BLOG: Getting Ready--2024 Weddings

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This is year you are getting married! We are shifting focus from the holidays and our quiet season to this year's weddings. We have started planning our spring Open House. It will be in late April or early May. Stay tuned to this blog, Facebook, and Instagram for announcements to sign up. We just got the Something Borrowed closet updated on the website, added a few new items and adjusted inventory of everything after the busy 2023 season. We are also starting to reach out to your vendors to get all their paperwork in order before your wedding day.

Here is a reminder of the things we need done as your wedding day approaches:

1.  If you haven't been in your Aisle Planner project--NOW is the time!  It is our primary planning portal.  Put all your vendors into the CONTACTS tab in your Aisle Planner account.  We need each of your vendor's email addresses.  This is really important to get in ASAP.  Once you have your Caterer, Bartender, DJ, and Planner entered, shoot us an email.  We will send them all a welcome message if they haven't been here before (DJ and bartender are from our required lists), invite them for a visit, and make sure their insurance paperwork is in order.  Check in with us before you hire your vendors to verify they aren't our "naughty" list (we have Caterers & Florists especially).  We have a few vendors in nearly every category that we can't recommend and many in every category that are welcome back with open arms!

2.  While you are in Aisle Planner, click on the Layout and Seating tab.  Adjust the table layout to meet your guest count.  We will review it at your planning meeting.  We need this finalized at least a week before your wedding.  Do this after you have all your RSVP's back.  Message us if you need help with this!

3.  Sign up for your final planning meeting.  This is ideally done 30-45 days before your wedding but it is fine to do it earlier (although we recommend waiting until after Open House for all our May couples)!  We can't do them on weekends after the middle of May but we can do them during the week or on zoom if needed.  

4.  If you are not doing your rehearsal on your wedding day, schedule it for the Thursday before.

5.  Purchase event insurance.  We require insurance through this carried.  It will auto-populate our information and costs around $200 depending on your guest count and if alcohol is served. 

6.  It is not too early to get your State-required Banquet Permit.  It costs $10 and is done online. To complete the permit application, you will need your bartender's name, address and phone number and the same for Gray Bridge  (12605 307th Ave SE, Sultan WA 98294 (360) 453-7579). Email a copy to Gray Bridge when you have it.

7.  Reserve your items from our Something Borrowed closet.  We will release your "shopping cart" about a month before your wedding.  Curious to see what is in the closet?  Everything is shown on the website and updated for 2024!

8.  Send us your day-of timeline. The timeline tool on Aisle Planner is great or your planner may have their own software. If you don't use the Aisle Planner tool, review the items on the Aisle Planner timeline and see that they are included.

9.  Send Gray Bridge your $500 Damage Deposit. We need a check and we won't cash it--just put it in your file. We will let you know if we need to cash it. After your wedding, we will rip it up. (Mail to Gray Bridge Venue, LLC  PO Box 1889, Sultan 98294.)

10.  Sign up to attend our annual spring Open House.  This is a great time to see the venue dressed for a wedding and make some final plans. We will put out many items from our Something Borrowed Closet to "play" with. Attendance is free, you may stay as long as you link, and bring as many people with you are you want.  A registration link will be posted once the event is schedule for the year.