Stay in the Moment on Your Wedding Day
No, this is not another article about that “On a wedding Day” movie. This article is about You and Your Wedding.
After so much planning and preparation, the wedding day can really fly by in a whirlwind of air kisses and cake. One minute you’re saying “I do,” the next you’re taking a spin on the dance floor and wondering how the hours flew by so quickly. Don’t get lost on your wedding day: Stay tuned into each event and savor the moments from beginning to end — it’ll make the day that much more memorable.
Planning on Your Wedding Day
Take a minute to enjoy the details, beginning with the planning process, when all of your brilliant ideas are finally coming together. “I like to refer to the day of the wedding as the icing on the cake — but baking the cake is just as much fun,” says wedding planner Erick Stone from New Mexico. Getting involved in the little decisions, from the color of the linens to the music, will help you appreciate the final result. Kick back and enjoy your bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette party, and other pre-wedding events: They’re all great memories leading up to the big day. Plan a rough timeline for the day so you know when each event should unfold and can anticipate (and enjoy!) all the action.
Getting ready on Your Wedding Day
Schedule plenty of time for primping before the ceremony starts. Rather than rushing through hair and makeup, integrate it as an important part of the day. Invite your bridal party to get ready with you to build excitement for the big event. Pack an emergency kit to deal with any last-minute snags or stains that could distract you from the events.
Ceremony
The wedding ceremony marks the actual moment you’ll actually be married, so focus on its importance. Center your attention on what your vows mean, whether you write your own or recite traditional vows. Design a ceremony you feel emotionally connected to, whether that means incorporating family or religious traditions and rituals or reading a poem that means something special to you.
This unique touch will help you to pause and appreciate the significance of your ceremony. Afterward, you may want to take a private moment together to celebrate your coupledom before the madness of the reception sets in. Duck into an empty room, find a nook outside, or sneak up to your hotel suite for a few minutes and relax with your new spouse — after all, you just got married!
Reception
Now, the whirlwind begins! Some couples choose to take a sneak peek of the reception site before guests come in, so they can appreciate all the little details they worked so hard to plan. Others may prefer to be surprised and enter the roomful of guests once the party is underway. “I tell couples, make sure throughout the night that you take a step back and watch what’s actually going on,” says event planner R.B.C. “Look at how everything you worked so hard on came together and how much guests are enjoying themselves.”
Consider where you will sit to best enjoy all the action around you, Stone suggests. The bride and groom should be in the center of everything, so you’ll want to have tables behind, in front and on either side of you. “This is not only a wedding, but it also’s a family reunion, and friends haven’t seen each other in a long time, so there are a lot of different events going on,”
Stone says. If you’re not planning on spending much time sitting during dinner, spend that time going from table to table to greet and thank all of your guests. It will help you connect with all those names and faces that have been on your mind for months. But don’t forget to eat! Seeing you enjoy the sea bass, sipping a specialty martini, and grooving on the dance floor will help everyone relax and have a great time.
“It’s important that you have a good time. If you’re nervous, guests notice that” B.M. says. Most of all, don’t forget that person you just married.
Celebrating the day hand in hand will help you appreciate all those little details.