Having the most perfect wedding day imaginable isn’t actually a given. Not to scare you, but some couples can spend months and months planning their day, only to feel a little underwhelmed when all is said and done. This isn’t always a bad thing – some people have so many high expectations for the day that they just end up feeling down about it all. In fact, some people say the key to a healthy, happy marriage is lowering your expectations!
Going with the flow and doing what is right for you is key to having a perfect wedding day. If you want to feel giddy and happy in the days following your wedding and have peace of mind that everything went exactly as it should, you’ll find some advice below that will help you to have the most perfect wedding day imaginable.
1. Don’t Ask For Too Many Opinions
If you’ve been asking everybody for their opinion, stop. Don’t do social media polls. Don’t send out pictures on your whatsapp groups. Just stop! Only your opinion truly matters, but if you must ask for other opinions, pick a maximum of two people who you really trust so you can get another perspective. Asking for too many opinions will simply clutter your brain up rather than help you.
2. Keep The End Result In Mind
The end result is going to be you married to your partner. No matter how the day goes, this is going to be the end result. Keep this in mind when you feel yourself turning into a control freak or fretting about things that don’t really matter. By keeping the end result and some perspective in mind, you should be able to stay grounded while making decisions.
3. Do What Your Gut Tells You
Try to listen to your own intuition and gut feeling. Many of us don’t listen to our intuition as we’ve learned to shut it up from a young age, or simply ignore it and then later say ‘I knew I should have done that.’ Try to listen to your gut from the beginning. You can do this by simplifying things, quieting your mind, and just trying to feel, rather than think. It might not help with everything, but it can definitely be a big help in some respects. When you catch your brain chiming in with an unhelpful thought or comparison, just let it float away like a cloud. This should help you to feel your way, rather than think your way through planning.
4. Work With Vendors You Really Like
Working with a great vendor is important, but working with a vendor you get along with can be even more so. This is because you want to be able to communicate with them effectively and let them know what you would like. You should feel like they are listening to you and accommodating, and like they actually care about your day. Make sure you pay attention to who seems to really care while you are interviewing them.
On top of this, ensure you also read your contract carefully before signing and agreeing to anything. You should understand it all and know what will happen if you have to cancel or the vendor cancels. If anything is unclear, always ask. You don’t want to end up out of pocket if something goes wrong. Not every contract will be fair to you, which is why you should check.
5. Keep Your Guest List Small
Keeping your guest list small can help you to have a more intimate day with the people you truly care about. If your idea of a great day is the more the merrier, then that’s fine – just know that you may not get to spend as much quality time with your special guests. A bigger wedding is not always better. If you start inviting your friend’s kids, and work friend’s partners (rather than encouraging them to come as a group), you’ll spend more money on food and need a bigger venue.
Plus, it just won’t feel as small and intimate. Try to be vigilant as you write out your guest list. A small wedding also doesn’t mean that all your favorite people can’t be involved. Create a creative wedding hashtag that your guests can use when they post photos from the day making everyone feel included!
6. Plan Well In Advance
Of course, the longer you dedicate to wedding planning the better it will go. You can use this free wedding planning checklist to see exactly what you should be doing and when so you can gauge whether you are on time or not. By giving yourself plenty of time to plan you’ll have less to worry about as the day nears and you’ll be able to really enjoy yourself on the day.
7. Delegate Jobs To Your Nearest and Dearest
See if the people you love can help you and ask if they would be willing to carry out various jobs. Doing everything yourself can be tough. Could you give your maid of honor a special job for the day, for example, so you don’t need to think about it? If you’re worried something could take your attention off the day, then don’t be afraid to ask for help. Chances are, the people who love you will be more than happy to help you out in any way they can. Just make sure they know you appreciate it!
8. Prepare In The Week Leading Up To Your Big Day
In the week leading up to your big day, you probably have a few errands left to run and things to do. With all of this going on, it can be hard to remember to prepare yourself for the day. For example, making sure you stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep can ensure you are refreshed and ready to go for the day. A lack of sleep will leave you feeling unable to fully enjoy the day you have worked so hard to plan and create!
9. Forget The Traditions That Don’t Speak To You
You don’t need to stick to traditions that don’t speak to you. Create your own traditions! Skip the ones you and your partner don’t like and decide on something new to take its place. This will leave you with a day that is truly personal to the both of you.
10. Know What Your Priorities Are
Understanding your priorities from the very beginning will ensure you don’t spend too long on things that don’t matter. You don’t want to be worrying about the color of tablecloths long after the decision has been made! For instance, your priorities could be:
- Making sure everybody you love has an amazing time.
- Making sure everybody has an amazing meal.
- Taking the focus off yourselves.
Priorities will differ from couple to couple. Consider going away and writing your own lists but doing it separately so you and your partner can come back and compare with one another to see where you stand.
11. Think Ahead
Try to think ahead and be as thoughtful as possible so your guests stay safe and have an awesome time, too. You could book taxis in advance, for instance, find hotels for out of town guests, and even give flat shoes and hangover kits as a wedding favor. Anybody wearing heels will seriously appreciate flat shoes as a wedding favor. Thoughtful touches like this ensure that most people will get up on the dance floor and have nothing to worry about!
12. Don’t Spend Too Long Fretting Over The Little Things
If you spend too long fretting over the small things, you won’t enjoy your day. Once a decision is made, don’t look back. Instead, spend most of your energy thinking about and making decisions about things that will actually have a big impact on your day. For example, your dress is important as it’ll impact how you feel. The entertainment and food is important as it’s something everybody will really enjoy. Centrepieces, tablecloths, and other little touches? Not that important. Try to put everything into perspective.
13. Stay True To Your Budget
Finally, try to stay true to your budget. It can be tempting to go over budget if you see something you really like, but this is why staying grounded and remembering why you’re doing this in the first place is important. The day will soon be over and you’ll be left with wedding day blues and potential debt that you need to pay off for far longer than you intended. When you stay true to a budget, you won’t have any worries at all after your big day.
Having the most perfect wedding day is doable if you follow the advice above. Remember, if you can let go of expectations come the day and simply stay present in the moment, you’ll have a much better time than rigidly holding on to an idea of what your wedding day should be in your mind. When you are rigid and controlling, you won’t be able to stay in the moment and just enjoy everything. Practice deep breathing if you want to slow your heart rate and the day down, too.
Leave your own advice below. Thanks for reading!
