Video- Project Block 15 Lecture Part 1.mp4
Where exactly where you and the Wedding Party sit to eat dinner? Will you all sit together at a Head Table? Will you allow their spouses and significant others to join them? Or will the two of you anchor the reception with a Sweetheart Table? All have their benefits and contentions.
The most important piece of this Project Block is actually the speeches and toasts and where you will receive them. We will also dive into etiquette and how you will “Earn your Sip” after all toasts and speeches are delivered. Now all you have to do is decide how this next piece of your wedding puzzle fits together!
Building your Worksheet
Image:
Head Tables can get very elaborate with florals or they can be very subtle. Will your Sweetheart table be the main focal point of the reception and essentially your Newlywed throne? Or, will you sit among your guests at the first available seat? If you choose the latter then you need not list too many ingredients.
Find all sorts of inspiration on the Project Block 15 Pinterest Board
Ingredients:
Tables, you’ll need a lot of tables. Start by calculating how many people will be “on display” as your wedding party. All the bridesmaids & groomsmen with their dates or just them individually? Will you be putting all their dates together at one table then? Remember this Project Block is only for the Head Table tables. We’ll get to all the guest tables in a later Project. But for now, decide what the Head and/or Sweetheart Table situation is. Fun ingredients may include signage for your chairs or even some engraved toasting glasses, since yes, speeches and toasts are connected!
Prior to Wedding:
The main thing to do here is to communicate to your wedding party. In some weddings, I’ve been a part of, taking a groomsman away from sitting next to his pregnant wife at a head table caused a very big ordeal, so much that he had to remove himself from the wedding party… I know, ridiculous right? But proximity to your significant other who is in the wedding party has been a notorious issue over the years. My best advice is to always let them sit with their date and to avoid the exclusive Wedding Party ONLY tables. But, so long as you can talk it all out prior to the wedding, you should be able to avoid such issues or at least prevent a wedding day disaster.
Speeches & Toasts:
Your job is to officially ask those whom you expect/want to give a speech to do so on your wedding day.
Most people do not assume they have to speak, or they are horrified to do so and simply procrastinate it right up until the wedding day. So ask. If your maid of honor does not want to speak, have another bridesmaid do a better speech. Do not force someone to speak knowing they could do a poor performance. Offer to let her do a group speech or even just a toast. Explain the difference between a toast and speech as well.
SWEETHEART & HEAD TABLES
Determine where you two will sit, Sweetheart Table, with the wedding party or with family
Ask Wedding Party & spouses/dates their preference.
Make reserved seating signs {refer to Project Block 10}
SPEECHES & TOASTS
ASK your speakers: Best Man, Maid of Honor, Wedding Party Members, Parents, Family
Determine your Open Mic status
Create a System using the the “Last Speaker” Protocol
WRITE your own speech to “Earn your Sip”
Design a Speaking order Script for the DJ to have as a reference
VENDOR TIPS
If you are inspired, take a beat to publicly thank your Wedding Vendors for their service/performance
Especially your Officiant, Photographer, Caterer & DJ who are there working so hard.
Tip Envelopes: Right now, make an envelope for each vendor who is getting a tip on the big day.
Label them: Hair & Makeup, Delivery Drivers, Shuttle Drivers, Setup Crew, Bartenders, Any Attendants {PB Liaisons, Photobooth, Bathroom, Tasting Room at a Winery}
You can opt to Tip Contracted Vendors at your discretion: Photographer, DJ, Caterer, etc if the tip is not already added into the Contract.
Staging Materials:
Decide how big of a table is needed and write in the specific items used for the styling factor of this Project, the table, linen, or big furniture, etc. This way the person setting it up for you {Person in Charge} will know what it is supposed to look like in the pictures.
*Advice: Make sure that where you situate this table on your sitemap is in a good proximity to your microphone. If you have a wireless one, you’ll be fine.
Wedding Day Set Up:
Identify:
Who is setting up the Staging before the Wedding Party Arrives?
Are there personalized glasses that need to be placed at the Sweetheart or the whole head table?
Does the couple have their Tackle Boxes under the Sweetheart Table?
Are the Newlywed’s toasting flutes on the table?
Overview: To Finish this Project…
To complete this Project Block, you need to know the following details:
Where you plan to sit and eat, and the system you plan to use so you can actually eat.
How you plan to achieve FaceTime with all of your guests.
Who are your speakers, what order are they speaking in and have they been officially asked to speak?
How do you feel about impromptu speeches? How do you feel about an open microphone?
Which one of you is speaking to earn the sip?
Then per the usual drill…
Check off when the Project is Done, Packed and Ready to Go
Check off when this Project is loaded into a Big Day vehicle
Assign the Person who is setting it up for you {if different than the Person in Charge}
Name your Person in Charge. He or she will then take over the Worksheet and check off the remaining Wedding Day Set Up boxes as they are completed.
Video- Project Block 15 Lecture Part 2.mp4
Blog Post | How to Coordinate Wedding Speeches & Toasts