A Guide to Getting It Right: Bride and Groom
You’ve got your wedding checklist sorted, but are you sure it has EVERYTHING on it?
Wedding days can be hectic. Whether you’ve been planning a wedding on short noticeor been dreaming about this day for months, it pays to plan.
You are likely going to be a ball of excitement and stress, feeling that you have a million things to do.
You probably won't forget the bouquet or your tux, but here are a few things for brides and grooms to remember on the big day that will help it run smoothly.
5 Tips for Brides
#1 - Remember to eat
You are going to be busy and running around like crazy on the day of your wedding so it is important to fuel your body before heading to the ceremony. Delivery services are going to be your best friend here so all you have to worry about is opening the front door. Choose something filling and nutrient dense so your body is ready to party and full of energy all day long.
Eating beforehand isn’t just to make you feel good, it will also save time throughout the day. The photographers at Strong Imagesoften find that “by the time it gets to the photographs after the ceremony, the adrenaline begins to wear off and our brides and grooms often start feeling starving and have to take a break for food because they forgot to eat earlier in the day. Having a meal beforehand or packing some snacks on hand will help you get through the day without the need for a break”.
#2 - Prepare an emergency kit
It pays to be prepared for even the tiniest of emergencies. Ensure to pack a small pouch filled with snacks, bandaids, a sewing kit and other essentials. You can either put one together yourselfor order a premade one online. Make sure to ask your makeup artist to help you put together a small touchup kit that you can pop in the pouchas well.
#3 - Take a few moments throughout the day
It can be easy to get caught up in the craziness of your wedding day. Make sure to take a few moments to recompose, reflect and relax. Find an empty room and take a few minutes before you head out to the ceremony and then later on, grab your partner and take a walk alone as newlyweds.
#4 - Bring your comfy shoes
Yes, those stunning new heels that you bought are going to look amazing as you walk down the aisle, but you’re going to be crying for comfy flats a few hours into your day. Make sure to send a pair of comfortable shoes to your reception venue in advance so that you have something to slip into when the heels get to be too much.
#5 - Assign someone to the gifts
Choose someone you trust to pack up and transport your wedding gifts to somewhere safe at the end of the night. Make sure that they have suitable transport arranged and that they will have help moving the gifts if they need. If you are going directly to your honeymoon, it may be a good idea to give this person a house key so that they can return them to your home while you are away.
5 Tips for Grooms
#1 - Set an alarm
The excitement and nerves that often come hand in hand with getting married can lead to a restless night sleep the day before the ceremony. Make sure you set an alarm (or multiple if you are good friends with the snooze button) to ensure that you aren’t running behind from the minute you wake up.
#2 - Know the plan
Your best man is likely going to be in charge of the day’s schedule, but it is important that you are up to date too. Make sure you memorise the schedule and ask your best man how everything is going throughout the day so you are informed of any changes.
It’s really important to plan plan for contingencies. According to the experienced drivers from wedding car hire service, Chevy Red Hire, “we’ve noticed grooms on the way to their wedding are often slightly unaware of the schedule for the day and have to be reminded by their best man about the schedule and when they have to be where. Try printing out a couple of copies of the days itenary and hand them out so no one forgets.”.
#3 - Stay hydrated
Not only are wedding days crazy busy for grooms, they are often synonymous with copious amounts of alcohol. You’re going to be running between venues, taking photos, chatting, making speeches and dancing the night away, and may be too busy having fun to even notice that you all this action is making you dehydrated. Make sure that you drink enough water throughout the entire day so that you don’t get a dry throat midway through your groom’s speech.
#4 - Double check your best man’s speech
It’s classic movie trope that we have seen time and time again. The best man gets up and gives a terrible speech that offends half the guests. Unfortunately for you, it doesn't only happen in movies, so you may want to double check that your best man isn’t going to mention anything that you don’t want your partner’s grandmother to hear.
#5 - Bring the rings
The exchanging of rings is arguably the most important part of the ceremony, and for that to occur, there must be rings to exchange. It is usually the role of the groomsmen to bring the rings but with the hustle and bustle that will be going on, even the most trustworthy of groomsmen can become forgetful. Don’t take any chances and triple check that he has them before heading off to the wedding venue.
There’s one more thing we forgot to mention...
The most important thing to remember on your special day is to just relax and have fun.
You’ve likely been planning this day for months and need to trust that you have everything under control. If things do go awry throughout the day, just take it in stride and try not to let it affect your celebrations.
Practicing mindfulness can make all the difference on the day. This is reinforced by life coach, Renee McDonald, recommends “making sure you remain present and practice mindfulness throughout busy situations, as this will allow you to feel greater positivity and can improve your memory”, both will definitely be needed on your big day!
Make sure to remain focused on the true meaning of the day and feel joy in that you will be marrying the love of your life!
Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson is an Australian writer and uni student living in Melbourne. He is passionate about technology and the latest innovations. Charlie also has a love for animal welfare, regularly taking breaks from work to volunteer with the local pet rescue.
