1. Do be sure to eat a healthy breakfast (and lunch!). We’ve seen one too many brides spend the entire day getting ready without a bite to eat. When it comes time for the ceremony, she’s lucky if she makes it down the aisle without feeling faint! Don’t worry, this is where we come in with our handy emergency kit (that always has a good snack or two), but don’t let yourself get to this point, okay?
  2. Do be sure to catch your Zzzs. The night before your wedding can be a doozy. Whether it’s spent side-by-side with your MOH, sharing joys and fears of the hours to come, or it’s your entire bridal party squeezed into a hotel room, you’ll want to be sure you actually get some shut eye. Feeling a little less than perky the morning of? Treat yourself to a fancy cup of coffee and some hearty oats (and don’t be afraid to go heavy on the under-eye concealer).
  3. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. If you’re like most brides (and grooms!) we work with, it’s very natural to have a few jitters the morning of, but don’t let these consume you. If you’re marrying the love of your life (and we sure hope you are!), let us take care of all the details. Sit back and enjoy the process and think only of meeting your doe-eyed groom at the end of that aisle. Trust us, the minute you see him, you won’t remember why you were nervous in the first place!
  4. Don’t be a bridezilla. It’s very easy to get swept up into the idea that this is YOUR day and you deserve the best. While this is so true, it shouldn’t be at the expense of your best friends’ feelings or your mother-in-law’s sanity. The best way to keep this in check? Have your most honest bridesmaid keep her eyes on you. If she sees you crossing the line into Bridezilla Land, trust her to tell you (and be sure to take her warning with a smile, after all, you asked her to do this).
  5. Do take a moment to look at your reception space pre-wedding. Before your 300 guests come running into the reception (okay, not running, but we have seen some eager people before), be sure to take a moment to appreciate all of the hard work that’s gone into making your day perfect. If you’ve hired us, don’t worry, we’ll be sure to pull you aside for 10 minutes to do this. You’ve worked really hard to bring these details together – you deserve to enjoy it before the night becomes a blur!
  6. Don’t rush through your pictures. On my wedding day, we lost an hour because of a crazy rain storm. Because of this, we spent a portion of what would’ve been our reception getting pictures taken. While we missed out on a few songs, we realized that we hired amazing photographers for a reason. Our pictures turned out incredible and we are so grateful that we spent an extra 30 minutes getting those shots. If pictures aren’t as important to you, fine, we understand, but when it’s all said and done, pictures last even longer than memories.
  7. Do be sure to eat dinner! At this point, you might not even be hungry because you’re so excited, which we understand, but here’s the simple truth: you (or someone you love) paid for that filet mignon. Take at least 20 minutes to enjoy it! Great caterers will box up dinner for the bride and groom to take back to their honeymoon suite because they, too, realize that getting a bride and groom to sit down at their wedding is next to impossible!
  8. Don’t feel forced into tradition. With our help, these decisions will obviously be made long before the DJ starts spinning the tracks, but don’t feel like you have to do the typical wedding song and dance, so to speak. If you’re not into tossing your bouquet and the groom doesn’t feel like finding your garter beneath the layers of tulle, then don’t do it! If you don’t want to cut the cake in front of 200 people, that’s fine. There is nothing saying you have to.We even had a bride once who didn’t want too much attention during her first dance so she had us invite her married bridesmaid and groomsmen to the dance floor to join them (they were celebrating their anniversary that day!). Keep in mind, some use wedding events, such as cake cutting, as a signal that the last half of the night is approaching, but with our guidance, your guests will be having so much fun that they won’t even be looking at the clock.
  9. Do take time to dance with your new husband or wife. I know, it sounds silly – why wouldn’t you dance with your new spouse? After the first dance (if you decide to do that, of course), you’d be surprised how many couples split ways. There are so many relatives and friends in attendance, some of which you haven’t seen in years, and the night gets away faster than you think. Worried you’ll inevitably split up? Have the DJ call you back together every once in a while to dance to a favorite swing dance or to one last slow song. Trust us, looking into the eyes of your partner on the best day of your lives is a moment worth stopping for.
  10. Do thank your guests for coming. There are so many ways to be sure your guests see how grateful you are. Whether it be a really unique favor (think: mini succulents, personalized beer mugs, or a s’mores making kit) or an in-person thank you, your guests will appreciate it. Because of the lost hour, my husband and I barely had time to say hello to a quarter of our guests, but my dad made sure to (and is so proud of himself to this day for) say thank you to every single guest. We still have friends talking about his hosting skills!