Tips For Reducing Wedding Day Stress

Your rehearsal dinner is over. You’re ready for bed and all you can think about is how stressed you’re going to be tomorrow on your wedding day. What if the cake falls? What if the band doesn’t show up? What if Uncle Vince gets drunk and embarrasses you? The last minute stresses of being a bride shouldn’t ruin your wedding day. You want to be calm, cool, and collected from the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes as a married woman. Sound like an impossible task? It’s not if you heed some good advice.

Plan enough time to get ready the day of your wedding. If it’s in the morning, allow several hours so you can have a cup of coffee in peace before everyone arrives to do your hair and makeup. And eat something. Many a bride has forgotten to eat on her wedding day and either passed out or gotten loopy with the first glass of champagne.

Designate before the big day who will be running last minute errands. Arrange for people who are reliable yet not urgently needed elsewhere that morning for pictures or to help dress you.

Errands that will need to be done the morning of the wedding are: picking up the flowers, ensuring the cake has arrived at the location (a phone call will do), ensuring there is cash or a check to pay the bartender, wedding venue or restaurant and musicians. You’ll also need payments and tips for the limo drivers and hairdresser and makeup artist. The last thing you want to be doing is handing out cash on your special day. Delegate this task to a person you can trust. Have envelopes clearly marked “Caterer” and “Limo Driver” so that nothing gets mixed up.

On track with being organized, it doesn't hurt to have a little floor plan mapped out so your assistants know where to put not only guest place cards, but the guest book, gift table, wedding favors, etc. Not to mention, a picture of how you want the tables to look as well. This will all help in the long run.

Designate a trustworthy friend the keeper of all wedding day gifts. People bring gifts to the wedding and they need to be put somewhere and monitored for theft. And often, people bring envelopes of cash as their gift. You don’t want those precious envelopes sitting out in public where restaurant patrons and other strangers can help themselves. Your trusty friend is now in charge of keeping watch. You’re excused from having to worry about it. That same person should bring the gifts home after the event to hold for you or drop them at your parents’ house or your own apartment.

Someone will need to be in charge of taking your wedding gown home if you are departing for your honeymoon right from the wedding. Even if you are staying over at a hotel for the night and leaving the next day, you want your wedding dress in safe hands and out of the way. Plan for an aunt or sibling to take it. You can change into a pretty but simple “going away” outfit before you leave the reception.

Wear comfortable shoes. It doesn’t matter if you paid $400 for a pair of beaded satin heels if your feet ache the whole day. Go for comfort. Some brides like to have a decorative pair of fun flip flops or ballet shoes to dance in. And some even wear white sneakers. You don’t have to go that drastic, but arrange well before your wedding day to break in your wedding shoes.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Yes, it is your wedding day. Yes, you planned and prepared and spent a lot of time and money. But it’s not the end of the world if you flub a word in your vows or the ring bearer drops the rings. There will be tiny mishaps—everything from a run in your stocking to the bathroom being out of toilet paper at the restaurant. Everyone will come running to you with their problems…UNLESS you set up a No Comment Zone. Tell your wedding planner, mom, dad, and anyone else who’ll back you up that you are not going to be fielding complaints or solving problems that arise. Once you step into your dress, you are a bride. You are not required to run interference for two relatives who are bickering or monitor how many drinks Uncle Vince has had. Just smile and enjoy the day whatever comes your way.

Other Relevant Articles:

• Planning A Wedding - Tips and Timelines
• Wedding Day Wardrobe
• Last Minute Wedding Plans