Don’t Let Your Wedding Be Over Before You Know It

If you don’t budget your time and energy in the days leading up to and including your wedding day, you may just miss many of those precious moments that make your celebration truly special. Here’s how to keep control of your time and sanity, and leave yourself open to those most precious experiences.

Finish early. Look at any wedding planning timeline, and you’ll see a flurry of activities you have to perform in the week before the wedding. Even our own timeline gets crowded in those final days. Take a look at all you have to do:

Pack an emergency kit
Confirm honeymoon reservations
Pack for your honeymoon
Pick up your passports if you need them
Collect all your travel documents
Pick up tuxedos
Confirm reception seating arrangements
Confirm rehearsal plans with the wedding party
Confirm reservations for the rehearsal dinner
Confirm hotel reservations for out-of-town guests
Lay out your wedding day clothes
Groom’s bachelor party
Get a manicure and pedicure
Put your gown and accessories together
Give rings to the best man
Go back over this planner and make sure everything has been done

Well, there’s nothing wrong with getting all those tasks done a week earlier. So do it! Then, you’ll have a lot of time to relax in that final week and savor every moment. You’ll be well rested and a lot healthier for your big day.

Hire great vendors. Nothing adds stress to a wedding like having to micro-manage a mediocre DJ, decorator, photographer, caterer or other wedding service provider. Couples who just hire the cheapest vendors usually find themselves second-guessing the very people they should be trusting to make that big day come off without a hitch. Sometimes, just getting a vendor to return your calls or emails can take days or weeks; and that only adds to your stress. Choose only vendors who have lots of great reviews on sites like Yelp, Wedding Wire, The Knot, Google and the Better Business Bureau. Great vendors cost more than amateurs, but the peace of mind they offer is priceless.
Be grateful. Spend time with your family. Share a little extra love for your parents. Their love and support made you the great adult you’ve become; and their guidance kept you anchored when the world around you was total chaos. Make it a top priority to thank them for all their sacrifices and their wisdom.
Ditch your smartphone. You’re going to be well-connected to everyone you know on your wedding day, and there’s no good reason to devote even one second to checking your messages. Your planner or a designated attendant will have your vendors’ list, so they can make sure everyone is on time and doing what they’re supposed to do. There’s no need for you to direct your wedding from your phone. Your one and only job is to get married and party with your friends.
Break away. All of your guests will spend your reception trying to get “face time” with the two of you. So between your ceremony and your reception — or perhaps in the middle of the reception — get away for some private time with your new spouse. Kiss a lot. Share your feelings. Out there, you belong to the world. But behind closed doors, it’s just the two of you. Make the most of it.
Don’t go hungry. You’re going to be overwhelmed at your reception; and if you’re not careful you may forget to eat dinner. We’ve seen too many brides skip a meal and then start drinking, only to wind up sloppy drunk because they have no food in their stomachs. If you think there’s a chance you’ll miss a meal, then grab a sandwich between your ceremony and reception. It’s a long night, and it’ll be a lot easier if you’re adequately fueled up.
Don’t forget your feet. Chances are, you’ll wear your wedding shoes once and only once. If they’re not properly broken in, your feet will suffer. Give them a good workout to make sure they’re soft and flexible, so you don’t hit the dance floor with a couple of painful blisters.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll have a lot more precious memories of your wedding, and you won’t going to bed on your wedding night thinking, “Thank God, that’s over!”