenic garden. Enjoy light bites, drinks, and live music to kick off the festivities and help guests mingle and unwind.
Saturday: The Wedding Day
- Morning Relaxation: Guests can enjoy a leisurely breakfast and choose from a variety of optional activities, such as a guided local tour, spa treatments, or a yoga session.
- Afternoon Ceremony: The main event, held in a beautiful outdoor garden or a stunning indoor setting, followed by a cocktail hour with passed canapés.
- Evening Reception: A grand seated dinner with speeches, dancing, and entertainment, such as a bespoke photo booth!
Sunday: Farewell Brunch
- Morning Brunch: A relaxed and delicious brunch, featuring a Bloody Mary station where guests can customise their drinks. This gives everyone the chance to reminisce about the previous day’s celebrations.
- Afternoon Departure: Guests check out and depart at their leisure, taking with them cherished memories of an extraordinary weekend.
This sample itinerary is designed to help you start visualising your wedding weekend. Personalise it to your heart’s content. Whether you envision a fun pool party with a BBQ or a charming picnic featuring a massive Paella station at its centre. The aim is to create a seamless and memorable experience that delights and engages your guests throughout the entire weekend.
4. Planning & Logistics
Admittedly, logistics are not the most exciting part of a wedding, but they are one of the most crucial elements.
Planning multi-day weddings requires a considerably larger amount of time to design, plan and bring to life. Any wedding has many moving parts to consider and manage, so when you add the extra layers and intricacies required for multi-day weddings, it really can become a full-time job. This is why many couples look for additional planning support. We act as your on-the-ground person at every stage, being equally proactive and reactive on your behalf.
Contingency Planning
While you decide on plan A, you also need to think of plans B and C. You may have your heart set on a garden ceremony, but what if the forecast is wet? Where will the ceremony be relocated, and what impact does this have on your supplier schedules and wider itinerary? Does this impact at what time guests need to be ready or when the food service will start?
Seamless Transitions
Be sure to think of logistics carefully when transitioning between each element of your wedding weekend. This ensures everything runs as smoothly as possible on the day. By planning these logistics clearly in advance, you will avoid confusion, and guests will feel relaxed and at ease, allowing them to fully enjoy the weekend.
We touch more on why a wedding planner is so useful in the next section, but planning the event flawlessly and being your support throughout is our main priority.
Why should you enlist the help of a weekend wedding planner for your wedding weekend?
Let’s be honest, not every wedding planner is equipped to successfully manage a multi-day wedding. For many, a single-day wedding has enough moving parts without adding the complexities of additional venues, suppliers to manage, multi-day timelines, and logistical planning to coordinate. Our extensive experience in weekend and destination weddings means we are equipped with the knowledge, network and passion to create the wedding weekend of your dreams.
We’ve already touched on wedding weekends being a curated experience, not just a means to extend the celebrations. You spend so much time, money and effort planning the wedding; you want to spend quality time with each guest, rather than just a fleeting hello, and feel comfortable and relaxed throughout. But how do you create this amazing experience, with so many moving parts, and actually be able to enjoy every second?
This is where we come in!
The Role of a Weekend Wedding Planner
A wedding planner acts as a secondary host, running around quietly behind the scenes to make sure everyone is where they should be and has what they need, whether that’s for our couples, their guests, or all the trusted suppliers we enlist. We act as a guest experience point of contact, answering questions about timings, gift registries, available taxi companies, and everything in between. We look after everyone so you don’t have to!
You don’t want to worry about changes to the table plan while trying to enjoy your welcome party or worrying about who is clearing up the tables from the wedding day, when a Bloody Mary is in hand at your farewell brunch! This should all be left to your wedding planning team to manage on your behalf.
Focus on Enjoying Every Moment
You only get this moment once. We want you to focus on being present, soaking it all in, and enjoying every moment with your guests without having to worry about the details and bringing it all together.
Enlisting a wedding planner is an expense, but we truly believe that the investment is worth its weight in gold. Working with us enables you to tap into years of expertise, logistical planning, and our extensive supplier and industry network. In return, saving you time, alleviating worry and making the experience JOYFUL throughout. Get in touch with us today to discuss your dream wedding weekend or check out some of our past weekend weddings for inspiration.
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