Set up for your wedding

We had a day of coordinator who set up. However, I helped a bit. But, I wouldn’t recommend asking your guest to help. Simply because they’re your guest. Do you plan to have a wedding party? I’d recommend them to help you set up.

I'm planning out my wedding on a budget. It's been stressful but fun. Your biggest help is going to be communication with everyone involved in your wedding party. I'm setting up jobs for the bridesmaid and groomsmen for decorating, clean up and making sure everything is set up and working the day of the wedding. Also talk to your's and your fiance's family and see what all they could help with.

I was fortunate and had a whole crew of people who volunteered to help. We also had access to the venue for the full day before we got married (from 10am-10pm) which meant we had lots of time to get things ready. The primary people who helped were my mom and dad, two of my aunts, two friends of my parents, my best friend (who was also our florist), my sister, and my brother. My sister mostly just helped keep me calm and distracted 😅 but that was really important.


After the ceremony, my husband's friends helped stack all the ceremony chairs so we could use the same space as a dance floor. They were happy to help and since there was a lot of them it got done really quickly!

I ended up hiring a day of coordinator who offers set up, but if that hadn't been an option I'd probably tackle it between myself, my mom, FMIL, bridesmaids, and whatever aunts of mine would agree to help (my family is very close)

Our wedding is located at a B&B so right outside is the barn our reception will be in … we have it have access to it for Friday starting at 3pm up until Sunday at 11:00 am! Lots of my Fiancés family is going to help me set up along with my bridesmaids .. my wedding planner will also help with a few things and then the day of my wedding which is on the Saturday our florist will arrive and finish up decorating with our flowers ☺️

We (my now husband and I, and a few members of our wedding party volunteered) were able to start setting up a few days before through the morning of at our reception venue and before/after our rehearsal at our ceremony venue, as neither location had events the day/night before or morning of our wedding. We therefore only had our flowers and cake delivery to direct on the day of (and, as I had time between my hair/makeup appointment and our ceremony, I was able to check on it).

I think its reasonable to ask your closest friends and family for help if you have that kind of relationship with them, but I wouldn't ask everyone/random people! Or if people have offered help in the lead up definitely try those people first.

We only have 2 hours in the morning to get the venue decorated so I've got my and my fiance's immediate family (our mums & siblings) to help plus a couple of my best friends who are staying at my mum's over the wedding (the least they can do for free accommodation, lol!). My mum will be the overseer though - I think its important to have one person in charge who can float around and make sure that everything is going smoothly

The reception will be taken care of by the venue. The ceremony at the chruch. Hopefully me and some good friends of mine. Lol I'm still figuring that out too.💜

Our venue came with a month of coordinator/day of. So she'll organize with any vendors, and the venue staff to get everything set up. But if you can't afford this, please please don't ask your guests to do it. I attended my now-ex boyfriends half-brother's wedding and it was at the bride's parents home and they made me (someone who had never met any of them other than my ex's immediate family) help clean the house the day before and help with set up morning of and tear down next day. It was miserable, I didn't feel like a guest, I felt like a volunteer.

I would definitely see if you can hire people to do the work. Possibly the venue has a suggestion to make?

Our reception site is actually doing the reception set up for us. We drop the things off and them and my friend who rents wedding stuffs will be setting up

Hire people, high school students even, to set up your space for a couple hours. Label everything, take pictures of how it should be done. If you are having a buffet, consider hiring them as buffet servers and clean up.


I, like Ashlee, have flown in for a wedding and essentially voluntold to help. I could have offered my time, but that wasn't the case and my friendship was thoughtlessly reduced to free labor. I wasn't surprised they broke up.

View Quoted Comment I spoke to a wedding coordinator. Just the coordination itself is rent! And then she was talking about adding on like renting and this and that, and it got me so overwhelmed.
So I’m having a get together with my friends/guests a couple days before. Everyone is out of town. I mean, it’s almost an oxymoron to not have your guests not help you when you recommend having them help you. But that’s just my interpretation.

View Quoted Comment I am too! Ha. Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to communicate with everyone on how I want everything placed. I don’t have bridesmaids and my fiancé doesn't have groomsmen. My family and his family are not ones to help. If he had his 13 nieces and nephews flown in from the East Coast that would definitely give me a lot of relief!!!! Hahaha

View Quoted Comment You’re lucky you have such a big family and family willing to help! We planned on getting married in the morning since our family is a bit older and they don’t want to stay out too late. But, we might change that to set up all the decor…

View Quoted Comment So I talked to a Day of Coordinator today. Just her coordination alone is rent! I’m probably going to be doing this all on my own: I don’t have a bridesmaids.

View Quoted Comment That’s nice! That’s nice you have the entire weekend to set up. I just have the park & beach for the day. My family and my fiancé’s family are a bit older so it’s not possible for them to help. I don’t have bridesmaids. I talked to a wedding planner today, her price is basically rent! And I looked into a florist and she was asking for $7000! It was ridiculous! So I’m doing my own bouquet and boutonnière for my fiancé. And will use fake flowers for decor.

View Quoted Comment Ok, so you used your wedding guest to help. I just have the park/beach for the day. I’m having cake delivery, hopefully the catering will be delivered!

View Quoted Comment My coworker actually offered to help today! It is so nice of her to do that. No one else has offered to help. My family and his family are not going to help. Right! Like I was on the phone today was a coordinator, and the basic price she offered was rent! I wish I could have an overseer. That would be amazing.

View Quoted Comment I’m doing my ceremony at a chapel too! Our reception is at the park, so it’s DIY. I’ll probably do all the decorations