Lauren's Top 5 Tips To A Stress Free Wedding Day

TOP 5 TIPS FOR BRIDES THAT NOBODY EVER TELLS YOU!

I have accompanied Ryan to a fair few weddings and wedding fayres now and as a bride to be myself have picked up many tips on how to make your big day go a little smoother!

My reason behind writing this is one of our recent weddings I spent a good few minutes (hours) chatting away to one of the bridesmaids about toilet tricks and tips to which she suggested I share my pearls of wisdom with you so here we go!

Tip 1- Choosing the dress!

I have seen so many big and beautiful dresses in the last 12 months and as stunning as they are they are also a huge pain in the backside! From people tripping over your skirt, to toilet woes (I’ll come back to this one), to getting it dirty and even to it just not flowing in pictures how it did when the bridal company placed you perfectly in it and fanned every inch of material out to create a picturesque dress! No matter how stunning a dress it the reality is you are wearing it for 12 hours! I tried the most stunning dress on at wed2b Liverpool I felt incredible but as soon as I tried to turn around to show my mum the back it was like trying to shift a lorry! Not because I am 5ft and size 18 but because there was just so much dress. If you desperately want that stunning Cinderella dress then I am not saying do not buy it! But think sensibly… I would 100% recommend buying an underskirt and not a cheap nasty one as that will cause more hassle than the extra-large dress but a decent underskirt preferably from the same shop you purchased your dress can help solve a lot of the issues mentioned before. It helps keep the shape of the skirt and it also creates space to walk without you tripping over the dress! I can also guarantee that the dress dragging along the floor will become your biggest nightmare so make sure you have a hook or 3 so that you can quickly grab every layer and scoop it out of the way, many dresses already have these attached but only on the top layer leaving you, your partner and you bridesmaids trying you collect the other 100! Have one on the bottom and one on the top maybe even decorate them to match your jewellery! Try your best to have the dress taken up so it is about half an inch or the ground this means no kicking it out of the way and allows your guests to see those beautiful wedding shoes!!

It is so easy to be influenced by family and friends when trying on dresses, I know I watched out for my mum and maid of honours reaction to every dress I came out in but ultimately it is your decision. If you feel like a princess then it’s the dress for you, if you have to even ask the question then hang it back up and search again.

Don’t feel pressured into trying on one more or ten more. Each bride is different my friend who gets married in March 2019 went to numerous dress shops and tried on a mountain of dresses before she found the one, I bought the first one I tried on after falling in love (although I did try on another 2 just to be sure!)

If you don’t even know where to start I would definitely recommend going along to your local wed2b and just trying on every style possible!

Tip 2- Going to the toilet.

No matter what dress you go for going to the toilet is a nightmare! And once you break the seal god help you! But here is a little trick I saw on Facebook when I first started planning our wedding… Don’t sit on the toilet walk into the toilet!

Let me explain… The front of the dress is much easier to pick up (especially if your bridesmaids are busy raving it up with a shot of tequila) than trying to scoop up the back, so pick up the front of your dress, walk into the cubicle and keep walking so you are facing the cistern! Yes you heard me correctly! Sit the other way around! It makes sense a) you have something to lean on after hours of being on your feet hugging great aunt Margaret and be you don’t have to worry about your dress dropping into the toilet! I quite frankly think it is genius!

Tip 3- Time

I don’t think I have ever attended a wedding that ran perfectly on time. Whether that’s the bride being late or the one of the speeches lasting 50 minutes the timings of your day will go out the window (a bit like the budget). They are really there as rough guide for the wedding suppliers they do this a millions times a year so know the drill although they will try and usher you to a seat as quick as possible or tap their watches as the speeches drag on but their concern is getting the food out warm and having the room turned around in plenty of time.

This is never an issue and most couples smile and say no worries, however, guests! Who are possibly the most stressful thing about wedding planning in general… First you have to upset people you aren’t willing to spend a fortune on a 3 course meal for which naturally creates disgruntled family and friends. Then you have to spend hours planning who will sit where, then they begin to moan during your big day ‘I don’t like soup’ ‘food should have been an hour ago’ ‘my beef is cold’ ‘we were told 4.30’

One of the easiest ways to eliminate a lot of these moans is to stick to 2 basic times.. Half an hour before the service (do not say 12.30 for 1 because I can guarantee at least one guest will arrive at the same time as you!) so for example me and Ryan are due to get married at 2. Our invites will say 1.30 that way even if our lovely family are running late or stuck in traffic they should still be there before me! The second is a time our day guests won’t even be told, 7.30pm the time when our night guests are welcome to come and join our celebrations! Ok so maybe I am being a bit harsh on wedding guests but the last thing you need is people moaning, you can’t moan you’ve been waiting a long time if you don’t know how long you should be waiting. Just let the day flow naturally without time constraints and it will be much more enjoyable.

Tip 4- The Morning Preparations

A lot of brides misjudge just how long it takes them and the bridesmaids ready. The morning always starts off relaxed with a carousel of hair and make-up between bride, bridesmaids and mothers. But then the car arrive and it’s a chaotic flurry of lace and dresses and flowers! Aim to be getting in your dress around an hour before the car arrives. This may seem like forever but trust me it makes it much more relaxing getting ready, it gives time for them last minute retouches and emergency shoe changes, it also allows your photographer time to get pictures of you and your entourage before the ceremony, nice pictures of the first time your parents see you or even your bridesmaids and also means you can relax before you make the journey as a Miss for the final time.

One of the main stresses our brides have found on their big day is bags! Not under the eyes but handbags and changes of clothes and make up. Plan ahead, if you are taking cars to the venue the night before take your overnight bag as well, try not to over pack, the last thing you want on your big day is to be carting a suitcase! One change of clothes, shoes and toothbrush is all you really need! Spare make up should be given to your most trusted bridesmaid from experience you will only really top it up once maybe twice so don’t stress about having it! Having everything organised and ready to go with a plan of how to get it there means once your dresses are on you can relax and prepare for the next exciting steps of the day!

Tip 5- The day itself!

With usually over 50 guests to greet and hug and reluctantly kiss it is hard to find time for each other! I know every guide tells you to take time out for each other but this is so hard to do. Make sure you take it all in, don’t waste time being bossed around by suppliers, let your photographer know the shots you want and who you want them with get them boxed off, if you need a break take one. At RW photography we try to work around you and what you want on your day. Don’t let it be dictated to you, as important as it is to say hi and thank you it is your big day celebrating your new marriage to your soul mate so treasure it. Flowers being the wrong colour, shoes breaking a supplier being late isn’t the end of the world and any complaints can wait till the day after. Don’t waste a second with negativity.

If you made it this far then well done I hope these little insights help you have a little less stress on your wedding day! If you have any tips for me on my big day then please get in touch!

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