Day of Wedding Tips and Tricks

You are almost there!  Everything is planned right down to speeches, favors, music and all that fun stuff.  But, have you planned for the morning of your wedding?  When couples are not prepared for the morning of the big day, it causes stress and anxiety that lasts the whole day and could actually throw off the timeline.  There are simple ways to be prepared for the morning of your wedding that will allow the fun to set in early, everything on the right track for success, and of course a more calm and relaxed bride who can be present in the moment.

Getting Ready Space

Think about a space that will be appropriate for your size of wedding party.  A larger wedding party will be more comfortable in a house versus a hotel or salon.  Make sure the stylist has what they need in order to succeed and have their space to work.  Ideally if you have a bridesmaid or a parent with an available house, ask if you could use the space for the day, but think about if they have out of town guests there as you do not want too many people in your space where you have to entertain all day.

Timeline

The morning timeline is crucial as it could affect the wedding.  Give extra time for EVERYTHING.  If you end up early, it will be fun to hang out with your party, relax, and have a drink.

Hair – Make sure you allow 60-90 minutes for your hair and an additional 60 minutes for makeup.  Allow this for each person getting stuff done and start two hours earlier because in all honesty, there is always one person who does not like their hair and wants a redo or someone who is running late.  Make an order and a time for who gets hair done at what time, but tell everyone to arrive 45 minutes before their scheduled time.  This is most important with a big bridal party, but if you have a small one, it is fun to stay together all day. 

Transportation – Allow for an extra hour for transportation.  So if you need to be at the venue at 4:00, plan on being there at 3:00.  More than likely you will be running behind on something such as packing up the car or sewing a loose button. (There are a million things that can hold you back.)

Food and Drinks

WATER! – I cannot stress this enough, but it is a long day and water is the key to looking and feeling your best.  Do not overdo the alcoholic drinks.  A little campaign is good fun, but remember that you will be at the venue for 8 hours or more, likely with a drink in your hand the whole time.

Eat, Eat, Eat! – Your nerves will tell you that you are not hungry, but you need energy and you will likely not get a chance to eat much once the activities start rolling.  Yes, you chose a great meal from a wonderful caterer, but you will have guests constantly interrupting to congratulate you or ask for a picture.  You are the host of the party so of course you have to mingle with everyone and you will forget to finish eating.

Supplies

Here is a quick checklist for things you may need.  So have them handy in a bag that will follow you all day 🙂

• Chargers
• Bobby pins
• Feminine supplies
• Small sewing kit
• First aid kit (There will be a bridesmaid who gets blisters from the new shoes and needs a bandaid.)

Communication on Roles

Assign some bridesmaids some roles!  There is a lot to do and they will want to help with what they can.  Tell them their job weeks ahead of time so they can prepare.  Do not give a mother or mother-in-law a role for the day of.  They are honestly the most stressed and do not need to take on day-of roles.

Playlist – Who is in charge of the speaker and spotify playlist?

Food – Who can order food from Uber or have a spread ready to go as people are getting ready?  Tip – have a backup sandwich or two for yourself because this is a very long day and if you end up not liking what they bring or all they bring is a cheese board, you need to eat more.

Supplies – You can put the supplies together beforehand, but give someone the role of bringing the bag wherever you all might be.

Communication – Have the maid of honor and the best man in charge of communicating between the parties if need be.  You packed the marriage license somewhere and cannot remember if the groom had it or not 😉

Thank yous or Tips – Write out thank yous and have tips included, but put someone in charge of handing them to the vendors because you will be talking with many people and may forget to hand them out.  Make sure to thank them in person, but you want to be present for the day and not worried about handing out thank you notes.

If you want a complete list of roles for the maid of honor and best man, check out those blogs as well!

Outfits

Hang your wedding outfit so it is pressed and ready to put on.  You will not have time to do this on the day of.  Wear something comfortable and something that does not need to be taken off over your head.  A robe or button down shirt is ideal.

Bag for after the wedding

Have your overnight bag ready to go in advance so you are not packing the day of your wedding.  Bring all toiletries and a few different outfits.  You can choose a comfortable outfit, but also bring something decent as you most likely will be doing a brunch with family or at least seeing some guests the next day.

It is easy to think about and be prepared for the wedding, but the morning of the wedding is sometimes overlooked.  It actually is the catalyst for the whole day and should be well planned out.  These simple steps will allow you to enjoy the getting ready process and be present around those whom you have invited to be with you on this day.