Hello everyone!!

Welcome back! Today I wanted to talk to you all about the 5 most important things to remember for your wedding. There’s a lot going on – especially if you are moving around between getting ready spaces, ceremony venue, and reception venue. It’s a lot to take in! You’ll want to be able to soak in the big day and not stress over the little stuff. Now, before I get into it- I HIGHLY recommend making a list of all the things you know you’ll need well ahead of time: things like your wedding attire, shoes, any jewelry or accessories, and decor. This will be so helpful to make sure you don’t forget anything! Now, on to my top 5 things to keep in mind on your wedding day.

Details, Details, Details

Make sure you bring all of the details! You probably spent hours debating on what kind of invitation suite you wanted, and your photographer is going to be able to take some beautiful photos of all these little things that you put so much thought into. Bring a full invitation suite with envelope, any extras like wax seals or stickers, and RSVP cards. You’ll also want to bring any kind of special details too- gifts from family, antiques, family heirlooms, letters to each other, etc. Anything that helps tell your love story can be used to make some beautiful photos.

Make Sure to EAT!!

This seems so obvious, but please, PLEASE make sure you eat! While you’re getting ready, have something small and light like fresh fruit or a bagel with coffee or water. Keep snacks around in a small bag in case you start to feel lightheaded, and DEFINITELY invest in a pretty water bottle to keep by your side so that you’re staying hydrated. As a wedding planner, I always bring plenty of vegan, nut free granola bars, a case of water, and electrolyte packs to make sure everyone is feeling okay and hydrated.

You’ll probably be taking photos during cocktail hour, but have either your wedding planner or a trusted friend to grab some yummy hors duerves for you to enjoy- you picked those out and you should take a minute to eat those bad boys up! At my wedding, I had mini grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters, among other options, and I was SO thankful my venue coordinator saved a few for me to eat before we went to the reception. They tasted just as good as I remembered!

Chances are you won’t have a ton of time to sit and eat, unless you carve it out in advance. If you’re big foodies like my husband and I, go ahead and put in your timeline 15 minutes of the reception where you are sitting down and eating. It may sound redundant to actually pencil it in. Trust me, it makes all the difference in making sure you have a few minutes alone to soak in your reception and eat the amazing food you two picked out.

Bring a Survival Kit

I always bring a survival kit along to all of my weddings that is FILLED with anything you could possibly think of. Like I mentioned above, I have granola bars, electrolyte packs (these are little packets you pour into a bottle of water to make instant Gatorade: it’s a huge help in giving some electrolytes to boost energy and replenish if you’re feeling groggy!), Tylenol, Midol, breath mints, floss, toothbrushes, lint rollers, safety pins, a sewing kit, Tide pen, phone chargers, and more! (to see the full kit, head to my Instagram and check the highlight called “The Saving Case”) This helps me to be prepared for ANYTHING that comes up on the wedding day.

Having a little kit with just the basics will be so helpful if you’re doing this on your own. Get a trusted bridal party member to keep it nearby so that you have these little things available if you need them.

Take a Moment for Each of the 5 Senses

When I was getting married, this tip was one that stuck out to me most. It’s something I always share with every bride I work with. Your wedding day goes by so quickly! If you’re not taking time to be intentional, you’ll forget a lot of the little moments that make the day so special. This is where the 5 Senses method comes in to play. Whenever you can think about it, take a couple seconds and purposely think about each of your 5 senses. Here’s an example of one of my 5 Sense moments:

Touch– while I was sitting at my sweetheart table, I felt the tablecloth in my hands and the silverware on the table.

Taste– I tasted the champagne in my glass like one of those fancy wine snobs.

Smell– I breathed in the smell of our entrees and the pretty flowers on our table.

See– I looked around the room and saw my friends and family eating and smiling. The chandeliers, the way the light flooded into the space. The wedding vision we had worked so hard to create.

Hear– I listened to the music we had picked out playing, along with the sounds of everyone laughing and talking.

This may seem strange to some of you, but I can remember that moment VIVIDLY. And I’m so thankful to have a few moments where all of my senses were engaged.

Remember What the Day is About

I know, I know. It seems obvious. But even I had moments where I started to stress about the little things and forgot what was important. My wedding day started off with my hair dresser arriving late, my flowers came late so I didn’t get to use them in detail shots, there was unexpected construction on the road we were going to take from the hotel to the venue causing me to arrive at the venue 20 minutes before the wedding and BARELY getting first look pictures done, AND, to top it off, it started POURING down on my outdoor ceremony just moments before we were about to start (if you’re from Florida, you know this is not uncommon). I had PLENTY of reason to flip out and lose my mind!!!

I won’t lie to you and say that I was perfectly chill all day, I’m only human. But, I did make sure to remember what the day was about. We shifted our plans, made good use of our weather backup (a whole other blog for another day), and had a beautiful day. Things are going to go wrong on your wedding day. It’s just the nature of planning a big event. Having the right mindset (and a prepared vendor team) is so important to make sure that you can handle unexpected hiccups. No matter what happens, you and your fiance are going to get married, and that’s what matters.

That’s it for today folks! I hope this helps you in making sure you’re totally prepared for your wedding day. And if you’re thinking now’s a good time to hire on a wedding planner, I’m all ears! Shoot me a message and let’s get to talking.