You are so close to your wedding day that you’re starting to talk about final things. Final timeline, final layouts, final totals. As scary as it might be, no fear! When we get to 30-60 days out from your wedding we always wrap things up in a final wedding walkthrough meeting! But what is a final walkthrough anyway? Here is a little breakdown so you know what to expect!
Why am I doing this?
The final walkthrough is done so that you and all of your wedding vendors are on the same page and know the general flow, timeline, layout etc. You may have made several revisions from the time you booked your vendors, created your initial timeline and selected your wedding design. This final walkthrough puts a neat little bow on all those details, so any logistical, timing, design and/or detail changes can be updated by all of the vendors, so we all know what things have changed and how to adjust timelines, layouts and rental orders as necessary!
Who attends the final walkthrough?
Your final walkthrough is usually comprised of these people:
- You and your partner
- Your wedding planner (that’s us!)
- Your venue representative
- Your catering representative
Sometimes your photographer, videographer, and/or floral artist will attend the final walkthrough as well. This is usually if they have not worked at your venue in the past, or if you have a tented wedding, very involved design details or there are many details to still be worked out. Usually your floral artist will attend to discuss size and scale and your photo/video team will attend to confirm timeline and see the spaces in person! They are not always mandatory as oftentimes these creative partners will arrive early for the wedding to scope out all of the spaces and ensure they can execute fully when it’s go time!
In addition to you and your partner, sometimes we see close family members in attendance at the final walkthrough but this isn’t necessary and usually just makes the walkthrough take longer than planned. If you are planning a day out, lunch or other activities together afterwards they are more than welcome to come! Just keep in mind the final walkthrough is more of a logistical review with your planning team so if your family wants to come see the space, it’s advised to have them come for the last 10-15 minutes or just pop in afterwards so you can show them the venue!
What if some of my vendors or partner cannot attend the final walkthrough?
As long as either you or your partner (ideally both), your planner, venue, and caterer are in attendance, we can accomplish most of the things we need to at the final walkthrough. Remember your other vendors can schedule trips to see the space for themselves or can arrive a bit earlier on your wedding day to familiarize themselves with the venue as long as the venue does not require a site visit from them beforehand.
What if I can’t attend my final walkthrough?
Your participation and attendance at the walkthrough really does help put your mind at ease and help us to put finishing touches on decisions and details. However, if you cannot attend your final walkthrough, your vendors can handle it for you! Just expect to get an email with some questions that will help us determine your preferences for certain things that are decided or discussed at the final walkthrough in your absence. You should also have most things finalized with your timeline, guest count, layout etc at this point so we are just connecting everyone. If possible to join in via Facetime or Zoom we always recommend it!
When do we schedule your walkthrough and how long does it take?
Your final walkthrough is typically scheduled 30-60 days before your wedding day. This allows us to have as close to an accurate final guest count as possible! Because your RSVPs are due usually around 30 days out from the wedding, we can start visualizing your layout and give your caterer a more accurate total of meal selections and seating. We will also see what the landscape looks like in any outdoor venues and you can get a better idea of what the big day will look like! Keep in mind because your venue and vendor team are typically busiest on the weekends, usually a final walkthrough is scheduled on a weekday.
What if I schedule my walkthrough before 60 days or less than 30 days?
No worries! We wouldn’t recommend scheduling the walkthrough more than 60 days out because it goes from a “final” walkthrough to just a regular walkthrough and we won’t have many of the final details we need to discuss at that time. Scheduling it within 60 days gives us a more accurate reflection of guest counts and final decisions, so we aren’t having to meet with your vendors multiple times afterwards for updates and changes. As for being less than 30 days out, that’s okay! We have scheduled final walkthroughs 2-4 weeks out from the wedding before and even had them the week of the wedding! However, 30 days is really the most ideal time frame, but if you have trouble with scheduling or travel, a week or two later shouldn’t affect anything too negatively as long as you are communicating with your vendors and staying on schedule!
What do we do at the final walkthrough?
The final walkthrough is done a few different ways depending upon your vendor team. Usually there are two main components that are interchangeable..
- Meeting and discussion of final details. Oftentimes we start the walkthrough with a sit-down meeting so we can confirm all vendors, major timeline events, current/final guest count, arrival times and decisions made by you, the client. If you have decided to change your bar menu or change from round tables to rectangle tables, this is the meeting we would review those changes and confirm your caterer can obtain the food and rentals or that your venue has enough supply of tables/chairs for your alternate layout. We will also make sure your venue representative has a list of your vendors, a timeline and the most up to date layout and packing list.
- The walkthrough! The walkthrough portion usually happens after the meeting and typically includes us walking through your wedding spaces chronologically from start to finish of how your guests will experience the day. We often start with the ceremony and confirm the number of chairs/rows. We will discuss all rental and floral items being added here. We will show you processional and recessional locations and holding locations. We will see your cocktail space and determine where your guest book, gifts & cards, bar, escort cards, stationery food etc. goes. We will also confirm we have tables and linens for all of these items and discuss the sizes needed for each. Lastly we will review your reception space and discuss generally where things will be placed and again ensure we have tables, chairs, linens, bars, and any decor rented or ordered and where the placement of those items will go!
What if I don’t have things ordered by the final walkthrough or don’t know the dimensions?
In order for us to give final totals in time, we really want you to have every decor item decided and ordered, if not already within your possession by the time of the walkthrough. If we don’t have your final items accounted for at this time, it is likely we will miss ordering a table or linen for something or won’t know the dimensions needed for something and will have an issue where something doesn’t fit properly. It’s really imperative to have an idea of all the final pieces and where they will go by this date. Of course, things happen and we can roll with little changes after your walkthrough, but ideally we have as much finalized as possible!
Where does the final walkthrough take place? Is this my rehearsal?
Your final walkthrough is done at your venue! Your wedding rehearsal will also most likely occur at your venue but not until the day before your wedding day. We will be able to get a refresher on your venue and all of the spaces/dimensions and logistical questions that might arise. We will usually sit down and meet first and then will walk through the wedding spaces (and your getting ready areas if they are on site and available)!
What if I can’t see some of my spaces because they are being used?
Ideally we are scheduling your final walkthrough on a date where we have access to all of your event spaces. Occasionally there is another event happening or being set up in those spaces which happens more frequently if a walkthrough is on a weekend and is another reason we try to aim for walkthroughs on week days. If the event is being set up we can often peek in, but will probably do the meeting portion in an office or different space at the venue. If you cannot see your getting ready or holding spaces we can try to see these spaces during your rehearsal.
What should I do to prepare for the Walkthrough?
At this point you should have most of the details worked out in your timeline, you should have a good estimate of your guest count, and you should know most of your general decor and design pieces. Your layout may not be completely set if you are still waiting for a few RSVPs to come in but you should know the ideal placement of things like your guestbook, card box, sweetheart or head table, bar etc. You should also know who is assigned to each seat in the front rows so that you can tell your venue and or caterer how many chairs go there.
If you don’t know everything, don’t worry! The final walkthrough also serves as one last big meeting to adjust, make final selections and ensure you’re on the right track and haven’t missed anything. If you are still up in the air on some things, just try to have them completed within 1 week after your walkthrough is completed so everyone can be up to speed and your wedding day can run smoothly!
