I’m going to be honest for sec—no one would have thought I would be a calm bride. I’ve always been a organizer, DIYer, and planning, complete with a huge binder of lists on lists, but a destination was key for me to able to step back and—cringe—delegate.
The key for me was keeping perspective. LeBraun and I had been dating 12 years before we got engaged. I never pressured him for a proposal and everything fell into place when it was right for us.
When wedding planning it is very easy to lose it. There are a million and one decisions to be made, people constantly asking what you’ve been up to and what they can help with (which is an actual nightmare scenario of mine), budgets to keep in check, pricing that never seems to fit the budget, moving parts that aren’t calibrated to work efficiently just yet, etc.
If I was ever feeling overwhelmed I would 1) go for a run then 2) remind myself that whatever happened, whatever this ended up looking like, at the end of the day on August 3 LeBraun would be my husband!
That’s all that really matters. Once you realize and accept that, your new go-with-the-flow attitude with make wedding planning much more enjoyable.
Now I’m sure by now you’ve heard this a thousand times, but that doens’t make it untrue—your wedding day will fly by!
How can an event that takes months and months to organize, be over in a couple hours. It’s a strange phenomenon.
That being said, fully relaxing and enjoying your wedding day is often easier said than done. LeBraun and I wanted to share some practical tips and insider knowledge we found really helped us enjoy our wedding day to the fullest.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Get Ready
You want to be able to have a good time with your bridesmaids, not stress over whether you’re keeping to the timeline. We did well on the “hair and makeup” portion of the morning, but wished we had scheduled more time at the venue.
Our venue was quite small and didn’t have A/C so we couldn’t spend too much time there, but had allowed time for everyone to get dressed and take photos of the bridal party and groomsmen before the ceremony.
We rolled up a few minutes late and ended up scrambling to approve bouquets, get dressed, take photos, and accomplish everything before guests arrived and the ceremony started. We didn’t have a buffer for “chilling” before the ceremony and ended up rushing from that point on. All we had time for was a few deep breaths right before we walked down the aisle.
Wear A Robe Or Button Down Shirt While Getting Ready
This goes for bridesmaids too! A robe or button down is much easier to get off without messing up you hair and makeup after they’re done.
Also if your dress chest shape is different than a standard bra shape, don’t wear a bra in the morning. Thus avoiding any line indentations your bra may leave. I made the mistake on my boudoir shoot. I didn’t think anything about it at the time, but they were noticeable when I got the photos back.
Put Your Phone Away
Or designate someone to be in charge of social media on your wedding day. This is your wedding day…the main event if you will. You’ve been meticulously planning the details over the past many months so be present. Enjoy every minute IRL. Leave the photos up to your photographer.
Take It All in During The Ceremony
Incorporate or ask your officiant to include a moment for you and your fiancé to take in everything during your ceremony. Look at your almost-spouse, the audience, the decor, the sights, the sounds, the smells…the feeling of everything! Ingrain it in your brain and your heart!
We included a special song in our ceremony and used the time to take in everything we could at that moment!
People don’t say it enough but the ceremony really is the best part! It’s something about the traditions, the vows, and the emotions that make it one of the most significant moments of your life.
Say Thank You
The majority of weddings take a village to pull off so express your gratitude verbally to everyone who contributed, including the caterers, planners, band, wedding party, and especially your parents!!! This day is just as exciting for your parents as it is for you.
Note: Traditionally there are father-daughter and mother-son dances so make your other parent gets a few special moments with you as well.
EAT.
Something that is always easier said than done. Eat before and after the ceremony. Eat breakfast. Bring snacks with you (and a toothbrush). It would be embarrassing for your vows to be interrupted by your growling stomach or to pass out from a combination of not eating and locking your knees, which seriously does happen—there are about a zillion YouTube videos about it.
Enjoy your meal at the reception, or have food brought to your room if you plan on greeting tables during the dinner.
At our Nashville reception, we didn’t have a formal dinner. We opted for a strolling-style reception and had food brought to room ahead of time; however, I wish I had appointed someone to bring me food during the reception because I got corned mingling and only got a bite of one thing during the event, which ultimately led to a hangover the next day. Blah!
Don’t Sweat The Small (Or Big) Stuff.
It won’t all go as planned. That would be exceedingly rare. Ask yourself a couple questions before freaking out:
Can the problem easily be solved? Is it going to matter ten days from now? Are guests having fun? Are you having fun?
Chances are people won’t notice something is wrong unless you draw attention to it or act like a bridezilla.
If it can be solved, delegate someone else to deal with it.
During our ceremony the bridal party was lined up when the band began the next song, which was NOT the processional song we selected. I’m not going to lie I was super bummed, but 1) guests didn’t know it was the wrong song, and 2) our planner would have had to run down to the musicians, alert them to the issue, the musicians would have had to stop the current song and start the new song - all of which would have created a long break between the groomsmen processional and bridal processional. At that point guests would have definitely realized something was wrong because I created a scene. Instead I took a deep breath and remember the reason we were here today and the man I was meeting at the end of the aisle, and suddenly it didn’t matter anymore!
Note: The band felt awful about the mistake so they recorded the correct song and sent it to us so it could be used in our wedding video. :)
Smile, Smile Smile!
Your face will end up hurting from smiling so much, but when you look back at your photos for years to come you won’t regret it. Your photo and video team is capturing more than you know. As someone who is diagnosed with RBF (Resting B*tch Face), it’s extra important!
Don’t worry you won't have trouble remembering because it’s going to be the best day EVER!
Bouquets Are Heavier Than You Think
A little detail you may not have thought about before. Holding a bouquet is just an odd thing and my arms were definitely aching by the time we go to the formal photos after the ceremony. I kept switching hands.
You’ll Feel Different.
We can’t explain it, your relationship just feels so official. Even after dating 13 years and living together for 10, LeBraun said he instantly felt more responsible for me. Marriage is the real deal y’all!
Write Down Your Wedding Day Memories (Before You Go To Sleep)
We know there’s a lot going on your wedding night, but we HIGHLY recommend writing down some of your favorite memories or details from the day. Even with one night of sleep, especially if you’ve been drinking, some little details from the day can be lost—a funny gesture, a sweet sentiment, a song, or impromptu dance-off. ;) We took a short video of us chatting about our favorite moments, including ones from the morning while we were getting ready separately. Whether you chose to write or record, you don’t need to write down every detail, you can add more tomorrow.
xx The Newlyweds
