My Top 10 Tips For Your Stress-Free Wedding Day

You’ve planned your perfect wedding day and now the big day is here at last! I’m sure you’ve already been given lots of hints and tips on how to make your day go smoothly.

You’ve planned your perfect wedding day and now the big day is here at last! I’m sure you’ve already been given lots of hints and tips on how to make your day go smoothly.

However, this can sometimes be the time when the best laid plans can fall apart. The little details get forgotten and you panic. That said, with a little planning, this doesn’t have to be the case. Here are my top ten tips to help your wedding day go with a bang (not literally!):

1. Hire a Co-ordinator or assign a friend to manage the day. You may have done all the planning and preparation up to this point by yourself. The last thing you want to do on your wedding day is run around like a headless chicken making sure everything that needs to get done, gets done…when you should really be enjoying your last moments before the wedding! I speak from experience. When I look back at our wedding day many moons ago, my biggest regret is that I did it all myself. I did indeed run around the venue like a headless chicken both before and during the wedding! One of the first things I did after the ceremony was snap at my new husband because I was so stressed out and hot (yes we married on the hottest day that year!). Something I deeply regret to this day. I wish I let go of control and asked a friend or family member to help out on the day instead. Believe me – it makes a difference!
2. Ask a family member to help with the photographs. Gathering people to take those all important photos can be like herding cats. That said, I’ve never herded cats before! Your photographer will love you if you have a family member or two (who know the cast of characters needed for photographs) help gather people. Doing so eases stress and most of all reduces the time needed to take group photos….which means you all have more time to party!
3. Be on time. This is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the day for some. But believe me, being on time is necessary. The more on time you are, the more the day will run smoothly and the more time you have to be with your loved ones. Being horrendously late is not only disrespectful to your guests but also to those vendors who have usually put in that extra mile to make your day special. A bride at a wedding I recently officiated turned up two and a half hours late by which point many of the guests were uneasy, hot and a couple of them even left! In addition some celebrants and registrars will, at the height of wedding season, sometimes have more than one wedding to officiate. Where possible I do not book more than one wedding a day but that doesn’t mean you can take your time getting to your wedding! Being on time is a sign that you’re eager to get married and you honour and respect your guests for being on time and joining you for your special day! 
4. Take a moment for yourselves. No doubt you’ve heard people say this over and over again. It’s worth repeating! Your day will fly by! One of the things Mr Ash and I took time to do was just sit back and watch our reception unfold, drink in the moment and be grateful for the amazing day we had. Looking back, it’s one of the moments we remember the most. 
5. No Drama. Such a special day can also be a catalyst for drama. You can plan for all eventualities but sometimes things happen. Just go with the flow, don’t worry about when things don’t go to plan and relax! There have been times when I’ve worked with couples who have experienced a lot of drama in the run up to their wedding. One of the ways to mitigate this is to make a conscious decision not to put up with any drama. Doing so helps. It really does!
6. Keep speeches short and sweet! I know you want to honour and give thanks to everyone who has helped get you to your wedding day. Keep your speeches as short as possible AND waffle free! I was recently at a wedding on one of the hottest days of the year in a very hot marquee. The speeches were fun and heartfelt but went on for over 45 minutes by which point we were all melting! People were actually getting up from their chairs to leave the tent and get cool drinks outside! Besides, keeping things moving means you have more time for dancing afterwards!
7. Stay hydrated. This summer has been one of the hottest on record. Even on the coolest of wedding days, we can often forget to keep hydrated. Doing so keeps you at your best and means you’re in tip top condition! 
8. Pack an emergency kit. There is nothing worse than a slight wardrobe malfunction or an accident on your big day! Carrying a small emergency kit which includes a sewing kit, safety pins, scissors, band aids, anti perspirant and tissues will come in useful for those sudden emergencies. 
9. Give Thanks. Your family, guests and your vendors have gone out of their way to participate in your special day. Be sure to thank them. As a paid vendor, I don’t expect to be thanked but when I am, it really means a lot to me. It shows that I’ve done a good job and helped make your day special. And I know it’s the same for everyone who is there to support you. I remember a mother telling me how much it meant to her when her new son in law went out of his way to take his new mother in law aside and thank her for all her help with the wedding. It had been a stressful time and his thanks just made the day all the more perfect for her. 
10. Have fun! After all the planning and preparations you’re here – it’s your day! Don’t stress. Don’t sweat the small stuff! Just have FUN and enjoy your first moments of married life! 

Hopefully these tips will help your day go smoothly but if you’re worried, get in touch, I’d love to help! And if you’re reading this and you’ve got any tips, feel free to comment below.