Though you may not want to think about it while you are planning, clean up at the end of your wedding is just as important as your decorating! It is imperative to know exactly what is expected of you and all your guests otherwise additional charges could occur and/or you may end up with some unhappy guests recruited to help clean last minute. To help work out these end-of-the-night kinks, we have put together a list of the Top 10 things to keep in mind!
1. Most importantly – Have a plan determined well before the day of your event.
2. Know what time you are expected to be finished cleaning up.
3. Pack an extra pair of shoes and a change of clothes.
4. Know ahead of time if your caterer provides take out containers – if they don’t, bring your own!
5. Have a diagram or photos of how the room is supposed to look at the end of the night if you are required to move furniture back.
6. Delegate people to help clean up and pack up at the end of the night (and let these people know in advance!)
Pro Tip: to help make packing up items a breeze, label your totes with what is to go inside and store them close to wherever their contents were placed in the room. You can have different people in charge of different tables/items so everyone knows clearly how they are to help.
7. Give one trusted person the responsibility of collecting and transporting gifts and cards (especially if most people are taking a shuttle!).
8. Know whether you can leave cars overnight and pick them up the next day.
9. Know if you are able to leave décor items overnight to pick up the next day and if there is a charge for this.
10. Make sure to do a final sweep of the room once everyone is out in case of guest items left behind. Then you can head out and enjoy your after party (or a good night’s rest)!
Hopefully these tips help the end of the night go more smoothly for everyone involved!