You're almost there! The countdown is getting serious! The wedding has been a long time coming, but now it's coming into focus. We know you're excited and probably a little nervous, possibly stressed, and doing a lot of preparations. As we get closer to your date, there may be more and more to prepare, but keep in mind the reason for the day and delegate tasks when you can. If your project list is a mile long, it's fine to cut a few items. Make a list of most important to least. As a couple you may need to say yes or no to things and possibly get some kickback from family. It's good preparation for your marriage and totally normal to have a few hiccups along the way.
Your guests won't be focusing on all the little details. You're the focus. They want to talk with you and all the people around them while enjoying the wonderful property! We love the special details our couples have, so if you have time, go for it. If you're getting overwhelmed and strapped, cut back a little.
In regards to Ty's, whats coming up?
This guide and email is our one month follow-up! Send us any questions you may have.
We will be scheduling our final phone call conversation 10 days before the wedding. During this time, we will go over your wedding timeline, guest count, tentative setup schedule, and every service in detail.
If you have a need for additional services, let us know ASAP to see if we can accommodate your request.
After our final phone call meeting, we will send an updated invoice. The final payment is due by the Tuesday before the wedding.
If the vendor coordinator package is reserved, please send us your day of timeline, vendors duties, timeline, and contact information prior to our phone meeting.
During the week of the wedding, we will update you midweek with any changes in setup due to weather.
The restroom trailer will arrive the day of the wedding along with a few other services and staff.
Depending on our schedule, we may clean up a few items the day after the wedding, but most of the clean up will likely be two days after. If weather interferes, the tent may come down on the Tuesday after your wedding.
Communication:
We're happy to answer any and all questions you may have. During our busy season (May-October), we're not in the office that often. Our weekly schedule may go something like this: Thursday tent setups, Friday additional setup of equipment, Saturday serving, Sunday afternoon slight cleanup if needed, Monday tent tear down, Tuesday-Wednesday cleaning and preparations. Typically we try to respond quickly, but if we're putting up a tent or serving a wedding, it could be a day or two before we're able to respond.
Poor weather:
We don't want to dwell on worst case scenarios, so if it happens to rain, let it rain; if it's hot, let it be hot; if it's cold, let it be cold; if it's windy, let it blow. There are things in life we can't control, so don't try to control it or let it determine if your day was good or not. Create a few different plans so that all activities work well no matter the weather. We have a simple weather package available when needed.
Tips/reminders:
Consider extra tables you may need for displays.
Put someone in charge of decisions on the day. We have a vendor coordinator package that's great help with this.
Finish your ceremony timeline now before you get too busy.
If you need ice, skip the coolers. Purchase bags in the early afternoon, and place them right on the ground where needed. Then cover with a blanket to keep cool for over 24hrs. 600lbs is average.
Create a timeline with to-do items so your family and friends who are helping know exactly when and what.
The wedding party and family need details. Create a timeline for them as well.
Put someone in charge of your phone so that all the random messages or phone calls can be answered.
Have a rehearsal as a couple before the rehearsal. This is huge and will iron out the details before everyone is giving opinions.
Complete all projects by Wednesday including property improvements.
Consider late night snacks if you plan to go late.
Walk the property at night to determine outdoor lighting needs and obstacles for guests.
Put three people in charge of parking. Otherwise, guests may go where they wish.
What time is sunset?
Put all of your decor or supplies in totes/boxes with a number on them. Create a master list with all the box numbers and what's in each. Then it's easy for your delegated team to set up and take down for you and be able to find everything.
FAQ
How should we prepare the lawn? Cut like normal and perform the final cut the day prior to the tent install. If you have a bagging system for the mower use it as grass clumps can stick to guests shoes. It's better to have longer grass under the tent so cutting the day prior to install is wonderful. If you feel a need to cut the other grass again prior to wedding just know we don't allow cutting under and around the tent as it will damage the tent and create quite a bit of dust on all materials. 95% of the time cutting the lawn a day prior to tent install is the most common. Excessive watering can be quite bad so stop all watering on Monday.
When will the utility locate arrive? They could come Monday-Wednesday and will locate the main electric and gas lines installed by utility companies. They may place flags and paint the grass a bit. If you're moving after this please put the flags back where they were. If there are private utilities, sprinkler lines they must be marked by you.
What does the restroom trailer need? Two separate 15/amp outlets meaning power comes from separate breakers in the box and nothing else is plugged in. H20 to fill up the internal tank. We bring 200' of hose which is typically plenty. If the restroom is parked farther than 200' we will need a few of your hoses.
Do I need to cut trees? Yes one of our vehicles is 13' 6" high and over 8' wide. If were not able to make it to the location there will be extensive delays. The restroom trailer is also tall but can't touch trees either otherwise damage will take place.
When will everything arrive? We will go over this during our final phone call meeting. The large tents are typically two days prior or three if poor weather. The restroom arrives the day of the wedding and our arrival time is dynamic depending on the weather and other duties. It will be ready to go a few hours before the ceremony.
Can we help? If we ask for assistance yes we would enjoy that but typically it's best for us to do all the work as we're trained and have have a step by step system in place.
Should we put our dogs inside while you're on the property? We love dogs but it would be best to keep them contained. The main reason is because they're protective of your property and may get in the way. We're on their turf and they may get uneasy about the situation. Dogs that are great with people have turned on us. You don't want to know how many times owners have said "I'm sorry they have never done that before". This statement happens after one of our staff gets bitten or jumped on. Again we really like dogs and yours but from experience know we need to be cautious.
Can we add on a few more items the week of the wedding? No, there are quite a bit of moving parts on our end so everything is set. Our staff meetings are very detailed along with our truck loading, and day of timeline discussions which keeps us on time and well informed.
Possible add-ons:
Cake or display spot lights. These highlight important items after the sun goes down.
Up lighting is similar to spot lights but larger and can go outside illuminating a tree or structure or creating a walking path in a color you choose.
Smaller 20'x20' tent. Super helpful for the food, the bar, or displays or as a staging area.
Vendor Coordinator. If you would like us to direct your hired vendors, please reach out.
High top tables are great for casual conversation while eating and drinking.
Fans take care of the heat during dinner until the sun sets.
Parking attendant package.
Reach out with any other needs you may have.
Reception Layout:
We get asked how should I set up the space under the tent or in a barn? There is no right answer as it's totally up to you. A few pointers we would suggest is to start with where the wedding party is sitting. Where is the sun setting that day? What would you like as a backdrop to the wedding party? Once that's set, the tables flow from there. The dance floor could be under the wedding party for an easy transition, or if you have plenty of space, the dance floor can be on it's own.
If you plan to have a bar, put that in a location that's away from the head table and doesn't get in the way of guests moving freely in and out of the tent. The catering team may be under the tent to serve or outside. The caterer, the bartender, and the DJ will have supplies and equipment that needs to sit somewhere, so let's plan to have that on a side of the tent where not many guests will be walking. Below are two examples of the level 3 package that has the 40'x80' tent. Our reception layout package is available for those who want a custom layout.
Have a great day! We're looking forward to serving!
