Day of Wedding Tips - For Brides to Be

Hello everyone!

Now that my wedding is over and I can finally sit back and breathe. I wasn't given any advice on how the actual wedding day should go. When I was invited to weddings I was just a casual guest and at my sisters wedding I was a bridesmaid to a pregenat bride. Not that my sisters advice wasn't helpful, its just she was in a state of mind of pregnancy so I'm not sure if she would've felt the same way as me who isn't pregnant and on a destination beach.

Now that my wedding is truly complete I thought I would give 6 tips for Brides and lessons I’ve learned from my outdoor beach wedding. 

Tip One: If your wedding is in the late afternoon don't rush to get ready.

My wedding was at 4pm so I had tons of time to get dressed, makeup, hair, etc. OF COURSE, I was constantly wanting to get ready early but I had to slow my roll. A good thing to do is to have a schedule planned out and how long each task should take (example my hair took over an hour but makeup only took 25 minutes). During your hair and makeup consultations time how long it takes to do the finished product so you can map out a good bridal blueprint for you big day.

Tip Two: Don't Starve Yourself.

This is a big one. Luckily, I love food and I was very SET on having my meals. But, back when I was working as an ANF manager I would skip meals during big floor sets or major visits. For your wedding the worst thing to do is pass out from starving yourself. If you're not comfortable eating a full meal eat small snacks throughout the day.

Tip Three: To pre-game or not to pre-game?

Bryce's family loves to celebrate. So before the wedding there was bottles already being popped! Having a few sips or a glass isn't bad but I don't think having 3/4 a bottle of wine is a smart idea (gotta say those vows gal!). I have seen some of my gal friends who party hardcore before the vows and some who all drink their La Croix beforehand.

Tip Four: Don't Stress Over Spilt Milk.

No matter how many instagram or Pinterest photos you look at, perfection DOESN'T exist. It took me years to learn this wisdom. So when things went wrong or wasn't done correctly, I didn't flip. It's life. So what if the center pieces didn't have enough shells + driftwood? Grab a glass of wine and roll with the fun!

Tip Five: Wedding Photos + Water.

So at my wedding of course there was water - ocean water. The biggest choice Bryce and I had to make was do we want photos of us in the water (as in my dress getting soaked and his suit getting wet) When deciding on this choice for my beach wedding brides... Have a back up outfit! (unless you're down to wear a wet dress!).

Tip Six: If there's alcohol remember some people's moods change.

I like weddings with alcohol. I'm the gal who loves to have something to sip on and have fun. Of course, not everyone acts the same way as I. So if you're having a bar at your event remember some people might act differently and consider if you’ll have to be babysitting or will they be able to handle their brews. 

7 Tips for Wedding Set Up Prep!

I wanted to touch base about some tips for wedding set up prep! This might be an easy topic but I witnessed first hand from my sisters wedding what could happen if you don't have a system planned for wedding set up. Not bashing her wedding, because it turned out beautiful... But she had many opportunities to delegate tasks and many projects was waited until the last minute (which meant MAJOR STRESS!)
If you’re planning a wedding without a wedding planner, please look at these 7 simple tips and try to utilize opportunities to make your wedding hassle free!

Tip One: If you have access to the Venue 24 hours BEFORE the wedding, take advantage of it.
A lot of venues like victorian houses, barns, churches, and some pavilions grant you access 24 hours before the wedding in your contract agreement. Take that day before to decorate! You might not be able to line up the ceremony chairs in the Courtyard but you'll be able to roll out the table cloths and have them steamed or even set up the entry area/gift table beforehand.

Tip Two: Rehearsal dinner is a good time to prep.
If having the rehearsal dinner at the venue take that chance to set up small things. For example: the venue my sister rented we had the rehearsal dinner there. It was the perfect opportunity to get some decorations in place especially with groomsmen around that can move tables. If planned properly she could’ve had the entire indoor area set up the night before!

Tip Three: Box and Label properly.
Items that go on the sign in table, flowers + candles that go on the fireplace mantel, decor for each of the dinning tables, and photographs that are to be placed in the foyer - have the boxes of items stored in labeled and easy to set up.

Tip Four: Map it out.
I literally hand drew my pavilion and the set up I wanted. Then I'm able to hand it to the 'set up team' and know they'll be able to place things with ease!

Tip Five: Do a mock set up and take pictures or draw it out!
Just like having mock hair and makeup pictures for the big day, do this for the table center pieces and how you hope the Sign In area to be. You can set it up in your house and send the pictures to the 'set up team' along with a drawn layout to give ideas.

Tip Six: Delegate Tasks in an appropriate manner.
When assigning who is to set up what make sure it's an area you've went over thoroughly with him/her and a area that person can handle (so don't give your pregnant bridesmaid the job of hanging lanterns in a tree). If you assign the tasks off to members who can handle it, you'll be happy with the outcome. Also assign tasks at appropriate times. Don’t expect your bridal party to be setting up the reception hall when they should be getting dressed.

Tip Seven: Don't do it yourself.
Many brides have the “It'll only look good if I do it” mind set (cough cough, my sister). Though that might be true, it's your wedding day and you need to be relaxing and getting beautiful with your mother and bridal squad! Put trust in other family and friends; if something isn't 100% perfect it's okay! Life isn't perfect.

What am I doing? In the beginning I planned to have a few friends of Bryce’s family set up the wedding reception with my mom and Bryces aunt. I hand drawn the pavilion layout, snapped photos of mock table arrangements, and purchased crates labeled where the items go with the EXACT number of items needed for that location. I found out yesterday (September 13th) that a relative has paid a decorator to do the entire set up and to direct guests where to go and monitor non-guests from tampering the decor. I’m extremely grateful for this generous gift of having someone create my vision for me so my family can enjoy the day.