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:

1. What is a weekend wedding?
2. Why wedding weekends are a great choice?
3. Key considerations for planning a multi-day wedding?
   • Location & Venue
   • Budget
   • Itinerary & Guest Management
   • 3-Day Wedding Weekend Itinerary
   • Planning & Logistics
4. Why should you hire a weekend wedding planner?

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. 

Wedding planning need not be an insurmountable task , full of stressful moments and endless task lists. If you have now joined the ‘I’m getting married ‘ club, congratulations! I’ve put together 10 very useful tips to help you get started with planning your wedding, practical steps you can take e to ensure a smooth planning journey

1. TAKE TIME TO ENJOY YOUR ENGAGEMENT

It’s easy to rush into making ALL the plans but I highly recommend taking a pause to call your friends and family, share the good news as many times as you wish and just truly enjoy the moment and well wishes.

2. Discuss your priorities and ‘must haves’.

This is really important before you commit any time or resources to planning. As couple, have a conversation about what kind of wedding you want to have, you might be surprised that each of you has certain things that are deal breakers that require a compromise to be met. It’s in these conversations that you get a picture of the kind of experience the wedding will be.

3. GET INSPIRED!

Once you have an idea of the kind of wedding you want to have, take some time to really get inspired. Now is the time to immerse yourself in wedding world! Dive into wedding blogs and directories , start a Pinterest mood board to help you catalogue the things you like. This will also be very useful for your wedding planner , stylist and florist for example, later down the line when you are explaining your vision.

4. MONEY TALKS 

Set a budget. I cannot stress this enough. Be clear form the beginning how much you have available to spend on the wedding including family contributions. Create a simple spreadsheet or tracker that will help you stay on top of spending throughout the planning process. Your budget should reflect your priorities. If food, drink and entertainment are paramount, your budget should reflect this. Always have a contingency built in for unexpected costs and last minute changes.

5. GET ORGANISED AND GET HELP

If the thought of planning a small birthday party makes you nervous, I highly recommend seeking out a few family members and friends who you know are reliable to help you with your wedding planning. If you have the budget to do so, consider working with a wedding planner.

6. RESEARCH INSURANCE

If this pandemic has taught us anything it’s that we must plan for the unexpected. I highly recommend, actually insist on you finding a wedding insurer that can give you peace of mind in the event of any mishaps or issues on the day or leading up to it.

7. START WITH THE BIG STUFF

when you’ve done the above and are ready to start committing to your wedding plan, start with the big stuff, the high ticket purchases. In this case, your wedding venue or location. It is often the biggest cost , closely followed by food and beverage. The venue also sets the tone for your celebration so do spend time researching and evaluating a space that will be ideal for the style of wedding you want to have.

8. ENJOY THE PLANNING

Wedding planning should not be a stressful slog you have to get through to have a wonderful day. Enjoy key moments such as the food tastings, bridal appointments, choosing your décor. Invite friends and family you know who will make the experience of each of these moments even better – you are well within your rights to not invite that aunty who always has something (negative ) to say. You want positive vibes only during this time.

9. BE MINDFUL OF  YOUR WELLBEING

Now is not the time to try some crazy fad diet or embark on a ‘shredding for the wedding’ regime. I recommend allocating specific time or a day of the week to your wedding planning so it doesn’t take over the rest of your lives and remains something you look forward to doing as a couple. With everything else that is happening in the world around us, be particularly mindful of not allowing the run up to your wedding become a stressor.

10.BE PRESENT AND ENJOY YOUR DAY!

Once you finally get to the big day, it is amazing how quickly time passes. Often my couples remark on how swift the day goes after the ceremony. I always encourage them to be wholly present in each part of the day, having help ensures you’re not worrying about the detail when you should be enjoying your big day with loved ones. I also advise to schedule time for just the two of you during the day so you can both take a step back and take it all in.

Now that you have more of an understanding of what professional wedding planners do and how they can help you, it’s key to get an understanding of how much they cost so you can factor this into your wedding planning.

PRICING STRUCTURES

It’s important to preface this piece by saying that wedding planners costs are reflective of more than just the time (an average 200-300 hours) it takes to plan a wedding. They are reflective of our experience, the logistics we need to manage, ability to identify opportunities to maximise our client’s budgets, they cover our business costs, the team we will have in place to support on the day, our ability to save you money and the many benefits you receive from tapping into our trusted networks.

We are experts at planning weddings in dry hire spaces as well as purpose built structures, marquees at home for example, as well as transforming spaces to meet the expectations you have for your big day. Planners in the Luxury wedding space particularly, don’t crowd their calendars , you are normally part of a small group of clients who we take on annually to ensure you get the attention your celebration deserves.

Costs of Full Wedding Planning Support

Generally speaking, pricing is dependent upon the level of support and services you require. Most UK wedding planners charge a Percentage of your total budget .

• The industry average is between 10 -15% of your total budget and normally there will be minimum fees that apply.
• Minimum fees for reputable wedding planners in the UK can range from £5000 – £10000*
• For high end, big budget weddings (6 figures and above) a fixed fee will often be offered to clients.
• ByChenai Events offers a very comprehensive full wedding planning service and for weddings of 100+ guests we charge 12% of the budget and we are happy to agree fixed fees for very large budgets . The same fixed fee approach is applied for multi day or weekend weddings where more than one event needs to be planned . Events such as welcome parties, rehearsal dinners and recovery brunches.
• For smaller and less complex weddings, the minimum fee would be applied over a percentage here at ByChenai Events.

Costs of Micro Weddings

Ever changing regulations during this pandemic has seen weddings of just 15 or 30 guests allowed – this is classed as a micro wedding. Couples are still engaging planners to support them with these types of weddings. We are here to help source venues appropriate for smaller numbers, help you transform the space and source the best suppliers permitted within the guidelines. Most wedding planners have a fixed fee approach to this as well.

Cost of Wedding Day Management /On the Day Coordination

This service is for those of you who have organised most of your wedding but would like someone to handover to , a professional who can manage suppliers, oversee the set up and ensure timings are adhered to on the day, amongst other things.

• Reputable Wedding day coordinators charge a fixed fee. That can start at £950 , this starting figure is normally for those who specify a limited number of hours.
• For a full day of support with more hours cover, you can expect to pay in the region of £1200 – £1500, again should your wedding have large guests numbers and added complexity, this must be taken into account as the fees will increase. This is the case at ByChenai Events.

OTHER SERVICES

Event Design & Decor only services really vary and this is because size , scale and scope of work has to be determined before even a tentative quote can be provided. That is a key point to bear in mind when approaching a wedding planner or event designer. It is useful to get in touch when you have a venue/location in place at the very least and the venue should ideally have a strong in-house team who we as designers can collaborate with.

Extra Costs

Often there little to no hidden costs in the fees however, you must always ask the planner you are engaging if they charge travel and accommodation separately for example. It’s not uncommon for planners to require accommodation if the wedding is happening over a few days or is in another part of the country.

If you would like to talk about this in more detail and you think hiring a wedding planner would suit your plans, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, I’d love to have a virtual coffee with you!

*researched in UK wedding market in 2020 , all information is a guide, specific prices are provided by planners based on their skills and experience.

Extraordinary times such as ours call for flexibility and adaptability, particularly when planning an event. Ever changing guidelines and continuous restrictions mean that right now, the only kind of wedding celebration that can be planned is a micro or smaller wedding. I’ve put together some tips on how to scale back your wedding whilst still ensuring you have a memorable celebration.

1. Take back your time

You have a wonderful opportunity to focus on making your intimate wedding uniquely yours as you have more time to work with. Wedding Planning is a huge time investment , it’s a job in itself and can be stressful if project planning and management is not your forte particularly when you are planning a wedding with large numbers. The admin that comes with guest management, RSVPs , planning seating, accommodation, transport is all vastly reduced and in some cases entirely removed as these are not necessary for smaller weddings.

2. Maximise your Budget

The other obvious pro of a smaller wedding is that you can maximise your budget , with more resources to use on fewer guests. You can invest more into the parts of the wedding that are most important to you as a couple , where your priorities lie. If you are foodies for example, consider a more elaborate multi course meal or an indulgent dessert station over standard wedding fayre.

3. Guest list

Having fewer numbers gives an opportunity to celebrate with your favourites and also an excuse to not invite the people on your list who perhaps were there to appease your parents or family. If you are having a non religious ceremony, consider that your guest list will automatically include your witnesses , your immediate family – parents /siblings who may also have partners, leaving room around the table for just your very closest pals.

4. Location, Location

Scaling back opens up the possibilities of different types of venues and more locations. Destination weddings become more attractive as again, costs are not prohibitive because of numbers. Similarly venue options such as a wedding at home, glamping, private dining spaces in restaurants, boat hire, boutique hotel spaces and other non traditional ‘wedding venues’ are options because they compliment the smaller size of wedding.

5. Guest experience

You get more quality time to spend with each guest at an intimate wedding and in turn guests have fewer people to socialise with and can get to know each better too. You could tailor welcome gifts for each individual guest for a destination wedding, giving meaningful

6. Styling

Personalisation at every step becomes easier with an intimate wedding. You can actually achieve the tablescape you’ve been curating from the pins you’ve saved on Pinterest and ideas you’ve gathered on Instagram. You can really splurge on hiring beautiful tableware as you’re not constrained by budget in the same way as you would trying to replicate this for 100 guests.

7. The seating plan

You can play around with table seating to add to the guest experience ensuring guests get to know each other better . Seating people on a round at the ceremony ensures everyone gets a great view is a popular trend right now as well as opting for alternating pews and chairs, even lounge furniture over traditional wedding ceremony seating.

8. Entertainment

Whilst a 10 piece show band is not the best choice for a small wedding or small wedding venue, there is scope to have a variety of entertainment options. A suggestion would be to have an acoustic set or acoustic performers which always lend themselves to more intimate settings and then you could play your own playlist for the party to ensure you get exactly the music you want to cut a rug to .

9. Planning events around the wedding

Intimate weddings give the possibility of extending celebrations beyond the traditional wedding day to other events like a welcome dinner or hosting a brunch the next day. As “buddymoons” become more popular, it’s easier and more desirable to plan post wedding trips and activities with your group of guests after the wedding.

10. Things you can possibly skip

Ditch the traditional format entirely. Change up the timelines of when you do speeches or how you serve food as you won’t be constrained by the format of a bigger event and there isn’t a need for more rigid timings.