Planning a wedding was a wild ride, even without the postponement, those last few months were a madness and ‘wedding brain’ is definitely a thing.
So from one Bride to another I wanted to share some tips that I made a mental note of on the journey that I hope can help you on yours.
1 - Make lists to your heart's content
Lists will be your best friends. Brain dump it all because between planning your wedding, working your job, life admin and general life, there will be something that slips.
I broke mine down into months and when things needed to be done - this helped it seem a lot more manageable than a giant list of unanswered things.
The most important list of all…the wedding day checklist.
This was a saviour for myself, my Bridesmaids and my Husband because let’s face it, I wasn’t letting him pack blindly!
You can check out my list here, I hope it helps ease your mind.
2 - Lean on your wedding party
Whether you have 1 or many Bridesmaids, use them! They are there to make your day easier and if you're a control freak like me, letting go might be hard but definitely worth it.
Before the wedding, use them to lean on, express your anxiety and let them hype you up. My Bridesmaids were far more excited than me for a long time because my brain was in planning mode but they made sure I knew they were there if I needed them.
On the day of the wedding, let them help you. Help you stay calm in the morning, help you get dressed, run to get your make-up bag for touch ups or your flip-flops ready for dancing. They will want to make your day the best, remember you’re not a burden.
3 - List every shot you want your photographer to take (don’t be shy)
One of the biggest panics the day after the wedding was that I didn’t get enough photos of my friends & family.
Your photographer will likely ask you for a ‘shot list’ before the big day. Now as you are writing this out you might think ‘ooo that’s long, will they do all of that?’ The answer is yes!
I panicked that mine was too long but then our lovely photographer rattled through them so quickly because she is amazing and I was left wishing I had asked for more.
Is there a cousin you want a photo with? Add it.
Several different friendship groups you want? Add it.
Honestly they will tell you if they think it’s too much for your time frame but you don’t want to wish you had the photos later on. Although I am tempted to put my dress back on and get them!
4 - Take the day in, it’s all for you!
There is something so surreal about having a group of people there for you. Surrounded by your most loved friends & family that truly want to celebrate your love…it’s special.
So make sure you take 10 minutes with your new Husband/Wife and lap it all up; sneak away for a dance, talk about how good the day has been, spill how nervous you were before you saw them.
Personally on our day, after the ceremony we exited into a separate room to our guests and it was just the time we needed.
We sat there together, listening to our song in the background and just smiled about the last 20 minutes and how amazing it was to be married in front of everyone we loved.
When people say it flies by, it really does, so steal the moments to share it together.
5 - Make the day yours
At the end of the day, no one should tell you what ‘your’ wedding day should be like.
You want to look back on your day and think ‘yeah that reflected us perfectly’.
Want to be strict on the guest list? Go for it.
Don’t want a cake to cut like tradition? Bye bye cake.
Want to wear boots instead of heels? I encourage you.
You do what feels good to you and what you want to remember your day like for years to come.
I hope these tips help you with your wedding journey. It’s an amazing, stressful and such a rewarding time when it all comes together. If you wanted a bit more guidance, I have a complete guide available here.
Congratulations to you both and I hope you have a wonderful wedding.
Love, Charlotte xo