You have spent months planning your big day …
You’ve analyzed every decision and wondered if everything would look the way you dreamed. Will the flowers be the right shade of purple? Will the linens match? Will the candles be lit and the ushers know what to do (and when)? And when do we cut the cake?
It would be extremely easy to worry about the details so much that you – the lovely, beautiful bride – miss the fun and meaning of the day.
Frankly, it’s not becoming for a bride to be a “hot mess” on what is the biggest day of your life. It’s also not becoming to be bossy or demanding. It’s as important to plan the day of the wedding as it is to plan the flowers and the menu.
How will you start the day? Sleep in, maybe breakfast with dad at your favorite restaurant or how about pancakes in your folks’ kitchen. Or you might want to spend the night with friends in a B&B and enjoy a lovely leisurely breakfast.
It’s important to know what has to be done on the day of the wedding – but don’t plan a crowded, full-of-errands day. Do those errands on Thursday and Friday so you have plenty of time to savor the last hours with family and friends before your new life begins.
If possible, when you go to the rehearsal the night before, hand over the marriage license to the minister or wedding coordinator and take the programs, book, pens and dress to the church. If you really must see the reception location on the day of the wedding, make sure it’s just a stop by the venue, and not two hours of working and re-doing what others have done. Don’t put off a manicure or pedicure until the big day, do it earlier in the week.
When you know what time you must be dressed and ready for photographs to begin, work backwards on your schedule – 45 minutes to dress, 15 minutes to get to the church, an hour to enjoy make-up from a professional, 60 minutes with the hairdresser, an hour lunch with the girls. That way you’ll know when you need to start the preparation, and remember, it always takes more time (or you just want to take more time) to get ready on your wedding day.
Be sure to have a schedule and stick to it, trust your vendors to do what you want (that’s what you pay them to do), and find a trusted individual (an experienced coordinator or friend) to run the day for you, to make sure you’re ready when the time comes and to handle the problems.
Then relax and enjoy – remember the day is really about the marriage to follow and not just about the wedding of the day.
