Your wedding day is supposed to be the perfect day filled with joy and happiness! While planning your dream wedding, you may get hung up on all the little details.
Details are obviously important when planning a wedding but, obsessing over details can also stress you out and cause you to lose sight of what’s really important.
Here are 10 big picture items to consider that will help you plan the perfect wedding day.
1. Plan Ahead
After you get engaged you should begin researching venues, wedding planners, photographers, and caterers first. Since these vendors usually book up the quickest, you’ll want to put down a deposit ASAP to hold your spot.
Be sure to plan ahead and have an emergency kit packed for the day of the wedding and a “call anyone but the bride” list ready to ensure you can get ready for your big day in peace.
2. Hire the best photographer and videographer
The moments on your wedding day will be fleeting. The day will go by so fast! Be sure to hire an amazing photographer to capture it all so you can relive it anytime you want.
Take a moment to write down all your “must have” shots. Give the list to your photographer about a week or so before the wedding to make sure you get the shots you want.
Even the best photographers can’t read minds! 😉
3. Hire a day-of wedding coordinator
It may not be in your budget to hire a full service wedding planner. That’s okay, they can get expensive quick! The next best thing is to hire a day-of coordinator to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day of your wedding.
4. Do DIY
You don’t have to be crafty to DIY your wedding. These days you can learn anything on the Internet. Your first project is a Google search away!
Pinterest is a great place to start for inspiration & tutorials. Start with something easy, like invitations. You’ll be able to personalize items for your wedding and make sure your personalities shine through.
DIYing parts of your wedding can save you hundreds or thousands, depending on the projects. Recruit talented family & friends to help!
5. Eat healthy meals and snacks leading up to your wedding
Many brides neglect to eat the morning of their wedding because they are afraid of bloat and some just forget to eat with everything going on around them.
Brides.com recommends keeping meals light, but well-rounded to keep your blood sugar stable and your tummy satisfied. No hangry brides here!
Keep some healthy snacks on hand too. Try a granola/nut/dark chocolate trail mix to keep your energy up!
6. Be Present & Go with the flow
You’ve been planning this day for what seems like forever! While it may seem like it’s important to control every aspect of the day to make sure everything is perfect- it’s even more important to enjoy each moment and go with the flow.
This day comes around (hopefully) once in a lifetime. Be sure to savor every moment of it!
7. Do a First Look
This is understandably a controversial topic with all the superstition surrounding the idea of the bride and groom seeing each other before the wedding.
However, times are changing and so are our traditions. There are benefits to doing a first look and it’s becoming an increasingly popular wedding trend.
In all the chaos of the wedding day, it’s a rare and special moment to get a minute alone with your partner.
It’s a great opportunity to get some quiet time alone before the ceremony. It can also help ease any anxieties you may have about walking down the aisle.
8. Focus on Your partner
Weddings can be chaotic. It’s been my experience that the couple rarely get to enjoy the fruits of all their planning.
Instead, they are busy circulating the room and entertaining guests. If you feel overwhelmed on your wedding day, take a minute to refocus your attention on your partner and what this day is really about.
It’s not about the venue, the food, the guest list, etc. It’s about you marrying the love of your life and that those you care about most are there to celebrate with you.
9. Take a few moments with your parents
Be sure to spend a few moments with your parents and tell them how much you love them. Thank them for any time and/or money they spent helping with the wedding.
Your wedding will be a bittersweet and emotional day for them and just another reminder that you are all grown-up.
10. Thank your guests
The guests you invited hold a special place in your heart. There is something truly special about having all the people you care about gathered in one room to celebrate you. It’s incredible!
Take a moment to toast your guests and thank them for coming to your wedding. You wouldn’t have been able to plan the perfect wedding day without them!