I’m sure you’ve already heard, your wedding day will pass you by in a flash. With all the celebrations, bubbles and emotions it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the final few weeks and especially on the day itself.However, it’s also the time when some of your well though-out plans may be forgotten and result in a couple of post wedding regrets.So, with that in mind, here are my top tips for the day.
1. Emergency kits
If your doing baskets for the venues bathroom, keep some little bits with you that morning in case of emergency. The most looked for items are: safety pins, needle and thread, nail polish remover, plasters, baby wipes, scissors, cotton buds, paracetamol, antihistamines, tampons, fashion/boob tape and nail files.In addition to the above, have some club soda and/or white chalk nearby incase god forbid you get a mark on your dress.2. Phone
Give your phone to a bridesmaid to take pictures for you. It means youll have some photos on your phone the next day to look through and you won’t be dependent on everyone to send you some.
3. Shoes
Break-In Your Shoes Before the Big Day or choose comfortable shoes!If your shoes are uncomfortable, your wedding could be a real pain—and I mean that literally—making it tough to think about anything other than your aching feet. So be wise, wear them around the house for a few days beforehand or buy shoes that you know wont mow the feet off you!
4. Lipstick
Give your lipstick/lipgloss to your groom to mind for you in his jacket pocket rather than in your handbag. Chances are, you wont have your bag with you and youll most likely be with your groom as opposed to the bridesmaids so for topping up, the lipstick will always be to hand!
5. Eat
A wedding day is a very long day and you don’t want your growling stomach to steal the show. Start the day with a good breakfast, and take a short break before you put on your dress to grab something small to keep you going till dinner time. If you can, have breakfast delivered to the house instead of cooking and avoid having the smell of fried food lingering.6. Messages
You will get 60 million texts, WhatsApps, messages etc that morning, wait until the following day or 2 to read them so you can properly take in the well wishes people are sending you and send personal replies as opposed to a quick generic “thank you” . Reading them on the morning only means they’ll be forgotten about with everything else thats going on.7. Photos
Make a list of the people that you know you definitely want photographs with such as grandparents, godparents, best friends, aunts, uncles, cousins etc etc. Your photographer knows the usual, parents, siblings etc and will automatically capture these but trust me on the day you won’t remember the other pics you want until its too late.In addition to the above, put a bridesmaid, groomsman, brother or sister in charge of gathering the people that you want for your photos. Your photographer wont know who aunty Mary or uncle Paddy are so to save time, allocate this job to someone who knows most of your guests.
8. Time
Yes, this is an important one to get right, choosing the right ceremony time is setting your wedding day schedule up for success. You don’t want to choose a ceremony time of 2pm in December as available daylight for location photos would become an issue at 4:30pm. Liase closely with your suppliers before choosing your ceremony time and go with what works best for everyone.9. Little things
Don’t stress about the little things because in the end they don’t matter and people won’t notice. You are the only person who will be looking at everything really closely. Everyone else will be enjoying themselves way to much to notice.10. Stay calm
Focus on staying calm. Let go and let everyone do their job! Its very tempting to constantly check in with people to make sure they are doing what they need to but honestly, if you’ve chosen good suppliers theyll know what needs to be done and when so, sit back, relax and allow them to do what they do best.
11. Do what’s right for you!
Remember that it’s your day so stay true to what you and your fiancé want. Many people will give you advice on everything … listen and smile but in the end, do what’s right for you (but at the same time, be open to what others say, as you might actually like their ideas/perspective.)12. Take Time for Yourselves
Some couples barely get to make eye contact until their first dance, and even then it’s with the eyes of all your guests upon you. With this in mind, try to take some time out together to let everything sink in. After all, you’ve just gotten married!As part of your wedding day schedule try to factor in some time for just the two of you – whether it’s driving between the church and reception, a moment of down-time between photos or a quick stroll after dinner.
And finally… ENJOY!!Most important of all, make sure you enjoy the day. Dance, drink, eat and be merry. Relax, breathe and take it all in. You have worked so incredibly hard to make this the best day of your life, so sit back and revel in what you have accomplished!
P x
Photos: Darren Byrne Photography and Film www.dbphotos.ie
Location: Millhouse Hotel, Slane, Co Meath www.millhouse.ie