5 Ways to ensure a stress free Wedding Day
You’ve dreamt of this day for years and now you’ve finally arrived. If you are planning a wedding this is for you! This will mark the beginning of my 8th year in the wedding industry and I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen couples who are stressed on their big day and I’ve seen those who are ever present and enjoyed it to the fullest. Through experience I’ve gained some insight into key factors that play a definite role in having a low stress wedding day. I thought I’d bullet point some tips for you so you can be proactive about enjoying your wedding day.
Here are 5 tips to ensure a stress free wedding day..
HIRE A PLANNER
If you’re in the midst of wedding planning then you know. This is a lot. Its a lot of work and can be tedious and time consuming. If you are not a type A personality then a lot can slip through the cracks and you will find yourself forgetting details that will inevitably show through on the wedding day. This is quite literally a career path people choose to take. So lets stop pretending that you’re planning a small dinner party and get in touch with whats really happening. This is an event… a three part event. The getting ready, the ceremony and the reception. This all takes planning, coordination and most definitely experience to nail those little details and the big ones. Guess who’s going to be the point person the day of the wedding? It’s not the venue coordinator, it will be you. All the vendors, all the family and even the bridal party. They will look to you to lead.
Planning can take the fun out of being engaged quickly when everything because emails and deposits. Hiring a planner is hands down the most important thing you could budget for while planning a wedding. A good planner is worth their weight in gold. They take everything off your plate and do the hard work for you. I have seen some Brides on their Wedding day start the day off happily and by the end of getting ready they are a ball of stress. People coming up to them asking questions, vendors calling them for coordinating, trying to be the leader when it comes time to the schedule. No one wants to be a Project Manager on their Wedding day so let’s start off right and hire a planner that fits your style and personality. I have worked with some great planners over the years and each time I am so grateful and relieved to have their presence the day of.
Chris & Leah with @stephaniekingevents
DELEGATE
Even if you hire a planner for the entire wedding process there will still be some things that will fall on you. Something that makes me cringe on the wedding day is when I see family or bridal party going up to the couple asking questions that require the couple to do work. So quite simply delegate. If you have a bridal party split up duties. Bride, if you are going to have your details photographed on the wedding day ( shoes, dress, invites, jewelry etc) have your MOH or trusted bridesmaid have it ready to go and be the point person for the photographer. Groom, if you are getting ready together with your groomsmen ensure that a couple of them are assigned to keep the room semi tidy so there isn’t trash hanging around in the background. Another great example for delegation is to have a point person to be the go to for a call if someone is lost and they cant find the venue. Another, have a point person on each side of the family that is rounding up the family members that are needed to be photographed for family portraits. People can be hard to wrangle.
Small things that you take on yourself can throw you into a different mindset completely. So think ahead as to who in your family or bridal party would be best suited for the job that needs to be done. Delegate so that you can stay present and unburdened.
BUFFER THE SCHEDULE
If you are working with a Planner they will be the ones that will be in charge of creating the schedule and running it the day of. They are experienced enough to know to leave a buffer in parts of the day where things may run behind. Creating a buffer will allow you to not feel rushed and if you do run behind, to remain “on schedule”.
DECIDE WHATS MOST IMPORTANT/ LESS IS MORE
Going along with buffering the schedule would be to decide whats most important to you the day of your wedding. Is it breakfast as a couple? Is it a morning walk alone? Time with the guys for golf? What will make this day feel like a great memory and something you will enjoy.
Having 10 first looks with your bridesmaids, your father, your grandfather, your fiancee, pajama photos with the girls, opening letters or gifts from each other or creating tik Tok videos of before and afters all takes up a great amount of time. It will keep you going from one thing to the next non stop. I have seen this take the wind out of the sails of many-a bride. It takes you away from being present and you are inevitably forcing a creation of moments that are lac luster and not genuine moments of emotion.
Less is more. Create real moments that will be beautifully photographed by doing less and being in the moment. Pick a couple things that are meaningful like opening gifts or cards from one another and a quiet first look. Less truly is more.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
This shouldn’t have to be said but it has to. The day of your wedding take care of yourself. I’m all for celebrating with a cocktail and I am queen of 2 coffees by 10am but when you are getting married it is a long day. So hydrate. Please do not worry about going the bathroom in your dress or ruing your lipstick. Hydration is key. Eat a solid breakfast and if the nerves have you feeling not hungry eat something healthy with good amount of protein. Same thing goes for lunch. Schedule eating into your timeline. Sharing a meal with your friends and family is apart of it all. Although you might not feel hungry you really are. Being dehydrated and hangry with low blood sugar is a recipe for feeling sick and emotional before the day has really even begun. And when that reception starts and your plates are at your seats, sit down and enjoy your meal together. You can mingle and play host after you eat. Food is such an important part of the day. You spent time picking out the menu carefully and spent a lot of money to feed your guests. So enjoy it with them. Being well hydrated and fed you will be set up for success.
So there you have it. My 5 tips to ensure a stress free day. They may seem oversimplified and if it sounds that way its because they are. When you actually try and put them into practice it takes a committed mindset and planning. Do it for yourselves so you can be focused on what the day really is about, the two of you.
x Cory
