Last Minute Tips For a Successful Wedding
(Courtesy huffingtonpost.com)
Your wedding day, the one you will remember and cherish, is finally here. So far, it’s been crazy fun planning and looking forward to the ceremony and reception. However, just when you think you’ve got it all together, little, almost insignificant things, go wrong with the result of throwing your mind into a tailspin of anxiety and frustration. Here are some tips for those chaotic last minutes that will ensure a successful wedding.
Timing is Important, But Not Everything
Create a run sheet of the day and schedule everything down with times allocated to each session. One of the main ways wedding and reception times can be thrown off kilter is through photography sessions. Typically, the photographer will meet with the wedding party prior to the ceremony. If the session is supposed to start at 3:00, tell everyone required to attend, from bridesmaids to family members, including the mother of the bride, the session starts at 2:30. When the inevitable late runners finally arrive, you still have leeway. However do bear in mind when creating your time schedule for the big day Shana Thomas the Wedding & Events Co-ordinator at the Crowne Plaza Adelaide advises “Don’t over complicate your run sheet for your reception. Time and time again timings don’t run to schedule and then the bride and groom become disappointed. Focus on including the main points and let the rest fall into place on the night.”
Last Minute Facial? Think Again!
Although a facial before the wedding sounds like a great idea, the kind of facial you get can potentially cause you issues. A normal facial is designed to bring out impurities from underneath the skin resulting in pimples and bad skin. This is the result of the surfacing of toxins and bacteria which hide underneath the top layer. You would be right in doing a couple of facials to improve your skin however make sure the last one still gives you four weeks before your wedding day to clear up any unwanted spots. The week of your wedding day try opting for a paraffin facial. This type of facial is designed to plump up the skin and reduces the appearance of fines lines and wrinkles giving a glowing appearance. If you are not a fan of botox, then this is the facial to have prior to the event.
Safety in Pins
It’s true, grandma always has a safety pin in her handbag! You need grandma’s handbag or an emergency kit for the big day. After all, there’s a 55% chance somebody’s strap will break, hem will drop or hair will flop on the day. Also, a spray can of deodorant can be shared without the ‘ick’ factor for the two or three who forget theirs. Breath mints, hairpins, a sewing kit, band-aids, and spare toothbrushes are good items to keep handy as well.
Glass Slippers
Cinderella wore ultra-fashionable glass slippers but she’s an animated fairy tale character. You, made of flesh and blood, will be standing, walking and dancing throughout the day without the benefit of weightless animation. Some brides admit they only remember excruciating foot pain by the time the wedding was over. Believe me, you want better memories! Others ruin photos because foot pain shows in tense smiles. If you must have style over comfort, at least break in the shoes prior to the big day. Wear them around the house until you can walk and dance for 2 or 3 hours without wanting to cry.
Kisses and Cake
The moments everyone enjoys most are the smooch that seals the deal and the first bite of wedding cake. Keep in mind, you’re wearing new shoes, a fancy dress and sat for hours getting hair and make-up just right. Unpractised dips or twirls can cause a multitude of wardrobe malfunctions and squashed cake on the face simply isn’t attractive. Decide together and practice each situation. A sweet kiss is better than a lengthy, overly passionate display that makes guests uncomfortable and shocks Aunt Sally. Smashing cake on the face is either an absolute no-no or something you both think is hilarious. Frankly, I’d side with the no-no version every time but it may be a couple’s first compromise. Who am I to say it’s ridiculous?
Don’t Forget To Enjoy It
The main thing to remember is the wedding ceremony and reception are just that, a ceremony and reception. It’s not your entire married life. It’s barely a first day together considering how little time is actually spent side by side. It’s one day in what will hopefully be a lifetime together, so enjoy! Don’t turn into bride-boo-boo or bride-zilla over little things. How you handle this day begins how you handle life together. If you come undone because the cake was 4 layers instead of 5, or one of the bridesmaids wore the wrong shoes, life isn’t going to be pleasant for you and your beloved. As our wedding guru Shana believes ‘the night is to be enjoyed by you both, don’t get so caught up in what can go wrong. Otherwise the night will be over before you’ve had the chance to enjoy it. Your wedding coordinator is there to worry about the little things”. So smile and hug all the friends and relatives. At the end of the day, with a crumpled dress and wilted hair, be able to look back and say “Wow that was a great wedding!”
About the author: Katina Beveridge is a PR specialist who works with a number of Wedding Venues across Australia. Assisting in the co-writing this article is Shana Thomas who is the Wedding & Events Co-ordinator at the Crowne Plaza Adelaide.
