My husband and I were married seven months ago. We had a cocktail reception with oysters, hors d’oeuvres and a late-night perogy bar for 100 people. Yes, it was the best day of my life and if I could go back and watch it unfold, I would. I was a carefree, low-stress bride; some of that comes down to my personality, but without some of the advice I was given, things could’ve totally taken the panic route — or, worse, I could’ve missed out on making some amazing memories. Here are the top 5 things not to forget on your wedding day.
Admire yourself
A friend shared this advice with me and I’m forever grateful. Once you’re completely dressed, take a minute by yourself and look in a full length mirror. Admire yourself. Tell yourself how beautiful you look. Smile. Shed a tear. You will feel gorgeous on your wedding day, and you deserve the time to take it all in.
Eat
The cliché is true: You will most likely be starving at the end of the night. I didn’t think it was possible — I love to eat and was particularly excited about the oyster bar — but besides a mini burger and a perogy, not one morsel of food touched my lips all night. I wish I had tried all of the delicious food we picked out!
Take some spousal private time
Right after we walked down the aisle, my husband and I went to the bride’s room to be alone for the first time all day. We toasted our marriage with kisses and champagne for about 15 minutes while our guests got drinks and settled into the reception space. It was important to have that time to allow what had just happened to sink in. We were married! It was incredibly romantic.
Get the photos you want, early— and don’t forget your friends
Our photographer and his assistant were amazing, and the hubs and I were happy with all the photos we received. But even though I made a list of shots I thought I wanted (another good piece of advice), I still didn’t get them all. I was only thinking of family shots and didn’t consider our friends because I figured they’d be around all night, right? Once the reception got going, though, things became a blur. So I wish we had taken more photos of friends earlier in the evening before the party really got underway.
Ask for help
If something should go wrong, pass the responsibility of making it right to someone else — immediately. You don’t want to spend precious time dealing with issues when everyone is there to help you. At the wedding of a friend of mine, the bride ended up searching for a missing case of wine and when she came back to the reception she said, “I can’t believe I spent 20 minutes in the back of the restaurant instead of talking to my great-grandma.” Today is your day; let someone else do the work.
What’s the best advice you received leading up to your wedding day? Give tips to fellow brides below in the Comments!
Alicia Cox Thomson is a writer, digital and social media specialist, and PR consultant with a passion for pop culture, lifestyle and female-friendly content. Follow her @aliciahcox.
