Your wedding day is one of the biggest and most exciting days of your life — Don’t let it become one of the most stressful too!! Everyone wants their wedding day to be perfect, but perfect can be stressful if you aren’t prepared!
Plan your day so that you can enjoy it! Of course a wedding planner helps — if at all possible I recommend having a planner involved. They are there to make sure your vision comes to life and plan so that everything runs smoothly. A wedding planner is a great way to have a stress-free day (and a lot less pressure on you leading up to the wedding too)!
But don’t despair if your budget doesn’t allow for a wedding planner, you can still have the perfect day!
Here are a few simple tips for a stress free wedding day:
- Eat something — If you are having champagne doubly so! Yes it is simple but so many brides forget or for whatever reason they simply don’t eat! Unless you are okay with passing out, you need to eat. I may be overstating it a little but even if you don’t pass out you will most likely not feel your best and you may look pale , not the way to remember your day!
.
- Get ready first — Have your hair and makeup done before your bridesmaids! That way you have time to have preparation photos without the pressure of rushing! Some people want to go last so they are “fresh” although with a good hair and makeup artist you will look amazing all day, and they will touch you up just before you go anyway! If not first be ready at least 2 hours before you need to leave — this is really important. As a photographer I prefer to arrive to the bride (after seeing the groom already) about 2 hours before she leaves for the ceremony. In this time we will get your detail images, bridal preparation portraits, then pictures with your bridesmaids and lastly with family, yes that time flies.
- Have a good plan and timetable — Know how long your hair and makeup will take, ask how much time the photographer will need to capture each section of your day, know it all. If you don’t have a wedding planner your photographer will probably be able to help. Once you know how long things will take add a little padding (just in case!) and then draw up a timetable for the ENTIRE day. Lots of reception venues will help with a timeline for the reception but your timeline needs to include everything, from when your makeup artist arrives to when you leave the reception. A wedding day for a bride is usually at least 12 hours long!
- Have an emergency kit — Have the basics somewhere or with someone that you can get to all day (probably a bridesmaid). What if you have a headache and need an aspirin? Trust me have a little kit with the essentials in it! There is great list Here of things you can print but really all you need to know is be prepared for anything.
- Have two (YES 2) pairs of shoes — Wear your HOT heels for photos. Then when no one is looking slip into something more comfortable! You will enjoy the reception SO much more without the blisters!
- Give everyone all the details — If you have other people that know when, where and what is happening they can cover it if anything happens to go astray! You can relax and enjoy your day while others deal with little things that arise 🙂 Give everyone who is important to you a guide with the following:
- Ceremony Venue/Address
- Reception Venue/Address
- Everyone in your immediate family & bridal party with mobile phone numbers
- Vendor Name & Contact numbers (cake, flowers, church coordinator, dj)
- Schedule of Events
- Don’t sweat it — If you planned and something still goes wrong, that is life. There will be some things that don’t go exactly as you planned but that doesn’t mean your day isn’t perfect! Once it is done and the day is over little hiccups don’t matter. Enjoy the day as it comes. Do as much planning as possible before the day to avoid problems but if they happen JUST BREATHE and remember why you are doing this — to marry the man of your dreams xxx
Images by Timeless Tales Photography
Ms Gingham says: I think this is one of the best posts of read on this topic. I agree with every single point.
About Sarah of Timeless Tales Photography: The creative heart behind Timeless Tales Photography is a happily married mother of two who has been there before, organising every last aspect of her dream wedding. She knows how important your special day is.
Join the conversation