Planning a wedding comes with a lot of stress, especially if you're the bride. Whether you're planning a year ahead or if you're doing it in three weeks, there are a lot of things to think about and make decisions on and it's really easy to forget stuff or skip things to save money and time.
I started planning my wedding about eight months ahead, had a huge to-do list, and a down to the minute day-of itinerary for my wedding party and all of my vendors. I STILL forgot stuff that I considered important. Not to mention, there was so much stuff that we forgot on the day of as well just because everything was so crazy and all over the place.
Would I completely change our wedding day?
Absolutely not.
But would I go back and give myself a couple extra reminders so some stuff doesn't get left out?
Probably.
Obviously, the most important part of a couple's wedding day is them getting married, but that doesn't mean you should be stressed out the entire time. I've highlighted my top five things that I believe every bride needs to make their day more fun, comfortable, easy-going, and guaranteed to make memories that last a lifetime for themselves and everyone else in attendance.
Videographer
This is something a lot of people I know have disagreed with me on, but hear me out. Yes, you will more than likely have a photographer. I loved mine; I have so many amazing photos from that day hung out all over my house and saved to my phone. While your photographer is probably awesome, they can only capture so much with still photos. Also, as a bride, chances are the day is going to go by so quickly that while you'll enjoy it, I know for me I feel like I was so all over the place. I missed so much.
Having a videographer gives you a way to relive the day over and over again. We did a highlights video from the whole day and a ceremony video, and I'm so glad we did because whenever my husband is gone away on Army trips and I miss him, I watch those videos and am just reminded of how much he loves me and the beautiful moments we got to share on our wedding day.
Day of Coordinator
They do so much for you! They are your go between you and the venue, your parents, any other vendor you may have, and are there to answer any questions your bridal party or your guests may have. They make sure dinner gets served on time, that your DJ has the right version of the right song ready, they help with set up and clean up, they make sure the decorations look just right, make sure everyone is where they're supposed to be, and so much more. I loved my day of coordinator so much; I do not know what I would have done without her.
I have been to too many weddings where they didn't have a day of coordinator because the bride and groom want to save money or because they're a do it yourself kind of couple. That's great and all, but what ends up happening is your bridal party or your family or even some of your guests will end up doing everything a day of coordinator does for you. This also means that if anything goes wrong, people are going to go to the bride. You do not want that. Save yourself a headache and hire the damn coordinator.
A During-The-Wedding Emergency Kit
There is nothing more stressful that something breaking or missing or falling apart as soon as you get to the venue and you're away from all of your stuff. Have an emergency kit on hand to fix any little outfit or makeup mishaps you might run into. This will prevent you and your wedding party/mom/day of coordinator from running around trying to fix small problems before you walk down the aisle.
I would recommend putting some bobby pins, a small can of hairspray, some safety pins, a tide or bleach pen, an extra set of earrings, extra makeup or travel sized versions of the makeup you used, an extra pair of underwear, Advil or another type of pain killers, makeup wipes, a water bottle, and a small snack like a fruit bar, a cookie, or some crackers. Trust me, even if you don't think you'll need it, it's better to have it on hand and not use it instead of not having it and needing it for everything.
A Change of Clothes
If you're not doing a different dress for the send off, pack a small bag for yourself (and your spouse if they're not wanting to leave in their wedding attire) with a change of clothes, a comfortable pair of shoes, some Advil, and anything else you think you'll want/need after everything is said and done. Give it to your day of coordinator or your best man/maid of honor and have them either put it in the car you're leaving in or give it to you after the send off (we didn't actually leave during our send off lol we just took pictures and then went back inside to help clean/pack up the venue)
I highly stress this because I forgot to do this and ended up driving the 30 minute drive back to our AirBnB in my wedding dress smushed up to my shoulders with a splitting headache. It was very uncomfortable; ten out of ten do not recommend.
5 Minutes Alone With Your Spouse
Your wedding day is going to go by so fast and if you're anything like me, you're going to get overwhelmed pretty early on in the day with family, friends, being the bride, having to socialize with what feels like everybody on the planet, etc.
After you say I do and you're done with all the pictures, before you go in for the reception, step aside to somewhere private with your spouse and just take a minute to breathe. Take a minute to let what just happened between you two sink in a little and enjoy a private moment with each other.
At the end of the day, not having these things at your wedding isn't going to ruin the entire day. As I've heard many couples getting married say, "As long as we end up married, who cares what else happens?" Like I said at the beginning of this post, the most important thing to have at your wedding is the officiant and the couple getting married; everything else is just extra memories waiting to happen.
Take a shot for all of the important stuff that gets forgotten and toast to everything kind of going the way you want it to on your big day.
Cheers,
Kristaleagh
