One of the first steps to wedding planning is booking the venue. Congrats! You can check that one off the list. We’re pleased that you chose to host your unforgettable day at the Indigo House. The gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains and enchanting woods will make a dreamy backdrop for your occasion.
Wedding planning is such a special season of life. For Kyle and Stephanie, it was the first (of many) major projects to work on together. Wedding planning taught us that we like dreaming and preparing to make an idea become a reality. It was a productive experience that ultimately led to the Indigo! But first, we were stuck asking ourselves, “What to do after you book the wedding venue?”
The key to our success was staying organized (and honestly, taking at least one night a week to NOT talk about the wedding). Here’s our “What to do after you book your wedding venue” checklist with some tips to use as a guide. This is by no means an exhaustive list (you can Google Wedding Checklist and find them miles long), but it does cover the essentials for getting married at the Indigo.
WEDDING PLANNING CHECKLIST
- Reserve your date, sign the contract, pay your deposit
- REQUIRED: Book a wedding planner for events over 20 guests
- Tip: Check out our Preferred Wedding Vendors on Instagram.
- REQUIRED: Reserve your rentals (tent, chairs, tables, etc)
- Tip: We love working with Central Virginia Rental.
- Book your caterer
- Book your photographer (and videographer if interested)
- Book your florist
- Tip: Blue Ridge Floral Design is amazing and located right on our street.
- Create a guest list
- Tell your loved ones to save the date
- Book your officiant
- Order your invitations
- REQUIRED: Get proof of insurance from all vendors. The Indigo House should be the certificate holder and named as an additional insured member. Email them to the Indigo.
- REQUIRED: Get wedding liability insurance for up to $1M. Request Liquor Liability (if serving alcohol) and add the Indigo House as named insured on your liability policy.
- Tip: WedSafe makes this super easy. The policy is about $200. We have other referrals if needed.
- Schedule your tastings (food, cake, etc)
- Plan for beverages
- Tip: Many couples like to have a self-serve bar on the covered porch or hire an attendant to help pour wine and clear away glasses. Basic Necessities offers a 10% discount on cases for our newlyweds! You can also hire a mobile bar cart like the Go Bar.
- Determine what you want to do for music.
- Tip: We suggest reaching out to teachers from The Front Porch for instrumental musicians. We’ll help you locate the power sources on the property as needed.
- Draft your event schedule
- Arrange accommodations for your guests
- Tip: The closest chain hotels are 20 minutes away in Waynesboro. There are lots of options to stay locally.
- Arrange any transportation needs
- Schedule walk through with your wedding planner at the Indigo
- Tip: Determine a contingency plan, audio/music solutions, lighting solutions, and finalize the timeline. Take lots of pictures!
- Tip: Determine a contingency plan, audio/music solutions, lighting solutions, and finalize the timeline. Take lots of pictures!
- Plan the rehearsal/welcome dinner and guest list
- Double-check your rental quantities based on RSVPs
- Order wedding favors or plan for welcome bags to leave in guestrooms
- Tip: We can help price and source welcome bags with locally stocked goodies.
- Finalize your ceremony readings and vows
- Finalize the menu: food, beverage, dessert
- Book a hair and makeup trial
- Obtain marriage license and complete name-change documents (if applicable)
- Purchase your wedding rings
- Pay the remaining balance on your deposits and calculate estimated tips
- Pack your just-in-case kit
- Tip: We recommend safety pins, extension cords, duct tape, bug spray, pain relievers, bandages, etc.
- If dogs are involved, schedule a nice bath or grooming and coordinate a caretaker for the event- we have a dog wash station on site!
- Plan something fun to do on Sunday.
- Tip: From Memorial Day to mid-October, you can enjoy tailgating and polo at King Family Vineyards. Blue Mountain Brewery, Devil’s Backbone, and Bold Rock also serve brunch.
The best advice I received during the planning process was to pick five things I really cared about and then let other people get involved with the rest. This was liberating! I could delegate tasks or research to friends and family who wanted to be involved. It helped me stay focused on what mattered most (and significantly reduced my stress).
Did we leave anything out? Drop your advice or wedding planning tips below for what couples should do after they book their venue.