MODERN LOVE | 12 tips to keep your cool on your wedding day

Amy&Laura-SneakPeeks-27.jpg — *Photo: Gold and Grit*

It’s fair to say that almost every couple who are planning their wedding will become stressed out at some point in time, especially on the day itself.

As well as being one of the most important events in your lifetime, weddings are emotional, high-stress situations, especially when you throw in family, kids, work commitments, and extra people staying in your space. There are people coming and going, there's a timeline to stick to, and combined with all your emotions about the day, it's easy to become overwhelmed.

To help reduce your stress-levels, we've put together some handy tips gathered from real life experience, to assist you on taking some stress-free measures on your special day.

Gold-and-Grit_Amy&Laura_01_Getting-ready-94.jpg — *Photo: Gold and Grit*

Create a run sheet and try to stick to it

Weddings can be, in a word, hectic, especially when you have multiple people around you all getting ready at once. Work with your hair and makeup artist and photographer ahead of the day to create a schedule so that you know who has to be where and at what time. A wedding is a big event, so treat it like any other high-level event with lots of moving parts, and have a list that everyone can refer to so they don't have to ask you.

At Killer Queen, we take the business of reducing your wedstress seriously. We are happy to prepare a draft beauty prep schedule for your wedding party that ensures enough time is factored in for everyone to get ready without being rushed. We also factor in things like when you need to be dressed by, and when your photographer is coming to start taking the prep shots. We work with you to create a run sheet that works, and leaves you feeling calm and not rushed.

Get as much sleep as possible the night before

Go to bed early the night before. I know, you probably will not want to, but with excitement and nerves running high it may take you a little bit longer to drift off- so head to bed a little bit earlier than normal to get a good night's sleep. Download a mindfulness app, have fresh sheets and a calming playlist to help you into a peaceful slumber.

Create a wedsite

This is by far the BEST thing we did before we got married. Having a wedding website (aka wedsite) that everyone can access was a godsend. We had all the crucial details on there- times, dates, directions, maps and alternative contact details. Trust me, there are ALWAYS going to be people wondering where they have to go, and inconveniently texting or calling you whilst you're tryng to get ready to ask you last minute questions. With a wedsite, there's no excuse for people to not know where to find all the pertinent info.

Don't fill your day with tasks

As much as it's tempting to go into overdrive and start worrying about all the little things that still have to be done, your wedding day is not the day to be rushed off your feet doing last minute jobs. Have a list of all the REALLY important stuff that HAS to be done on the day, and outsource it or have a crew of friends/ family on it. Trust me, your wedding day goes super quickly! While you may think you've got the whole day to do last minute crafting or DIY tasks, you're setting yourself up for extra stress as in reality, the time before your wedding zooms by.

Save your time for getting ready, relaxing, getting into the zone, and enjoying the final moments with your nearest and dearest. The prep time is just as special a time, so cherish every minute and memory.

Delegate / have a support person

It’s important that you have one or two key, safe people you can turn to for support throughout the day. Whether it's a trusted friend/ bridesmaid/ mum/ sibling, they should be on hand to be your 'go to' for the day. They'll be there to turn to if you need something, to make sure you’re getting enough to eat, and to help find you a quiet space if you need it.

You are going to need a buffer on the day to shield you from the multiple texts, emails and face to face questions that everyone feels they have to ask you last minute. Choose someone that's calming, organised and who can handle pressure and keep a cool head so if anyone has a question/ issue/ pressing concern about something? They go to your person, not to you.

Don't sweat the small stuff

Try not to mind about the details on the day of the wedding. Definitely don’t sweat the small stuff. With all your planning and preparation, your big day will undoubtedly be beautiful.

A few ‘surprises’ here and there may even add to the fun. Let the celebratory feelings wash over you. Always keep in mind the bigger picture. This will help you to take control of how you feel and enjoy your wedding!

Do as much as you can in advance, and on the day, let it go

It seems like the to-do list for a wedding never stops! The truth is, it doesn't stop – until you make it.

Confirm timings with your vendors and bridal party such as hair and makeup artist arrival or flower and cake delivery a few days before. If you're are planning on making items, arranging flowers or doing some of your own decor make sure to have everything ready to go and in place before the big day. This means no more DIYs or actual wedding-prep the day of!

At some point, you have to draw a line and entrust the people with allocated roles to do their job. And around that same time, you are going to have to let go. Remember that nobody else can see the perfect image you have imprinted in your mind, so they definitely won’t be making any comparisons. They won’t be able to realise any differences or the inevitable things that go ‘wrong’

Got kids? Don’t feel afraid to aks for help

Ask someone you trust like a grandparent, aunty or uncle to look after your little ones if you have them. Assign them tasks such as feeding them, getting them dressed, keeping them entertained, rested and hydrated. Your wedding day will be filled with excitement and nerves, and you want to be as relaxed and stress-free as possible.

Do yourself a favour and ask someone to take the weight to allow you to enjoy yourself and switch off. Even if it has to be done in shifts, asking support people to be there and take a load off will keep you far less frazzled than if you are chasing around your kids while trying to get your dress on or hair done. People love to help on big days such as weddings, so let them help!

Eat well and stay hydrated

Don’t forget to eat! Anxiety and stressful situations are so much worse when you’re hungry. Make sure you have time to take a break to fuel your body with foods that are both comforting and nourishing, that will give you strength and energy for the day.

Create a chill zone to get ready

Find a space that's calm and has a door that can closed off, ideally somewhere quiet where you can get away from the busyness and have a calming cup of tea, or crank the music for a stress-relieving dance party. Somewhere away from the kitchen, which always tends to be the busiest room in the house!

Our outer environment naturally affects our inner state of affairs, too. Take time to set up your getting ready area. Put out your favourite flowers, play soothing sounds, burn calming candles, and instruct your bridal party to keep calm and carry on at all times throughout the day.

Surround yourself with calm people and have as little people around you on the day as you can

Try to only surround yourself with the people you want with you on the morning of your wedding. It could be your mum, your bridal party, or your other half. You will have vendors (hairstylists, make-up artists, the photographer, videographer or wedding planner) in the room with you while getting ready so it’s important to choose them carefully and make sure you have a great natural dynamic with them.

Ask any other visitors to be respectful of your time when getting ready with a note on the door. Nominate a trusted person in your bridal party or your planner to direct questions and queries to (or to hand over your phone to), to minimise last minute panic and to take any pressure away from you, so you can enjoy your day in full.

Prepare for things to blow out a little- and add in buffer time

Things can happen and you don't want to feel rushed out the door if timings run over! It’s important to build in contingency time should for any reason aspects over-run.

We recommend that you aim to be ready an hour before your ceremony begins. This means you can be relaxed and ready to go while allowing you time to enjoy being with your bridal party rather than rushing at the last moment.

Schedule in extra time if doing a first look with your Mum, Dad or other half, handing out bridal party gifts or simply to have a glass of bubbly before you go! If you're travelling to your ceremony, or doing a pre-ceremony photoshoot, make sure to leave in good time to allow for any traffic or issues along the way.

Most importantly, have a laugh about it! You are preparing for a momentous occasion but don’t let it get over-serious – it first and foremost needs to be fun!

Relax, remember to breathe, and enjoy the process!

Savor even the little things you do to make your wedding special. Don’t risk missing it all, or remembering it as a blur, because you were too busy agonising over the details and the drama. Trust that your wedding will unfold as it meant to be and will be perfect for you.

You won't be able to please everyone or manage everyone’s emotions. Focus on managing your own…and being true to yourself. It’s your wedding, not anyone else's!

NEED ADVICE ON RESCHEDULING YOUR WEDDING AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS?

WANT TO CHAT FURTHER ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF POSTPONING YOUR DREAM DAY? Feel free to get in touch with me

I LOVE awesome parties and alternative weddings and know a lot of great wedding vendors that do too! And we love meeting hella cool couples who wanna shun tradition and do things their way!

If that's YOU? GET IN TOUCH TODAY- we'd LOVE to hear from you about your crazy cool plans!

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Hey, I'm Danee!

I’m a makeup & hair artist and all-round creative with a serious cheese fetish and a hankering for tequila. A badass beauty disruptor and educator with nearly a decade of clocked miles in the beauty industry. I’m a playlist ADDICT who also stans for writing, drawing, inhaling 70s design and 90s pop culture; and have a mad love affair for thrift shopping, sleeping, and going on roadtrips!