The Do's And Don'ts Of Wedding Delegation

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 Unfortunately, you're not superhuman! 

If you were, you would have the capacity to put together the wedding buffet yourself, drive people to and from the wedding venue (or carry them on your back while flying), manage the needs of every guest, and still have the time to get married. If only! 

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So, considering the fact that you are only human, you will need to delegate some of your wedding tasks. Well, it's either that or tie yourself up in stressed-knots in an effort to do everything, but we think we know which option you would prefer. 
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Here then are some helpful do's and don'ts that you might want to consider when it comes to wedding delegation.

DON'T delegate to the first person who volunteers

Well, you might delegate to them if you know they have the necessary credentials. However, if you are unsure about their offer of help, don't assume you need to give them the responsibilities they are asking for. Think carefully before saying 'yes,' as you don't want to run the risk of something going wrong because of their unqualified and inexperienced efforts. For a stress-free celebration, hand out the appropriate tasks to the relevant people, and then consider the next point before delegating parts of your to-do list. 

DO consider the professionals for some of your wedding tasks

Great Auntie Gloria might be a whiz in the kitchen, but she might not be adept at catering for hundreds of wedding guests. Uncle Mike might be an expert wildlife photographer, but he might not know the first thing about photographing human beings. And Cousin Joe might have made a name for himself on the gigging circuit, but his heavy metal rock music might not go down too well with some of the guests at your wedding. There are some tasks that are better left to the professionals, so don't take any chances with people who could make mistakes on your big day. Research vendors online, using those websites about weddings that are local to your area. 

DON'T forget the smaller tasks

​Okay, so you might delegate some of the larger tasks from your to-do list to the people you know, but don't forget the myriad of smaller tasks that are just as important on your wedding day. You might want to ask somebody to hold onto your purse, for example, or somebody to escort the elderly members of your guest list to their seats. You might want to ask somebody to keep the kids entertained during the photo session too, as well as somebody to keep you topped up with food and water during the day. Some of these tasks can easily be overlooked, but they are still critical to the success of your wedding day.

DO give people a chance to enjoy the wedding day

In other words, don't overload people with things to do!  Even if they are only too happy to support you, your helpers still need the opportunity to have fun at your wedding day. They might only get tired and frustrated otherwise, and especially if given too much to do, they might also forget some of their responsibilities. So, go easy on the task-giving. Apportion tasks appropriately, and for those tasks that need it, create a rota so that people can be allowed time off to let their hair down.

DON'T get stressed with your helpers

If you have picked the right people for your wedding tasks, you shouldn't need to get stressed anyway. Hopefully, your helpers will carry out their roles responsibly, and you won't have to worry about them. However, if mistakes are made, be mindful with regards to your attitude. If you get angry with them, two things might happen. One, they might get upset and then carry out the rest of their tasks with a miserable attitude. And two, they might get annoyed at you, and then leave you short-handed by ditching their responsibilities. Be gracious then, and remember that mistakes do happen. If you need to have a word with somebody - perhaps because they're not pulling their weight - do so with kindness, and perhaps delegate their roles elsewhere if you feel it necessary.

DO thank your helpers

And finally, be sure to thank the people helping you when you're giving one of your speeches. You might even give them a gift to show your appreciation, too. While they might tell you that you didn't need to say or do anything to offer your thanks, it's still good etiquette to follow this practice. After all, without their help, your wedding day would have been a lot more stressful for you.