It shouldn’t come as a surprise that weddings, while joyful and wonderful, can also be quite stressful! This is a huge celebration with a lot of people and a lot of moving parts, so there are bound to be a few snags along the way! Not to mention all the anticipation and excitement can make for some anxiety too! But there are definitely some ways to plan ahead to avoid these stressful moments!

In my experience, I have found that the morning of the wedding is often one of the most stressful parts of the day. The anticipation is building all morning and the getting ready portion of the day is often running behind which can create a little bit of panic! I always do my best to educate my brides on how to plan for a stress-free wedding day, particularly for this part of the day. The last thing I want is for the bride to be so stressed and frazzled during this time to where she can’t just bask in the excitement of getting married! So here are some of the ways that brides can plan ahead to ensure they have a relaxing and stress-free wedding morning!

Add a lot of cushion time. I have found that the getting ready part of the day is more often than not running behind schedule. Between getting everyone’s hair and makeup done to all the little last minute details, time can really get away from you! So when I am making the wedding day timeline with my brides, I always add more time than they may think they need for getting ready. I also suggest that you schedule hair and makeup to be done about an hour before the bride needs to start getting dressed. This gives us a little cushion in case hair and makeup is running behind (which is usually is!) and gives the bride and bridesmaids time to do all their finishing touches and packing up before the bride gets dressed! Even if everyone has to wake up a little earlier to start getting ready, I promise it’s worth it!

Set expectations for your bridesmaids. It’s no secret that girls can sometimes take awhile to get dolled up. So imagine what can happen when you have a whole group of girls getting ready at the same time and in the same place! I have found that the morning of the wedding is often running behind because a bridesmaid decides to steam her dress at the last minute or has to run to her hotel room for something she forgot. In my wedding day timelines, I always add a ‘bridesmaids dressed by’ time. Since we want the bridesmaids to be all dressed and ready to go before dressing the bride, I request that they be dressed and ready to go at least 15 minutes before the bride needs to get into her dress. So it is important that the bride relay this message to all the bridesmaids and remind them of the importance of being ready on time. You’ll also want to make sure they are aware of any other important details like things they need to bring or any particular jobs they have (gathering bridal details, delivering gifts, etc).

Only VIP in getting ready room. The getting ready part of the day should be low key, relaxing and limited to just the VIPs. Moms, bridesmaids, necessary vendors, etc. The last thing you want is to be getting into your dress then grandma, uncle joe, cousin nancy, your neighbor and 1st grade teacher come in wanting to say hi. I’ll often see this happen on wedding days and it can really cause the bride a lot of stress, especially if we are running behind schedule. When the bride is right at that point where the nerves are starting to kick in, it’s best that her surroundings be calm and stress free. So make it clear to your mom, MOH, etc that there are only certain people that you want to have access to your getting ready space in order to avoid this chaos.

Know your bubbly limit. Believe me, I know that there are few things more relaxing than nice glass of bubbly with a splash of OJ. And I definitely encourage brides to have a glass or two in the morning to help you relax. But be careful not to let it get away from you. Chances are that your nerves are making it hard to eat and when you’re sitting around for hours while you’re getting ready, it’s easy for 2 drinks to turn into 5 or 6! This is especially important if you are getting married on a hot day! If you combine too many drinks with not enough food, a big wedding dress and high temperatures, I promise you will not be feeling good! This tip also goes for the bridesmaids! I’ve definitely seen a few bridesmaids not able to make it through the ceremony because of this combination of factors.

Don’t lose sight of what the day is all about! It’s so easy to get caught up in all the little nitty gritty details of the day and lose sight of what it’s really all about! Vowing to spend the rest of your life with your best friend! I love the quote “We want a marriage more beautiful than our wedding”. So by applying all the tips listed above, you’ll be able to clear your mind of worry and just focus on the excitement and significance of the day! Because that’s really what it’s all about!

So with wedding season right around the corner and a lot of brides out there planning the final details of their wedding day, I hope you can find these tips helpful in ensuring you have a stress free wedding morning that will then turn into a perfect wedding day! Happy Planning!

Here are some other posts with helpful tips for brides! 

The Importance of Sunset Portraits

How to Find the Perfect Wedding Photographer

A Conversation To Have With Your Caterer

6 Pinterest-Worthy Wedding Details

Gathering Your Bridal Details