The 5 Must-Haves for Every Bride’s Big Day!!!

Photo By Jason WinkeLer http://jasonwinkelerphotography.com/

I’ve only been a Mrs. for a little over three weeks, so all of my memories of the big day are still so fresh. To help future brides-to-be, I wanted to share the five small-but-important things that made our big day as successful (and amazing!) as it was.

Of course, as with every wedding, there were unforeseeable things that "went wrong" on our wedding day, but none of those little mishaps affected our complete delight in being married—and guests didn’t notice that anything was off!

With that said, here are my top five things that every bride should consider for the big day:

Wedding planner
I promise, this is not just because I am a wedding planner! I honestly do not know how I could have made it through all of the detail-filled last days of my engagement and the wedding weekend without an incredibly reliable wedding planner who noted every last detail and was there to help with anything we needed.

An untouched moment
Of course, this may not be possible in every wedding situation, but having a moment to view the venue as a couple before guests start to arrive is an incredible way to simply drink in the moment. If it is not feasible on your wedding day, try to arrange for your photographers to have access to your venue so they can capture a few photos of the space prior to guests’ arrival.

Comfy shoes
Now, some brides will decide to change their shoes but others want to keep the same pair on all day! My experience: After having my dress altered four times until the hem was perfect, I wanted comfortable shoes I could wear from morning to the middle of the night. That way, I was assured that my dress wouldn’t get stepped on while dancing or drag on the floor during the reception.

Simple hair refresh before the reception
I had a Catholic ceremony at 2 p.m. and then took pictures around the city between the ceremony and the evening reception. But even if you have a back-to-back ceremony and reception, it’s a long day—and a long time for your hair to stay in place. Appoint someone who will bring a curling iron, hair spray, bobby pins and a hair tie, just in case you need to freshen up after the ceremony, during pictures or before the reception.

Late night snack
With all of your guests enjoying and celebrating the evening, it’s a good idea to make sure they have something in their stomachs before they head off for the night. And it’s kind of a little last impression of the wedding night too. This snack can be as simple as an edible favor left on a table as guests are leaving or, in our case, a station of chicken nachos that’s rolled out about an hour before the final call.

I hope these five little tips help make your wedding day even more enjoyable and memorable!

XOXO,
Christine M. Darden