Bride Hacks 101
Updated: Aug 23, 2021
Friends,
In case you didn't know I got married! There are so many things running through your mind when you are getting married, that sometimes things slip through the cracks. Or you just go with the humdrum basic outline of a wedding. There is no need to stick with traditions you don't like. Below are some tips we wanted to share that made our wedding magical and one that our guests will remember for years to come!
Make a pact with your soon to be spouse
to be 100 completely in the moment with them throughout the day. The day is about you, so make everyone else feel your love and know why you two are meant to be together! Display photos, take time to be together, have a SECOND first dance. No matter what you decide, just be 100% in touch with eachother the entire day. It doesn't matter what goes wrong or right or if the timeline gets behind. It all works out in the end if you make it about you two.
Take time for yourself the morning of the wedding
Away from everyone else. I created an aromatic shower with candles, essentials oils and exfoliating wash. While hair, makeup and breakfast started in the other room for the bridesmaids, I enjoyed my 30 minute shower, preparing to become a wife! It was the perfect way to relax and start the day.
Frame the getting ready timelines for each party suite.
This way everyone knows where they need to be and when and won't be asking either of you tons of timeline questions. I also encourage you to send the day of and weekend timeline out to family and bridal party the week prior to the wedding.
Make your ceremony personalized to you!
Write your own vows and/or have your officiant read gathered statements from your friends and family about what your spouse should
expect being married to you. We did both! This was honestly the best part of the day
for me. It was fun to hear what our support system had to say about us and it lined up perfectly with what we had to say about each other and our promises to one another. It reiterated the foundational elements we worked really hard to lay. All of our guests said our ceremony was unlike any other wedding they had been to and was INTERESTING and ENGAGING the entire time!
Switch up your seating plan
I cannot express this enough and it was the best decision we made! Although this decision was a result of COVID, I've seriously contemplated for the past month why this isn't the norm. Changing from tables of 6 - 10 to smaller tables of 2 and 4 creates a romantic atmosphere for your guests but also encourages them to get up and mingle & dance instead of socializing with those only at their table. It also made it easier to get photos with every group of people during reception! Your guests get a date and you get a packed dance floor!
Create your own traditions
You don't need to do a cake cutting - heck you don't even need a cake! We had ice cream and forego-ed any dessert ceremonial guidelines. We didn't have a bouquet or garter toss either.
We were not concerned with these traditions, and looking at our guest list - everyone who came had a significant other, mostly engaged or married, so these activities wouldn't have been fun anyway!
Sit down, make a list of your favorite parts of weddings and then create your own traditions. We decided to have a last dance and all our friends & family gathered around us on the dance floor and it was so romantic and the perfect ending to the night. We now have 3 songs that are "our songs" instead of just one! Step off the wedding timeline outline track. IT's okay and your wedding will be even more memorable!
Buy you and your wedding party sippy cups!
HAHA, i'm not kidding. Red wine and a white dress do not go well together! This is something I decided to do well before our wedding day from my experiences of spilling red wine all over me as a bridesmaid in a past wedding. I created personalized white yeti tumblers for myself and my girls and there were no spills all night!
Bride and Groom brain are REAL!
Hire a coordinator! I hired my coordinator literally the week after we got engaged. Our venue was first and
then our coordinator. I knew all the details I wanted in my wedding and I knew if I didn't have someone who I could trust in charge of setting everything up, I would not enjoy our day. Especially being an outdoor venue, setting up photos & the welcome table, the night prior was not an option - especially with the threat of a hurricane coming through over night. Thankfully the weather was perfect & our coordinator brought our vision to life! Plus it's so nice to get up the morning of the wedding and have nothing to worry about but taking your spa shower & then you arrive to a full transformed venue to revel in some of the magic your guests get to experience.
Bottom Line: Think about what is important in your wedding day and figure out a way to make it happen! Get creative! A wedding is about you & your soon to be spouse, so don't haphazardly throw together a cookie cutter day, because you are not cookie cutter! Your love story deserves to be cherished and showcased customized to you! Talk to your vendor team and see what suggestions they have.
Design: Bri By Design
Florals: Bri By Design
Coordinator: NextAgeEvents LLC
Photographer: Kristen Camielle Photography
Venue: Carolyn Baldwin Lake Pavilion
Catering: Fishin' Pig Farmville
Rentals: FestiveFare Rentals & CE Rental