Enjoy Your Wedding Day

Let’s face it. Just because you’re a “bride”, it doesn’t mean that you should act a certain way on your wedding day. All brides are different. Because  they’re people, and people have different personalities. But no matter who or what or where, I’m pretty sure that most brides want to enjoy their wedding day, right?

You’ve been planning this day for months, constantly immersed in the details, and having nightmares dreams about what will go on during your wedding day. You can’t help but worry/think about that one goofy groomsman or if guests’ favors will be put in the correct place. And so, a few tips for you to help you enjoy your wedding day…

* Have a day-of coordinator. I know, I’m a broken record about it, but it’s totally the truth. Keep in mind that a day-of coordinator (aka DOC) doesn’t just walk in on the day-of your wedding. A DOC will work with you weeks prior to your wedding to make sure all of the details are taken care of. You won’t have to worry about how things are going to get done while you’re busy getting beautified on the day of your wedding. And you will have time to soak up your wedding day in all of it’s lovey/joyful/amazing glory.

* Have a general timeline. You don’t have to stick to the timeline exactly, but it’s always good to have the order of events in mind. (Wedding 101: Wedding Day Timeline) If you have a DOC, she will handle the timeline for you and make sure you’re not running behind or dilly dallying too much. If you don’t have a DOC, know what time you have to be ready, and then plan to be ready before that time. We all know that the worst feeling is being rushed, and that feeling can be even worse on your wedding day.

* Don’t forget to spend some time with your new husband! A first look is the best way to do this, plus it greatly eases any issues with available photo time. If you don’t do a first look, definitely make sure to sneak away for photos with just the two of you!

* Family photo organization. Let family members know that they will be wanted for photos after the ceremony so they don’t wander off.

 * And the ultimate wedding day tip: no matter what happens, remember that at the end of the day you will be married!

If you have a tip to add, please share it in the comments! I hope everyone is able to enjoy their wedding day even more now!

Wedding 101: Wedding Day Timeline

The biggest part of your wedding is the actual wedding day. You spend months planning for it, and then in a mere 8-12 hours, it’s over and done with. Of course you want your whole wedding day to go smoothly, which is why you should create a Wedding Day Timeline.

If you have a wedding planner or coordinator (which of course you know I HIGHLY recommend), he or she will create your timeline for you. You can of course also make your own timeline. I recommend some of the Google Docs from Style Me Pretty to help you with the order of events.

Either way you decide to go, you will need to think about certain things for your wedding day. You could have a certain order of events in your mind already, whether it’s something that you’ve thought of, or just one particular thing you want to be sure to include. And so, I give you some common tidbits that are necessary to think of when creating a Wedding Day Timeline.

 

– Hair and makeup appointments. Don’t forget to list times and locations

– Time of arrival to ceremony location for bride and groom (especially necessary if needing to stay “hidden” from each other), and transportation to and from ceremony if needed

– Time for photos before and/or after ceremony

– Time to bustle your dress

– Will you and your new husband be attending the cocktail hour?

– Announcement/Grand Entrance into your reception (and who will be announced- bridal party and parents, just bridal party, etc)

– Time of First Dance

– Time dinner will be served/buffet opened

– Time of Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dances

–  Cake Cutting

– Toasts

– Garter/Bouquet toss, if applicable

– Exit, if applicable

– Any special events, such as a cultural dance or special tradition

 

As you can see, there are several different things that need to be considered when creating your wedding day timeline. (All the more reason to have a coordinator, right?) If you have a coordinator for your wedding, you won’t have to worry about anything having to do with the timeline on the day of your wedding. He or she will just simply let you know when things are about to happen, and you just go with the flow. If you don’t have a coordinator, try to designate someone to keep track of time and let you know about when things should be happening. (You don’t want to dilly dally and have guests start leaving before you cut the cake!) So use these tidbits to create your Wedding Day Timeline in order to ensure a smooth wedding day for yourself and your guests! Good luck!