Brides will spend months (and maybe years) planning their wedding day down to the very last detail. From cake tasting to choosing the right venue, we can get caught up in the tiny details and forget what the day is truly about—celebrating the love between two people. Whether the wedding is big or small, unique or traditional, we all want to look back on our wedding day with fond memories. Even if things don’t go exactly how you planned them, you can still have an amazing wedding day. There are a few tips that every bride should keep in mind for their big day that could save them a lot of stress:
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
From the beginning of planning your wedding to the actual wedding day itself, you shouldn’t have to do it all alone. Weddings can be stressful, and if something goes wrong, we often forget that others are more than willing to help us when we need it. Ask for help from those close to you and let them ease some of the burden:
From Your Friends
If you tell your friends that you are a little overwhelmed with wedding tasks, they will certainly step up to help you (if they are good friends). Do you know someone who doesn’t mind greeting people? Ask them to be an usher for your wedding. A friend who is a great singer may love the chance to sing at your wedding. In fact, incorporating friends into your wedding makes the day even more special. However, one task that you may want to avoid giving to a friend is being the photographer. Even if they have a nice camera, you will want to choose a professional over a friend so that you don’t regret it in the future.
From Your Family
Asking for help from your family is something that every bride should do, because many family members want to be part of your big day. If one of your family members is known for their planning expertise, put them in charge of the events leading up to the wedding, such as making the rehearsal dinner invitations. Make your day special by asking your future mother-in-law to do a reading at your ceremony or even make a toast at the reception. Family members will most likely be touched that you want them to be part of your wedding day.
From Your Spouse
Many couples forget that their future spouse can and should help with the wedding process. It doesn’t have to be things that they have no interest in, either. If your future spouse has excellent taste in music, task them with creating the wedding playlist. Both of you should have discussed a wedding budget and, if your partner is good with money, put them in charge of the budget.
Find Healthy Ways to Relieve
There is a reason why some brides turn into “bridezillas” as they approach their wedding day. The stress of planning a wedding can easily get to a person, and it is important to have some healthy ways to relieve this stress.
Sneak in Some Cuddle Time
Grab your fiancé and sneak in some intimacy in order to relieve your stress. Cuddling triggers the release of chemicals such as oxytocin and gives you a sense of well-being and happiness. Cuddling also releases endorphins that you can get from eating chocolate or going on a run. Plus, it’s always a good idea to spend time with your soon-to-be-spouse.
Get Your Heart Rate Up
To get a handle on your nerves, consider incorporating regular exercise into your schedule. Getting in 30 minutes of cardio every day will not only help you relieve stress, but can also make you look amazing in your wedding dress on your big day.
Don’t Forget to Eat!
You will no doubt be nervous on your wedding day, but it is important that you remember to eat. Not eating can make you feel weak, which triggers anxiety in some people. To help calm your nerves and nourish your body, remember to nosh on food throughout the day.
Remind Yourself That It’s YOUR Day
Some brides are the control freak types who carry around a three-ring binder of their wedding plans. Others are more passive and let family members have way too much of a say in their wedding. Ideally, you will want to be somewhere in the middle of these two types. Find a balance so that planning isn’t necessarily all on your shoulders, but it also isn’t turning into another person’s ideal wedding instead of yours.
Know When to Stick Up for Yourself
When your parents are helping you fund the wedding, it can seem like it is more for them than it is for you. It’s important that you speak up if something isn’t the way you would like it (respectfully, of course). It is better to say something politely than to hold it in and be resentful.
Add a Personal Touch
Make your wedding unique by adding a personal touch to it. Do you and your intended have a thing for video games? Insert a video game theme into your wedding. Perhaps you two met at a book store and want to incorporate a book theme into your wedding. Adding a personal touch to your wedding makes it memorable, and will reflect the love between you and your spouse.
Pamper Yourself
Make your wedding unique by adding a personal touch to it. Do you and your intended have a thing for video games? Insert a video game theme into your wedding. Perhaps you two met at a book store and want to incorporate a book theme into your wedding. Adding a personal touch to your wedding makes it memorable, and will reflect the love between you and your spouse.
Think About What Happens
After the Wedding
You have spent such a long time planning for a single day, but have you planned for what happens after the big day? There is a lot that needs to be taken care of after your wedding, and it is nice to have someone to help you with some of the small stuff.
Save Some Mementos
There are some key souvenirs that you can hold onto from your big day that have an expiration date. Save your bouquet and press some of the blooms in a picture frame to hang somewhere in your home. If you are preserving your gown, you might want to task your mother or mother-in-law with taking it to a place that specializes in cleaning wedding gowns. You can relax on your honeymoon while your trusted family and friends take care of these details for you.
Don’t Forget Your Thank-Yous
Saying thank you to everyone is just good manners, and it needs to be done in a timely manner. If your catering service did a fantastic job, or your wedding planner went above and beyond for you, give them a shout out in a toast during your wedding. This will be good for their business, and it is nice to give recognition for a good job. If you don’t thank them during the toast, at least take the time to write a good review online. After the wedding, make it a priority to get your thank you notes written up and sent out so that you can get to playing with your new gadgets and gifts. The proper etiquette is to send them out within three months after your big day.
Order or Create a Wedding Album
If you shelled out the money for a nice photographer, it’s best to take advantage of those nice photos by creating a wedding album. With a wedding album, you will get the chance to look back on your special day and relive it again and again. You can also have a coffee-table book that looks like a magazine (except it has your photos in it). Have your spouse give their input on which photos you want to put in the album and arrange them in a way that tells your story. You can send your photos to a professional, or you can have fun and create your own wedding album.
Make It Easier on Your Wallet
In the United States, the average cost of a wedding is around $30,000. Even with your parents helping out, weddings can take an enormous toll on your wallet. However, sticking to a budget and following this sage advice may lessen the financial burden:
Cut Costs with Alcohol
Many people have dry weddings, not because of moral reasons, but simply because supplying alcohol gets extremely expensive when a vendor supplies it for you. If you don’t want to forgo the booze, (your guests will probably miss it if you do), there are other ways to cut costs. One way is by choosing a vendor that lets you bring your own, since vendors can charge high prices for alcohol. Another budget-friendly option is to skip the champagne toast and have guests toast with whatever they are drinking. You can also consider shortening your bar hours.
Make a List of What Is Most Important to You
In addition to crafting a budget, it is crucial that you sit down with your soon-to-be-spouse and make a list of what is most important to you. This will help you see where you would rather spend more money and which areas you can cut money from to make it work. One area that many choose to put their money into is the photographer, because they will have those pictures as memories forever, whereas things such as the cake will only be temporary.
Have Your Wedding During the “Off” Season
The season for weddings is typically from May through October. By scheduling your wedding during the off season, you can save a lot of money, because wedding vendors are in need of business. You can negotiate prices better during this time if you know what these places typically charge. However, keep in mind that the regional climate may also play a part in the wedding season. In San Diego, California, for instance, prices may still be competitive during the off season because the city still has nice weather during this time.
Prepare for Mishaps
Things can and will go wrong on your wedding day. Just realize that mishaps are normal, and they usually make for a good story later on. The best you can do is to simply plan for certain mishaps to occur so that you might circumvent them.
Pack an “Emergency” Kit
Have a bridesmaid or someone you trust bring a safety kit packed with some key essentials. Include items such as stain removal pens, tampons, hairspray, lipstick, energy bars, snacking nuts, gum, deodorant, Ibuprofen, and other items you could need at the last minute. Keep a small sewing kit handy if a bridesmaid needs to quickly stitch up her dress or in case you need to take care of your wedding dress.
Have a Contingency Plan
Those with outdoor weddings should always have an indoor option in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. Even if it looks sunny, other things could put a damper on your day, such as construction or wildlife. Always have a backup plan and hope that you won’t need it!
Delegate a Friend to Mishaps
Things can get ugly when two family members start publicly fighting during your wedding, and it is a lifesaver to have a friend who is able to break up the fight, rather than you or your betrothed. Pick a trusted friend who has your back when your music suddenly stops playing or the supply of alcohol is running out.
Remember What It’s All About
Our lives never seem to go as we originally planned, and your wedding day probably won’t go exactly as you planned, either. While we would all love for our big day to go smoothly, accidents happen, and we could all use some help when they do. Taking advice from brides that have been there may help cut down on some of these hiccups, but there are some things that are simply out of our control. No matter what happens on your special day, it’s important to remember that it is only one day of many that you will spend with your spouse.
