7 Wedding Day Tips You Probably Haven't Thought Of
The guest count is finalized, you've picked up your wedding bands, and your unsigned marriage license is in your hot little hands. Yet you can't help but wonder: "Am I forgetting something?"
Although you've triple-checked your wedding checklist, there are some things that you're not likely to anticipate unless you've gotten married before!
That's why we've put together a list of 7 wedding-day tips you probably didn't think of. From the gals who've been there, done that. You can thank us later.
1. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate!
If you're anything like us, your wedding day will begin bright and early with hair, makeup—and bottomless mimosas! It's important to have a bottle of water handy to sip on throughout the day. Not only will staying hydrated keep you cool and prevent dry mouth (helloooo, first kiss!), it'll also balance out all those glasses of champagne.
2. Tell your guests to hide their phones during the ceremony.
There's nothing like a big ol' tablet thrust into the aisle to ruin a perfectly sweet photo op. Ask your guests to keep the phones, tablets, and bulky cameras at home (or at least under their seats) so your trusty photographer can get that gorgeous, unobstructed shot of your walk down the aisle...and subsequent "I DOs".
3. Ask your officiant to get out of the frame during your first kiss.
Unless they're a seasoned pro, after the "You may now kiss the bride/groom" directive many officiants are likely to hang out awkwardly in the center of the shot—leading to some rather unfortunate photos. Remind your officiant to get out of the frame ASAP to let your photographer capture that perfect first kiss photo.
4. Enlist a friend or family member to record any speeches.
Even if you've hired a videographer (and especially if you haven't!), it's a good idea to ask a trusted friend or relative to record the wedding speeches on their cell phone. This will ensure that all those those jokes, innuendos, and heartfelt moments get saved for posterity and—extra bonus—you won't have to wait for your highlight reel to hear the best man's epic send-up of the groom again!
5. Ask your caterer to set aside extra food.
You'll be all over the place on your wedding day. Between posing for photos and mingling with your guests, chances are you'll only have time to sneak a few bites of the wedding buffet and will be starving following the send-off! Have your caterer put together a to-go box of food (and a couple slices of cake!) for you and your spouse to enjoy at the end of the night.
6. Anticipate that your guests will want to keep the party going.
Even if all you feel like doing after the wedding is to head on over to your honeymoon suite, many of your friends will want to keep the party going! Scope out some local dive bars or late-night hot spots near your venue, so that guests who aren't ready to call it a night can get there easily—and won't be loitering outside the wedding venue asking, "Soooo, where's everybody going now?"
7. Soak it all in.
Your wedding day will be a crazy-beautiful whirlwind, so here's our last tip: Be present. Take a minute every now and then to really breathe, look at your shiny new spouse, and be in the moment. If you're not intentional about this, it will be all too easy to get swept up in the cyclone and miss what the celebration is really about.
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Some clients may have paid to be placed in our editorial and some of these links may be affiliate; however, we never include a venue, vendor, or product unless they have a proper place here. This is part of our Core Values. We create our website first and foremost to be good for the couples using it to plan their Big Day. We won't stray from that for a few advertising dollars. #scoutshonor