Weddings can be stressful, but we think they really shouldn’t be. Here are 15 tips to take some of the stress out of your wedding day and make it more RELaxed.
Put all your plans in place beforehand
For some couples, the wedding is the culmination of years of planning. But by the time your wedding day comes around, there should be no more planning to do. Delegate any necessarily last-minute jobs (such as dropping things to the ceremony on the wedding morning) to friends and family and concentrate on just enjoying the results of all your hard work.
It’s also a good idea to email or print out a timeline for family members. This way, they’ll know what they’re doing, when they’re leaving, photos they’re needed for etc. and don’t have to bother you with a million questions in the morning of your wedding.
Choose your locations carefully
Travelling can add a lot of stress to weddings. Choose your locations carefully to reduce the amount of travelling you have to do on your wedding day. Many venues can host both your ceremony and reception. If your family home is hours from your ceremony or reception, consider getting a cosy Airbnb or fancy hotel the night before.
Get a good night’s sleep
It might be easier said than done with the nerves and excitement you’ll be feeling the night before the wedding, but it’s a good idea to get an early night so you’re feeling fresh in the morning and aren’t ready to conk out by 4pm.
Put on some music
Put together a playlist of your favourite music and stick it on the minute you get up. Music has a magic ability of getting rid of nerves and increasing the craic. No good party ever started without music…
Have a nice breakfast
Make sure you factor in time to sit down and have a substantial breakfast. This could be anything from a continental breakfast filled with fruit and pastries, or a big dirty fry up! Chances are, it may be hours before you get a chance to eat again, unless you…
Bring snacks
See the fancy camera bags your photographer is carrying about all day, I guarantee you they are filled with snacks. There will be quite some time between breakfast and your wedding dinner, and those delicious canapes won’t really fill that gap as well as you hoped.
Your body is like a machine; you need to keep it fuelled or you’ll not function properly. We’d suggest packing some porridge/protein bars, sandwiches and some fruit that you can snack on between your ceremony and reception. Bananas, in particular, are a lifesaver!
Have a drink
There’s a story, true or not, that English soldiers used to drink jenever (dutch gin) before going into battle as it helped calm their nerves. This led to the term Dutch courage. Whether it’s a glass of bubbly, a refreshing gin, or a trip to the pub for a pint, sometimes a little* alcohol helps. Hip flasks are one of the most underrated human inventions, in our opinion.
*Emphasis on a little – it’s best not to be drunk at your wedding ceremony... actually, we’re pretty sure it’s illegal to be drunk during your legal bit!
There are also lots of lovely 0% alcohol drinks or mocktails. Our favourites are Birra Moretti Zero or Guinness 0.0%. And of course plain old water helps too, make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day, in whatever way!
Give yourself time
The single most common stressor we see on a wedding day is running out of time. Give your hairdresser and makeup artist realistic times to work with. We recommend to our couples to be ready an hour before leaving for their ceremony. This allows time for any mishaps or wardrobe malfunctions.
Factor in an extra ten minutes for every journey in case of traffic or unforeseen circumstances. Aim to arrive 5 minutes before your ceremony so you have time to compose yourself and grab a photo or two before going in. You also get to watch any latecomer guests squirm as they sprint into the venue.
Give yourself even more time
Ok, we REALLY can’t stress the time thing enough. If you give yourself realistic timings and enough leeway, there’s no reason for anything to be a big stressful rush.
Don’t stress about speeches
Is your wedding speech causing you so much anxiety that you can’t sleep? The simple solution is, don’t do one. You don’t have to give a speech at your wedding (nor does anyone) so if it’s making you feel uncomfortable, leave it out.
If you are doing a speech, don’t stress. You will never find a better, more supportive audience for any public speaking engagement in your life. Even if you make a total mess of it, they’ll applaude it like you’ve just delivered the Gettysburg address.
Dress for Comfort and Style
Choose wedding clothes that are comfortable as well as stylish. Especially, don’t punish your poor feet with shoes that might look fabulous but hurt like daggers. If you don’t like the pressures of traditional wedding clothes, don’t conform to them - do your own thing.
Use your portrait session as some downtime
We always advise our couples to see their portrait time as a little quiet time away from everyone. Being the centre of attention for so long can be stressful and tiring. Your portrait session is one of the few chances you get to escape and have a bit of a breather.
Surround yourself with people that calm you
This is really important and applies to family, friends and wedding suppliers. If your house is a chaotic throng of people, things might get a little stressful. Don’t be afraid to ask for a little space when you’re putting on your dress or suit – people will understand.
And don’t feel that you have to have a photographer or videographer cover your preparations. While we pride ourselves on being calming and unobtrusive, you might rather not have the preparations documented.
Leave it to the professionals
You’ve spent months researching and booking wedding professionals. On the wedding day, just leave them to do their job while you concentrate on enjoying yourself and chatting to your guests.
Don’t stress about the weather for photographs, or how the flower arrangements will look; don’t wonder about whether the band have enough plug sockets or if the cake has arrived. Let the people who you paid to worry do the worrying.
Hit the Dancefloor
There’s no greater release than hitting a dancefloor. You don’t have to be a good dancer, either… in fact, we’re sure the bad dancers have the most fun.
