In order to help ease your nerves and calm your mind a bit in the days and months leading up to your wedding, we’ve provided a few wedding day tips that other brides wish they’d heard in advance.
1. Figure Out Transportation
Something most people don’t think about until the day of the event is transportation for the wedding party. Many brides choose to let everyone drive their own vehicles to and from the ceremony. This is a big mistake. Let’s say your wedding party consists of seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen. This means you’re asking 14 people to show up on time. The chances of this happening are slim. However, if you have a charter bus or some other form of transportation lined up, then you don’t have to stress over this. The bus will get everyone where they need to be and on time.
2. Take Pictures Before the Ceremony
After the wedding ceremony is over, you’ll be so excited and relieved. One of the first things you’ll want to do is head to the reception to have a good time with your guests. However, if you haven’t yet taken pictures, you could end up spending an hour or more of your ceremony with your photographer. One way to speed up the process is to take pictures before the ceremony. This will allow you to enjoy much more of that (expensive) party.
3. Get Food to Go
Talk to any bride about her wedding and she’ll likely tell you that she doesn’t even remember what food she had. The reason is that the bride and groom rarely get a chance to eat. Between cutting the cake, dancing, and greeting people, there’s very little time to sit down and enjoy a meal. By the time you leave your ceremony, you’re going to be very hungry. Unfortunately, most restaurants will be closed and you probably won’t want to stop anyway. That’s why brides suggest packing to-go plates in the car. Your wedding planner or event coordinator will be happy to do this for you.
4. Sleep in and Eat Well
While many brides choose to go out with their friends after the rehearsal dinner the evening before the wedding, you may want to cut the night short. You don’t want to get only a couple hours of sleep before the big day. It’s also advisable that you leave the alarm off. By waking up on your own natural schedule, you’ll be much more refreshed and ready to go. When you do wake up, eat a solid breakfast with plenty of protein. Lunch will likely be rushed, so getting a big first meal in is important.
5. Take Your Time Getting Ready
Do you know what the single biggest stressor on wedding is? Scheduling the right amount of prep time for the bride and bridesmaids. Don’t try to wing this. You need to develop and stick to a plan. “By including enough prep time in your wedding-day schedule, you’ll arrive at the ceremony venue relaxed and ready to go, with plenty of time to spare,” says Heather Lee of Brides.com. “Otherwise, if hair and makeup run late, everything else will be behind schedule for the rest of the day.”
It’s Your Wedding – Have Fun!
If you find yourself on Facebook or Pinterest, it’s virtually impossible not to feel overwhelmed. Everyone has their own opinions, advice, and horror stories. The key is to drown out the sensationalized drama and focus on having a good time. It’s your wedding and you deserve to enjoy it.
