Are you a new wedding planner that’s unsure of how to conduct a final venue walk-through?  Don’t worry you’ve got this sis!  They can be intimidating at first since you are the one in charge and you’re the one leading and conducting the meeting.  But with proper planning and preparation you can ensure a successful walk-through.

At Southern Productions we include a final venue walk-through for every single client no matter the package they choose. We always schedule a final venue walk-through the month before the wedding.  No matter if we’ve been to the venue a hundred times, a final walk-through gives everyone piece of mind and helps ensure nothing is overlooked.

Who attends the final walk-through?

This can vary from wedding to wedding, but a final walk-through should always include the couple, the planner and the venue coordinator.  Sometimes the caterer, florist, rental company, photographer and band/DJ will also need to attend.

What do you as the planner need to bring to the final walk-through?

At the final walk-through I always bring copies of the wedding timeline for everyone attending, the order of ceremony, copies of vendor contracts and quotes, the floor plan and a list of questions that I need answered.

What happens in the walk-through?

If the ceremony and reception are being held in two different locations we always meet at the ceremony venue first then go to the reception venue.  I always have couples bring their personal items to this final walk-through that we will be responsible for setting up that way they are not having to worry about bringing these things the week of the wedding.

At the ceremony venue we are discussing:

• Where the wedding party will stand
• Where family will sit at
• The order of ceremony we use for directing purposes
• Where the musicians will be set up at and what they’ll need us to provide
• Where the holding room is located
• Where the bridal suite or room they will get ready in (if this applies) is located
• Where the room the groom and groomsmen will get ready in (if this applies) is located
• Where food/snacks will be set up at
• Where the restrooms are located
• Discuss the rain plan if the ceremony is being held outdoors
• The wedding timeline

At the reception venue we are discussing:

• The floor plan – how everything will be set up
• Rentals to ensure the couple has everything they need
• Where the couple will eat at prior to being announced (if this applies)
• Where the wedding party can leave their belongings
• The personal items the couple has brought that we will be responsible for setting up to make sure we know where everything goes and to ensure they haven’t forgotten anything
• The rain plan if the reception is being held outside
• Where the restrooms are located
• Parking for family, vendors and guests
• Where the exit will take place at

xo, Terrica