Your wedding day should be the most magical, stress-free day of your life, if well managed. Weddings come with work – making inquiries, planning, negotiations and following up.
We have outlined 22 tips to help you conserve your energy and enjoy the occasion. This includes words of wisdom from couples on what they would have done (or not done) before time, to achieve a stress-free wedding.
Choose A Singular Location
Guests coming in from different locations creates a need for overnight accommodation. You also need a place for the wedding ceremony, bridal shower, reception, and after-party if there is any. Finding a venue that can serve all these functions is your best bet for a stress-free wedding.
However, you can choose multiple venues within the same axis; preferably within a walking distance if it’s impossible to find a one-fits-all location. This eliminates the risk of getting stuck in traffic and the headache of moving guests from one venue to the next.
We know of a couple who had their church wedding and reception at the same venue. They invited the minister there to solemnize their union and exchange vows and the reception followed immediately. This saved them time, money, and energy.
Book A Trusted Planner
Find an expert to plan your wedding and leave them to do their job. The role of a planner in ensuring a stress-free wedding cannot be overemphasized – they pay attention to all the details that matter to you. This is why we always recommend hiring one if you can afford it.
Before booking a planner for your wedding, do your research. Social media is a good place to start and every business has at least one social media page. Check out pictures of weddings the planner has previously handled to get a general feel of how they work.
Our job here at Naija Cupid Weddings is to ensure that your glow is permanent – before, during and after the wedding. We understand how weddings work and we have curated relevant information to guide you through the process.
Be Specific In Your Communications
It’s the little details that guarantee a stress-free wedding. Your communications with your planner and vendors should specify all the important details. If you want a blue backdrop for your wedding, specify the exact shade of blue.
If you expect feedback from someone, ask them to give you a definite time to expect their response. When you tell people exactly what you want, it reduces the choices they have to make on your behalf and creates less room for mistakes.
Prepare Thank-You messages Ahead Of Time
Most times, people start sending gifts way before the wedding day. It is easier to take note of them and create a message list which can be updated accordingly. This allows you to keep track of everyone and show your appreciation.
Find Out If Other couples Are Using The Same Venue
If this is the case, you can ask the event planner to propose a collaboration. If another couple is using the venue before you do, it means that you can easily touch up their designs, sitting arrangement, lighting, and effect set-up. This saves your time and resources largely.
On the other hand, this would only work if both your weddings have similar themes.
Don’t Let Your Shoes Stress You
There are two ways to avoid this. The first is to get shoes that are high enough to be called heels, and low enough to qualify as flats. You can wear this for the whole day because it is comfortable. Another way is to get two pairs of shoes – one heels and the other flats. The plan is to change them when you get the opportunity to. Be on top of the situation, literally.
Test All Your Outfits Beforehand
Book appointments with your designers at intervals. Bearing in mind that your comfort is of utmost importance, choose styles that are not too complex.
During fittings, walk around with the outfit. Try sitting, bending, and dancing. If something does not feel right, be honest with your designer so it can be adjusted immediately.
Put Friends In Charge Of Some Things
It’s easier to be at peace when you have trusted friends in charge of certain things. Reach out to them before your wedding day and ask for help. Ensure that you are clear on their job description so they can understand what exactly they are doing on that day. Communicate this with your planner ahead of time and do an introduction if possible to prevent unnecessary clashes at the event.
Keep Your Makeup Artist Close
You need to look perfect for the pictures and having your makeup artist close to you ensures this. They should always be at alert with their touch up kit, ready to work. A professional makeup artist will keep his or her eyes on the client, especially when the event is lengthy.
Wedding Makeup By Artistry By Lisaa Wedding Makeup By Artistry By Lisaa
Provide Numbers People Can Call
On your invite, you can state clearly that your number is unavailable – this saves your phone from going up in flames. Your guests have good intentions to congratulate you as they get the invites, but too much of that can only bring stress.
Get Someone To Review Your Speech
Hearing your speech for the first time on your wedding day preserves the magic, sort of. However, nobody wants to listen to a long, boring and pointless speech To avoid this, get a trusted person to read and review the speech before the day.
Plan Logistics
This is important when you are using different venues on your wedding day. Inform whoever is driving you beforehand to avoid stress and delays.
Prepare Cake Cut-outs For Guests
Even if there is a big cake for the occasion, cut-outs serve their purpose nonetheless. Cut-outs are mini cakes cut and packed (and sometimes labelled) for the event. This saves you the stress of having to disassemble, cut, arrange, package, share, and clean up.
Reduce The “Hello” Pressure
Everyone wants to say hello, congratulate youand ask you questions. News Flash: you do not need to greet everyone at your wedding. Everybody will see you, but you may not see everybody. Enjoy the attention, and say thank you with a smile. Giving it back to balance the scale is not compulsory.
Remember To Eat
We have heard of several couples who forgot to eat at their wedding. Most weddings take the whole day and you need energy for this. Put someone in charge of food, drinks, water and other necessities for both of you.
Observe Private Breaks With Your Boo
Although this may be tricky to pull off, short breaks during the ceremony allows you both to soak it all up and enjoy the moments. It helps you to talk privately about how everything is coming together and how to pivot in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Pad your budget
Always round up digits when making your budget to avoid unpleasant surprises. It is better if your budget is more than the expenses. With this, you avoid the feeling of spending more than you wrote down. Don’t forget to allocate funds for the popular “miscellaneous”.
Create & Follow A To-Do List
Let’s face facts – mental notes won’t work at this stage. Writing things down allows you keep track of plans and follow through with them. You can section them into the things you have to do, and the ones you have to delegate. This gives you a general overview of things as they progress.
Follow-Up On Delegated Tasks
Even after asking trusted people to do things, ask them how it is going. Communication is important for pulling off a stress-free wedding. Following up helps you know if they understand the delegated tasks and whether they are struggling with it or getting the hang of things.
Let Your Girls Do The Planning
We are referring to the bridal shower. In this case, you need to sit back and let them show you how much they are rooting for you. It is not so much fun to plan an event where you are the center of attraction. All you need to do is sit pretty and let them shower you with love.
Make Sure Your Maid Of Honour Knows What To Do
For the shoes, clothes, hair, your chief bridesmaid should know when and how they come on and go off, so that you can save time while changing into your outfits. The duties of a chief bridesmaid go beyond holding your train and smiling at the camera.
Remember It Is Your Wedding
This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience (hopefully) so you’d do well to make the most of it. Breathe and enjoy the process as much as you can.
When you start to feel stressed, take time out (with the love of your life). Make out and practice breathing exercises. Delegate and try to relax. Don’t forget to get enough sleep the night before and drink a lot of water. You are the host and so you are in charge. So breathe.
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