Wedding planning is no easy task. No matter how much you plan and plan and plan some more, no matter how many sticky notes you make or reminders you set on your phone, there is bound to be something that goes unfinished. But, there is good news. No one will (probably) know the difference!
There are so many helpful blogs and articles out there on things to remember to do before your wedding day and helpful wedding day tips, but there are a few that I have complied over the years that aren’t quite as fun as “don’t forget bridesmaid gifts” or “don’t forget to write your groom a sweet note!” While those are definitely still applicable, here are 11 things to also keep on your radar!
1. Clean one corner of the getting ready room for photos.
This one is more for your wedding photographer than anything. Getting ready rooms can get crazy with a group of people all trying to get dress, do hair, do makeup, eating snacks, etc. By keeping at least one corner of the getting ready room clean, the photographer can use that area for all getting ready photos of the bride … like putting on her dress, shoes, jewelry, etc. This will not only make your photographer happy, it will also make you happier when you see your wedding photos. At the time it doesn’t seem like much, but you might see it differently a few weeks after your wedding day!
2. Clean that engagement ring!
Your ring is going to get a lot of attention on your wedding day! From close up pictures to people wanting to see it in general, make sure to take a few minutes to have it cleaned a couple of days prior to the day! Keep all those sparkles as sparkly as possible!
3. Create a separate email for all things wedding!
This is such an easy to way to keep track of all wedding correspondence without missing something that might get mixed in with your personal email. And, bonus you can delete it after your wedding day is over! I have only seen this a couple of times, but this is so smart. I wish I would have thought of it for my own wedding day!
4. Use your own lipstick!
I think most make-up artist will agree that using your own lipstick or purchasing a specific lipstick to use on your wedding day is a great idea for quick touch ups. I think lips are the one thing that always needs touching up between bridal photos, bridal party photos, first looks, and the actual ceremony. Having your own tube to do quick touch ups will give you one less thing to worry about. Talk to your MUA about lip color at booking or when you are doing your trial make-up run. I personally used LipSense for my wedding day and it worked really well for me. (I know a girl that can hook you up if you want to check out LipSense!)
5. Cell phone chargers
Bring your own or borrow one, but chargers are always handy to have. If you have a bridesmaid with the same phone type, I would ask them to bring their charger for you to borrow if needed. This way you can keep your charger packed for your honeymoon without having to remember to grab it from the bridal room when you are on your way out the door!
6. Designated “texter”
This is one of the best tips especially if you do not have a wedding coordinator or day of planner. This can eliminate so much stress on the bride! Either give your phone to your designated texter or ask if you can give their number to your vendors and others for questions on the day of the wedding. This can allow you to truly enjoy your wedding day without having to give directions to the lost florist or cake delivery, etc. If you want to read some benefits of hiring a wedding coordinator, click here to read a guest blog post by Stacy James of Wild Honey Weddings and Events.
7. Break in your wedding shoes!
Wear those babies around before your big day. Even if they are something as comfortable as Keds or boots. While they can be comfy when you try them on, remember you are going to be wearing them for hours with no breaks. I wore boots and even I was so ready to take those bad boys off after wearing them for 9 hours straight!
8. Wedding hashtags
This one is pretty obvious for today’s social media times! If you are having a hard time coming up with something, Google websites that can help you! There are even some that ask for you to put in all your specific information and it will help generate something more specific to your wedding day vs. #theDaviswedding2019, etc.
9. Tell bridal party, family, etc. to arrive 15 mins early for photos!
Wedding day timelines can be tight, so telling your bridal party and family to be ready a few minutes early is helpful to keep the timeline on schedule. I suggest to my brides to have any family in photos prior to the wedding ceremony to arrive at least 15 minutes early. This also allows extra time if people are running late and extra time to grab boutonnieres, corsages, etc., or to find Uncle Frank that keeps getting distracted! ;) If you are not doing any family photos prior to the ceremony, make sure to have your officiant announce for family to stay after the ceremony for photos.
10. Make sure you can sit in your dress!
This one is also obvious, but trust me. This happens. You will want to sit. Like before the wedding, dinner, in the car, etc. Make sure you are comfortable! Some wedding dresses get heavy after you have been wearing them for 5+ hours, so sitting and comfort are a must!
11. Take cake/food with you!
Ask your caterer or put someone in charge (thanks, mom!) to get you a plate to-go! A lot of times, the bride and groom don’t get to fully eat at their wedding! This way you can have a little something in case your options are limited by the time you get to your hotel, etc. We opted for cake in our to-go boxes and it was definitely worth it! Bonus— I even ate cake for breakfast the next day!
Check out more wedding tips below!
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