Getting ready for your wedding day can be either amazingly smooth or crazy and hectic. Preferably, we would all love to relax, sip mimosas (or your drink or choice), and hang out with our best friends the morning of our wedding. Here are some tips to planning our your wedding morning so you can have a relaxing morning.
Something Will Go Wrong
What?! This is your first tip?! Yes, yes it is. Something will go wrong on your wedding day. And that is OK. It maybe something as small as the flowers delivered late or a button broke on your dress (don’t worry, I can sew!). Or it may be as big as a groomsmen having the wrong outfit (as happened at my wedding). The important thing is to have a strong support system around you that will be able to resolve whatever comes up, so you can continue relaxing. This team is made up of your coordinator, bridesmaids, family, and photographer.
Now on to the simpler tips. 🙂
Time Cushions!
Everything will take longer than expected on your wedding day. I build in time cushions to my photography timeline, and I suggest you do the same for your getting ready timeline. Add an extra 10 – 15 minutes to everything you have planned. If it gets done on time, that is more time for mimosas! If it does take longer than expected, you are still on time!
Travel Time
Speaking of time cushions, if you are traveling anytime during our wedding day (from the salon, from the hotel, between the ceremony and reception venue), add in extra time just in case there is traffic or an accident. How far you are traveling should determine how much buffer time you include. The longer the trip, the longer the buffer should be.
Delegate
Seriously. This is a big one! Make sure you delegate everything wedding related the morning of your wedding. If you are doing anything yourself, make sure you have double the people you think you need helping. Here are some more tips:
- Hire a wedding coordinator or a day of coordinator
- Give your phone to your maid of honor/best man
- Have someone in charge of gathering details for your photographer
- Have someone in charge on making sure the bridesmaids/groomsmen are ready on time
- Send a final timeline to all vendors before the wedding day with a day of contact person listed (likely your coordinator)
Hair & Makeup
The bride should plan to have her hair and makeup done before the getting ready pictures actually start. If your hair and makeup are running behind, it won’t be as big of a deal. Your photographer can get pictures of the finishing touches of your hair and make-up versus the touch-ups of your hair and makeup. Then, no time will be lost!
Groomsmen Prep
Make sure the guys are in their pants and shirts before the photographer arrives to take their photos. This will make sure the photographer doesn’t have to wait for them to get dressed and has ample amount of picture time. (And because we don’t need pictures of them in their boxers.) The photographer will take pictures of them all putting on their ties, cuff links, finishing their hair, etc.
Have First Look!
First Looks can also help build in a cushion for hair and makeup or a late arriving bridesmaid or groomsmen! If the entire bridal party is getting their hair and makeup done, and it is running behind for any reason, it’s all good! As long as the bride has her hair and make-up done, the First Look will add an additional 30 – 60 minutes for the rest of the bridal party to do their hair and makeup.
So there it is, seven tips to make the getting ready portion of your day as dreamy as possible! Want more tips for creating an amazing wedding day? Click here for more Wedding Tips!
