Many brides start planning their wedding early on, but this doesn’t mean that everything always goes to plan.
We understand how important it is to make sure that the day goes ahead without a hitch. That’s why we’ve spoken to 15 real newlywed brides who have shared their top tips for those who are currently in the process of planning their dream wedding.
So, without further ado here’s what the newlywed brides had to say.
Wedding tips: How to prepare for your wedding day
Wedding planning can be pretty stressful, to say the least, and there’s so much you need to remember when preparing for the big day. And who better to offer advice on how you can make it easier for yourself than newlywed brides themselves! Here’s what our happily wedded heroines had to say:
- Make sure to start saving early on. Visit several venues and check out different kinds of entertainment, food, and dresses before you put down anything non-refundable!
- Don’t let anyone else’s opinion get in the way – do what feels right to you and the groom.
- If you’re viewing your venue during the day, remember it will look different at night. So perhaps go back to check out the lighting etc if you’re having a winter wedding. Mine was a bit gloomy in the evening, luckily, we had fairy lights too but it’s worth checking out.
- It’d be great if you can have someone you trust to be in charge of the course of the events (i.e., speaking with kitchen staff regarding when the food is coming out, getting people for photos, inviting them to the dance). I can imagine the DJ would announce these, but just someone to make sure the event is going well, and people are having a good time.
- If you have the means, hire, or ask some friends or family if they can help, to take everything down after the wedding so that the job becomes less painful the morning after.
Naturally, everybody’s wedding day is going to be different! But the newlywed brides did have more to say when it came down to the specifics such as the cake and music:
- I OBSESSED over the music for the ceremony, like what’s playing while guests are waiting or when you’re signing the book etc. I can’t remember a single song we chose for that, so it’s really not that important.
- You don’t necessarily need a big wedding cake on the day – we kindly asked some of our friends and family if they had time to bake, as they are good bakers, and ended up with some lovely cakes on the day that cost less than any wedding cake would!
- Double check your DJ has your song list (mine didn’t and that was a bit of a pain on the night).
- Invest in good entertainment – we didn’t have a band and we wished we had as they really get the party going.
- You can rent fake flowers for cheaper than it costs to buy actual flowers, you can’t tell the difference either.
- I didn’t get a cake and am so glad I didn’t as literally no one missed it.
- Don’t print your table plan too early and try and make it on something you can easily edit for dropouts last minute (handwritten in chalk/pen would work best).
Wedding tips: Getting ready on your wedding day
Of course, every bride wants to look and feel her best on her wedding day. And while finding the perfect dress is a major part of that, there are some other things you might want to bear in mind:
- Make sure you check your dress and veil in the bag before you pick them up – I didn’t double-check and ended up with the wrong one!
- I wish I’d had a second dress, as mine was tight and quite heavy, and it made dancing quite hard at the end of the night.
- Make sure you choose comfortable shoes and a dress. It’s a long and stressful day, you don’t want to be adding to this by wearing uncomfortable heels or a dress that is a pain to wear! Also, break in your shoes before the day and bring a spare pair of flats!!
- Have a designated bridesmaid/mum/friend to help you with the dress when you’re going to the bathroom.
- Go to a hairdresser or make-up artist you are familiar with, so that no nasty surprises happen on the morning of – you don’t want your hair or lashes falling off!
Wedding tips: Enjoying the big day!
The day has arrived, you’re getting married! You’ve checked off all your wedding planning to-do list, the guests are arriving, you look beautiful, and now it’s time to just enjoy it.
Your wedding day is all about you, your partner, and your love for each other and is going to be one of the best days of your lives. A few tips from our newlywed brides for making the most of the day itself include:
- Be present and enjoy the day! I was constantly making sure people were having a good time, speaking to everyone, making sure they had drinks etc. It felt more like I was the event organiser rather than the bride.
- Spend 10-15 mins of quality time with your partner as you’re both likely to be mingling with other people and not really spend that much meaningful time together.
- Don’t be afraid to make a toast as the bride or groom! It’s lovely to hear from the bride and groom on their special day, and the guests will feel very appreciated!
Now you’ve heard it from those who have already gone through it themselves, hopefully, you feel super prepared for your big day and can make it a truly memorable (and stress-free) occasion. For even more fun and heart-warming lifestyle articles like this one, make sure to head over to the rest of the thortful blog.