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Anyone who's ever planned a wedding knows how enormous an undertaking it can be. There's no denying that this is a time-consuming and all-absorbing project. Juggling various tasks, keeping your career on track, and avoiding family dramas are just a few of the many challenges a planning bride must face. But, no matter how much you have to deal with during planning, your biggest challenge faces you square in the eye on the wedding day: how do you stay calm, remember everything you have to do, and most importantly, actually enjoy the wedding?
Most brides planning their first weddings do not realize how important it is to focus on their state of mind on the wedding day. Believe it or not, it's remarkably easy to forget key moments of your wedding day; a common phrase for both brides and grooms is "to me, the wedding was a big blur". Here are some great ideas to make sure you stay sane on the day of your wedding and enjoy every beautiful moment for the rest of your life!
1. Leave someone else in charge! Leaving someone else in charge is probably the most important piece of advice I can give to a bride. It allows her to focus completely on herself and her groom on the day of the wedding. A professional wedding coordinator can be a lifesaver, not only during the planning phases, but especially on the day itself. Many coordinators even offer a "wedding day" service for brides who prefer to plan their own weddings but would like someone else to deal with the stress and headaches on the wedding day. If a coordinator is not in your budget, ask if an aunt, cousin, or good friend with great coordinating skills can take charge of things. No doubt, it would be the best wedding gift you could ever receive.
2. Have your mom, best friend, or close relative by your side. Do your mom a favor and leave her out of the craziness that occurs on the day of the wedding. Have her help you dress, ride with you to the church, and console you through those nervous moments. During the reception she should mingle with guests, relax, laugh, or even shed some tears of joy. More often than not, moms run around breathless making sure that each detail is taken care of, resolving problems, ending up exhausted, and relying on photographs and video tapes to catch the special moments they inevitably missed. The same goes for anyone in your life who has played a maternal role: make sure that they stay out of the chaos and remember all the good parts of the wedding rather than all the problems they had to solve.
3. Don't put too many cooks in the kitchen. Once you have assigned the wedding coordinator (either a professional or a family member), let that person assign duties for friends and family who want to help out. Although you may have a lot of volunteers, don't feel compelled to "include" everyone. If you assign particular tasks to a number of people without assigning a leader, you may be the one being tapped on the shoulder with questions. Once you assign your coordinator, step away and let them decide if they need ten assistants or none at all.
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate! If you have decided to assign a coordinator, don't wait until the last minute to tell her the scoop. Meet with her a month before the event, give her a copy of your wedding file, and fill her in on the ALL the details. Don't forget to mention personalities of your vendors and have her call each one of them a week before the wedding to confirm details and introduce herself as the "one in charge". Chances are, most vendors will be relieved to know that they don't have to bombard the bride with questions while she is preparing for the ceremony. Continued
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This article was contributed by Arina Lanis, Editor-In-Chief and founder of Wedding-Club.com. If you have questions or comments about this article, please feel free to e-mail her at arina@wedding-club.com |
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