Surround yourself with people that make you feel good
I mean this goes for every day of the year, but especially on the morning of your wedding. Choose people to spend the morning with (regardless of whether or not you’re having a bridal party) that make you feel excited, loved, joyful, calm and all of those other good feelings.
If you’re someone who gets anxious in large groups, keep it small and intimate with just a select few friends and/or family. Or if you feel your best when you’re surrounded by everyone you know and love, invite over as many people as your space allows. However, if possible, avoid everyone arriving at different times. This means you won’t be getting up and down to greet people and you can focus on relaxing, listening to good tunes, eating delicious snacks, sipping champagne and getting pampered.
Plan ahead and allow plenty of time
When working out what time you need to be ready by, start with your ceremony time and work backwards. But plan it as though everything is going to go wrong. Well, not everything but include in some buffer time for some contingencies. Factor in time for you to get changed, take some photos, have a snack, brush your teeth and get to the venue. Have your hair and makeup done by the time your photographer is set to arrive so all you need to do is get dressed and head out the door. Make sure you’ve allowed enough time before needing to leave to get all the photos you want without feeling like you need to rush through them. The key to a relaxing morning is not feeling like you are rushing to run out the door. However, it’s also important to remember it’s your wedding day, so if you’re running 10 mins late, that just means your guests will be 10 mins early.
Be ready by the time your photographer arrives
This is when things really start to kick off. Your photographer will have questions that only you will be able to answer. ‘What do you want photos taken of?’, ‘where do you want photos taken?’, ‘where is your [fragrance/lipstick/earrings etc.]’. To avoid feeling like you are being pulled in 100 different directions, my best advice is to make sure your hair and makeup is completely finished by the time the photographer arrives. You’d also be surprised by the energy shift that happens when one or two extra people added to the room. So to make sure you can fully enjoy your pamper time, be ready (or mostly ready) by the time your photographer arrives.
If you are wanting getting ready photos, fake them. Trust me, they look a million times better than the ones taken mid makeover.
Have plenty of pre-prepared snacks
Depending on the time of your wedding ceremony, you might be needing to leave or getting ready in the middle of lunch. The last thing you want to be worrying about before you go is if there is anything to eat. Having pre-prepared snacks that you can graze on throughout the morning means you won’t be starving by the time you need to leave. Opt for bite sized snacks that you can eat while you are getting your wedding makeup done and after it is finished without disturbing your makeup. Some of my favourite options are:
- Protein balls
- Tiny sandwiches
- Bite sized fruit: watermelon, apple, pear
- Carrot sticks with dip or peanut butter
- Anything where you don’t need to wipe your face afterwards
An honourable mention goes to hydralite icy poles, which although I wouldn’t classify as food, are still a great idea to keep you cool and hydrated.
Let go of the things you can’t control (and have a wet weather back up!)
This is especially true if you’re getting married in Melbourne or anywhere near Melbourne. Make sure your venue has a wet weather back up that you love just as much as your first option. You can’t control the weather and predicting when you’re going to have a perfect 25 degree day is almost impossible, so prepare for every possibility. Some of the best wedding photos I have seen are from rainy days, where the bridal party lets loose and embraces the chaos.
Remember that the only thing that truly matters is that you’re marrying the love of your life
At the end of the day (or beginning in this case), this is the only thing that really matters. Anything else that goes ‘wrong’ on the day will either be forgotten, go unnoticed or turn into a charming anecdote for you to tell at parties. I promise you; your guests won’t notice if the tablecloth that arrived isn’t the exact shade you were expecting or if your flowers are a slightly different shade of white. And if some things don’t go quite to plan, voila: some hilarious stories to retell at your recovery breakfast and for years to come.