Before the Wedding Day
Tour of the Venue
Your first step in choosing a venue is to schedule a tour with the wedding coordinator. If possible, take the tour during the season you will be having your wedding or as near to it as possible. If this is not possible, visit the venue’s website to view photos and watch videos of weddings that took place in your season of choice. You can get a quick tour of the Rough & Ready Vineyards in this video created using a drone.
You will be able to view the foliage at the venue and plan your floral arrangements and décor. Take some pictures or download images online to share with your florist or view what will enhance the gardens with your online florist.
Choosing the theme or style of your wedding will be another step. The wedding coordinator can show you the different themes we offer, and you can adjust the décor to fit your style. Or, you can create your own. Your wedding coordinator can introduce you to the extensive inventory of accessories and linens available here at the Rough & Ready Vineyards.
Recently, Josh and Bryna chose the Rough & Ready Vineyards to begin their married life together. As they love to travel, they chose adventure and discovery as their wedding theme. They chose eggplant and marine-colored linens and personalized each table with its own unique travel or adventure theme, including Paris, Harry Potter, and Wine Country. With the Rough & Ready Vineyards, you can rent your wedding linens from our extensive linen inventory.
In addition, speak with your wedding coordinator to consider any weather situations that may arise and discuss the options available so you are prepared. If you’re having a summer wedding and heat can be an issue, for example, where will it be sunny and where will it be shady at the time of your ceremony and reception? Josh and Bryna knew it would be sunny at the site of their ceremony, so they provided parasols for their guests to provide some shade.
Create a Wedding Timeline
A wedding timeline is an essential part of your wedding planning. The wedding timeline is the key to successful communication between the venue, vendors, and the wedding party.
Your wedding coordinator can help you create a clear plan that will help each vendor be aware of where they will be positioned and what time their services will be needed. There are also wedding timeline templates available online.
When preparing for a wedding, each vendor needs to know when they are expected to set up, where they will be positioned, and what time they will be providing their service. A wedding timeline organizes the entire day, so no one is left wondering. Plus, no one will have to bother the couple with questions, so they can enjoy their special day!
When planning your wedding timeline, it can be helpful to view examples of other couples’ timelines, such as Josh and Bryna’s. This allows you to get inspiration and ideas for your own wedding.
Wedding Timeline for Josh and Bryna’s Adventure and Discovery-Themed Wedding
Pre-Ceremony
Hair and Make-Up – Wanderlust Beauty Parlour
10:00 am – SRC dropping off catering rentals
11:00 am Photographer and videographer arrive – Darling Photography and I Am Moment Productions
12:00 pm – Caterer arrives for set-up – A Family Affair Catering
1:00 pm Florist arriving for set-up – Strelitzia Flowers
1:00 pm – DJ arriving for set-up – ARIA Event Services
2:00 pm – Day-of set-up begins
3:30 pm – Guests arrive
Lawn games available to play before the ceremony
Golf cart assistance to the ceremony and to cocktail hour
Wedding Ceremony
4:00 pm Wedding ceremony
You can catch a glimpse of this beautiful ceremony in Bryna + Josh’s Highlight video by I Am Moment.
Cocktail Hour
4:30 pm – Cocktail hour for guests while the wedding party gets their photos taken
5:30 pm – Guests invited to take their seats at the reception tables
Reception
5:45 pm – Bride & groom grand entrance,
Wedding party introductions
Bride & groom’s first dance
6:00 pm – Dinner served;
Caterer serving a plated meal, bussing all tables and providing water service at the tables
Bride & groom making rounds at guest tables
7:00 pm – Toasts
Caterer to pour and serve Champagne and sparkling cider for guests
7:15 pm – Family dances:
Bride & father
Groom & mother
Switch with other parents
7:30 pm – Dance floor open
8:00 pm – Cake cutting
Desserts available for guests
8:10 pm – Bouquet toss
8:20 pm – Garter toss
Create a Wedding Floor Plan
Along with your wedding timeline, your wedding coordinator will help you create a wedding floor plan. Because there are so many vendors, family members, and staff coordinating together for the wedding day, it is incredibly helpful for everyone to have access to the wedding floor plan.
The wedding planner can email the floor plan to vendors so, for example, the DJ can see where they will be and what they will need for their set-up, as will the caterers, mobile bar, food trucks, and any other vendors.
Most importantly, a wedding floor plan can include a seating chart for the guests. It is wonderful to have a general floor plan so your guests can see where all the different events and activities of the wedding will be.
The wedding coordinators at Rough & Ready Vineyards provided a floor plan template for Josh and Bryna. They used our printed floor plan and had it professionally printed onto a poster. Having the floor plan blown up to poster size allowed their guests to know where all the fun activities for the wedding were. You can take a look at Josh & Bryna’s wedding floor plan here!
Wedding Rehearsal
Being organized is key, so to help your wedding party know when they are to enter, where to stand and when to exit, take advantage of our Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal Guide. You and your wedding coordinator can fill in all the information and make copies to share with your wedding party prior to the wedding rehearsal.
During your wedding rehearsal, everyone can refer to their rehearsal guide printout for reference. So by the wedding day, your whole wedding party will know when they are to start the procession and where to stand when they get to the altar.
Wedding Vendors
Choosing your wedding vendors can feel overwhelming when you start wedding planning but can be such a fun experience. There are so many unique vendors that you can include for your wedding day that your guests will be sure to enjoy and remember the fun time they had celebrating with you on your very special day.
Be sure to start looking for your vendors after you have reserved your wedding date and venue. Most couples start with their caterer, DJ, and photographer/videographer as they begin planning their wedding day. There are so many one-of-a-kind vendors to also include such as a mobile bar service, ice cream truck or cart, photo bus, and cotton candy.
You are able to have the vendors of your choice when holding your wedding at the Rough & Ready Vineyards. We do also highly recommend our wonderful local vendors that we have had the pleasure of working with and that have been to our venue. We love working with new vendors and are always sure to have them come for a site visit and go over all the wedding day details together.
At the Rough & Ready Vineyards, your wedding coordinator and staff are on-site throughout your entire wedding day, providing set-up, clean-up, and day-of coordination. In addition, we are there to greet your vendors and keep them up to date with the wedding day activities. Your wedding vendors will be an integral part of your day and will be there to ensure you and your guests are creating lasting memories and enjoying your very special day!
Day of Your Wedding
With the wedding timeline and floor plan in place, your wedding day should be smooth and stress-free. Your wedding coordinator will have communicated with all your vendors and confirmed timing and placement. Our staff will also be on-site to assist in directing the vendors to their proper location on your wedding day and to communicate with vendors throughout the day on any wedding timeline updates.
The Rough & Ready Vineyards wedding venue staff provides set-up and clean-up services on the day of your celebration and organizes your processional and grand entrance. In addition, we can provide golf cart transportation for your guests to the ceremony area and cocktail hour.
Throughout the day, your wedding coordinator and the venue staff will work to keep your special day running on time and ensure your vendors have all they need to keep you and your guests celebrating your very special day.
Your wedding day should be a day to enjoy and be stress-free, celebrating with your closest friends and family. You, your family, your friends, and your Wedding Coordinator have all worked diligently on the details of your wedding so everything will go smoothly. You have collaborated with your wedding coordinator to create a ceremony and reception floor plan as well as a detailed timeline that all your vendors have, so there are no questions on the wedding day.
Your wedding coordinator will take time to ensure all of your chosen vendors have all their questions answered and have had an opportunity to come for a site visit if they are new to the venue. The wedding coordinator is available throughout the wedding day to be sure to answer any questions that should arise and are a valuable resource to be sure all your wedding details you have so carefully chosen are in place.
Having a wedding coordinator is very helpful when ensuring all of the wedding party members are in their appropriate places, paying close attention so that everyone’s bouquets and boutonnieres are in place, sunglasses are off, and the timing walking down the aisle is on cue with the DJ.
You have worked very hard on your wedding day timeline to ensure all of your memorable moments to be had are able to take place. Rest assured your Wedding Coordinator will communicate with you, the caterer, photographer, and DJ about all of the very important upcoming activities and events as your wedding day is being celebrated. To help keep you feel at ease on your wedding day for any accidents or mishaps, it is always a great idea to pack a wedding day emergency kit with your special items for when you are getting ready and during your reception.
Local Lodging in Rough & Ready
Rough & Ready Vineyards also offers an on-site guesthouse. So whether you are traveling from out of town or live locally in Northern California, it can be a great addition to be on-site the night before and the evening after your wedding.
Staying at the location of your wedding is especially convenient if you are doing some of your own wedding decorations or want to get ready here at the vineyard, rather than at home or in a hotel and then drive over. There are many reasons that most couples choose to book lodging here, and convenience is at the top of the list! Learn more and book your stay at the Rough and Ready Vineyards Guesthouse.
Josh and Bryna decided to stay on-site in our vineyard guesthouse. Many couples choose to stay here for convenience and because it’s fun to spend the day getting ready together with your wedding party. Bryna and her wedding party had a blast getting their hair and makeup done in the Wanderlust Beauty Parlour, a fully outfitted airstream trailer. Josh and his groomsmen spent the day bonding and saying cheers to his future marriage. Staying in our on-site lodging makes the Rough & Ready Vineyards a real Gold Country destination wedding!
You can get a quick tour of the Rough & Ready Vineyards in this video created using a drone:
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 13, 2021, and has since been updated.
Mardie has been a successful businesswoman since 1981. The Rough & Ready Vineyards was created out of Mardie’s desire to contribute to the community. Mardie’s vision to serve the community is rooted in her love of Nevada County, and it provided her with the opportunity to revitalize an old Ranch property into a breathtaking wedding venue.
Her innovative mind and commitment to environmental accountability contribute in a positive way to our community and the surrounding area. With the Rough & Ready Vineyards, Mardie seeks to create the best wedding experience for our clients and their guests, creating memories that will last for generations.
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