Let’s be honest. Planning a wedding can take it’s toll. Most couples feel some strain on their mental health and energy levels as the big day draws near. You are not alone. Hey Lovers is here to remind you of a few things you need to think about before you get married.
You are in the final straight now. And we are here to remind you of those last minute things you want to do before your big day arrives.
Each tip is designed to help your day flow more smoothly and for you both to enjoy every part of the day even more. Oh and these tips will ensure your family and friends have the best day of their lives too!
Tip 1. Check to see if there are any major local events on the same day as your wedding
You’ve chosen your wedding venue but didn’t realise that there was a local event on that same day. A local event can impact on parking, cause road closures and impact on travel time required to get to your wedding ceremony.
But don’t stress. Send an email or text message out to your guests in the week of your wedding and ask them to allow a little extra time to get to your ceremony.
Tip 2. Get on top of lighting
Having a good think about lighting on your wedding day ahead of time will benefit you and your guests. Consider the time of day you are getting married. If you can, visit your ceremony and reception location at the time your ceremony will start.
If your ceremony is going to outside, will you be looking into the sun? What about your guests? Is the ceremony space in the shade or will you need some sun umbrellas for ultimate guest comfort?
When it comes to your reception, does the venue have adequate lighting for your guests to find their way out at the end of the night? Can you position your pre dinner drinks location with the best view of the setting sun?
Taking a little extra time to consider what lighting is doing, means you will create maximum comfort and enjoyment for yourselves and your guests.
Your wedding photographer and videographer are an excellent source of ideas and advice when it comes to really understanding the light on your wedding day. Don’t forget to chat with them about where you will be and when during your big day so you can plan the best approach to photography and videography together.
Tip 3. Plan food and hydration
Make a plan ahead of time for what you will eat and drink on your wedding day. The time absolutely flies! And if you are not prepared, it’s easy to miss a meal or drink here and there. Before you know it, you’re light headed and dizzy.
Plan in advance or delegate this job to family, friends or someone in your wedding party to look after you both as you move through your wedding day. Ordering in food and fruit platters to each of your “getting ready” locations is always a great idea. Having water bottles at the ready for the entire wedding party is essential.
Tip 4. Make sure your timeline allows for small delays, bathroom stops, traffic and wardrobe malfunctions!
There is a lot to fit into a wedding day. And it can be tempting to build a timeline that allows no time at all for comfort stops, grooming, re-applying make up or broken zippers.
But resist the temptation. Allow a little wiggle room in your wedding day timeline so that small delays along the way don’t stress you out.
Also, don’t forget to take a little time out during the day for the two of you – take a breath. I often factor in a few minutes for my couples to spend one on one during the reception, and they never regret it.
Even for someone who loves to be around people, it’s awesome to take some time for just the two of you! Take a minute to connect as a couple. Do this a couple of times during the day if you can. It’s a long day otherwise and it’s a momentous day, so put yourselves first, just for a few moments…and then get back to the party!!!
Tip 5. Pre-plan your first kiss as a married couple
When did you last kiss your significant other in front of a group of people? Sure, you want your first kiss as a married couple to be natural. But if you both lean in the same direction, things can get super awkward, real quick!
Take a couple of minutes before your big day to have a quick chat about whether a small peck or a passionate embrace is more your style. That way you will go in for your first kiss as a married couple with confidence.
Tip 6. Don’t put your head in the sand. Weather happens!
You need to consider what your plan is that the weather won’t be perfect. Perhaps it’s pouring with rain. Maybe it’s piping hot.
Either way, you need to talk through your back up plan in the case of weather not allowing you to be outdoors.
You are still going to get married. You are going to have an amazing party with your family and friends. So, know what your Plan B is.
Once you have worked out your plan B, work out who is going to take the logistics of that change. Who is going to move chairs, your arbour, the flowers? Most venues will have a well established plan in place and plenty of staff to execute that plan.
But if you’re marrying on a private property, in public gardens or similar, know how that Plan B will be actioned well ahead of the day itself. That way, there’s no last minute stress on the day for anyone.
Tip 7. Feed your wedding vendors
Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. But working as a wedding planning has me on my feet for many, many hours at a time. It’s tiring work.
So, consider offering your wedding vendors a meal (often called a vendor meal) at your wedding celebration. You don’t need to offer a meal to every single vendor. Often your cake maker, celebrant, florist and some other vendor types are only on site for a short period of time.
But your photographer, videographer, MC, DJ and wedding planner may be on site for quite some time. A meal is super gratefully received by this group of legends and you will notice that it’s even written into some vendor contracts.
Now you don’t need to provide your wedding vendors with the same food as your guests. And the food doesn’t need to be fancy. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but make sure there is something on offer for them so that they can replenish themselves and continue their role in your wedding day.
In addition, consider offering these vendors a quiet space where they can take a quick break during your wedding day.
Tip 8. Update your wedding website with any changes
If you have made changes to your wedding details since you set up your wedding website, make sure your wedding website is up to date when you send out your wedding invitation to guests.
Your wedding website should be seen as the go to site for your guests throughout the lead up to your big day. It will save a whole lotta calls, emails and texts from guests at all sorts of hours (including your wedding eve!). Yep, that happens.
Tip 9. Bring a change of clothes or underwear
Getting married can be sweaty work. And it’s a LOOONG day. So if you can, pack in some extra underwear, a fresh shirt or extra attire as required.
Pop these fresh items, along with some deodorant, into your wedding suite or similar room (if you have one) so you can change at some point should you start to feel too hot and sweaty! This tip is a game changer.
Tip 10. Consider starting your honeymoon a day or two after your wedding
Give yourself a little bit of time before you head away for your honeymoon. Let’s say you get married on Friday night. You will most definitely want to sleep in a little on the Saturday. Your energy is likely to be super zapped. Take the time that afternoon or the following day to catch up with out of town guests and allow yourselves to come down from your wedding high.
If you do plan to head away straight away, have someone put guest gifts (cash, cheques etc) into your bank account. This is especially useful if you had a wishing well set up for your contributions to your honeymoon experience.
Of course I have many, many more tips I would love to impart. But the 10 above will go a long way to creating one sensational wedding day experience for you both.
Need a hand pulling your dream day together? Hey Lovers has got you! Get in touch and let’s get planning a stress free wedding (yep, they do exist).