First of all, you've heard it before and you'll hear it again: don't fret over the small things. If the napkins are the wrong shade of blue, so what. Trust me, the guests won't notice! But a bride in tears will capture everyone's attention.
So relax, take a deep breath and remember your goal...getting married to the person you love.
That said, a few advance precautions will go a long way to stress-proofing your wedding day and maintaining your sanity.
- For your bridal party, select dependable attendants and give each one a copy of the tentative timeline for the day. Avoid asking children under three years old to be in the wedding party. If you must, let one of the attendants walk with the child or pair them with an older child.
- This is also the groom's day - involve him in the preparations. Ask him to find a good band, choose the food, and decide for himself what he wants to wear - it takes a lot of pressure off the bride.
- Get all your vendor service agreements in writing, in the form of a standard contract. Spell out exactly what you want and don't want when you make the bookings. Don't wait until the wedding day to make major changes
- Learning to delegate is vital, especially the day of the wedding. Put someone else in charge of paying the vendors, moving the guest book from the ceremony to the reception site, double checking with the caterers, or any other small task. Read through your list and assign everything!
- Pack and bring along a bride's emergency kit which includes, extra panty hose, clear nail polish for runs, Kleenex, aspirin, spot remover, static cling spray, hemming tape, band-aids, a sewing kit with safety pins. For the groom's kit include: mouthwash, breath mints, razor, cologne and comb.
- Have attendants arrive early to get dressed so there is no delay when the photographer arrives and no worry about making the wedding on time.