Gambol Photography, Willow Floral Boutique, Cali Stott Artistry
Hello everyone!
Today we are here to encourage, inspire, and uplift you! We know that the planning process is a lot of work and sometimes stressful leading up to the big day. So we're excited to chat with you all about different ways you can prepare for a low stress wedding week! Leading up to your big day, you deserve to feel happy, excited, prepared, and stress-free so you can truly celebrate all wedding week long.
We know what works for one couple might not work for the next, so we understand some things on this list might not apply to you - and that's okay! Everyone has their own way of doing things, so we encourage you to prepare in a way that feels right for you and your fiancé(e). We hope a few of these tips will inspire you to find those pockets of self-care and rest so you can savor every minute of your wedding week :)
Tips to Make Your Wedding Week Less Stressful:
1. Prepay All Your Vendors
We suggest that our couples finalize all vendor bookings at about 6 months out from their wedding day, so they can check it off the list! This will give you one less thing to think about, knowing that all of your vendors are booked and initial payments are made. (We provide all of our lovely couples with an extensive step-by-step timeline leading up to their wedding).
2. Pay Off All Final Payments
After initial payments are taken care of, we advise our couples to schedule final payments about 2 months out from the wedding day. Once these are paid, you can focus on the little details, because it will start to feel pretty surreal around this time!
3. Prepare Wedding Party + Parent Gifts
At the 2-4 months out mark, it might be a good idea to start preparing gifts for your wedding party and parents (if you're doing gifts)! There are so many different ways to express your appreciation for those closest to you, so don't feel like you have to meet a certain standard or expectation. The most beautiful tokens of gratitude come straight from the heart!
Josh Deaton Photography, Jennifer Abercrombie Beauty
4. Prepare Note + Gift for Significant Other
One of our favorite traditions is the wedding day note tradition! Talk with your fiancé(e) beforehand about day-of notes and gifts, so there's a clear expectation. We've seen many of our couples exchange day-of notes (through our ninja note passing of course) and skip gifts altogether! It is completely up to you and will probably look different for every couple. It only takes a few minutes to write a note, but the impact is priceless!
5. Organize All Decor in Advance
When you're starting to organize all your decor, this might be the time to recruit some bridesmaid or family help! Ziploc bags, bins, and sticky notes will go a long way during this process. Packing up your decor (memorial picture frames, programs, guestbook, signage, invitation suite for photos, etc.) will help clear your head and help make sure everything is accounted for.
Taylor Ann Photography, Vickey Lineberry Designs
6. Try to Take Off Work At Least 4 Days Before Your Wedding (if not the entire week!)
Taking off work looks different for everyone, especially since you probably have to take off for your honeymoon/getaway celebration already. We only suggest taking off this much time, because we know how hectic the wedding week can be! We receive feedback from couples who wish they had taken off a few extra days to handle last minute tasks and enjoy time with family coming from out of town. A few days off could make a huge difference during your wedding week, but we know this might not be possible for everyone. If it is possible, we encourage you to take off - after all, this is one of the most important weeks of your life!
7. Book Your Nail Appointments
About a month out from the wedding, we suggest brides schedule their mani-pedi appointments for the wedding week. You could make it a party and bring all your bridesmaids or go for an intimate celebration with your mom & mother-in-law!
8. Schedule Your Spray Tan (or throw an Airbrush party!)
If you're planning on getting spray tans for yourself and your wedding party, we recommend planning ahead of time because this could take some time for all of your girls! We know many brides throw a bridesmaid luncheon during the wedding week, so it might work out well to combine both of these into one. Airbrush tanners are also super helpful, because many of them will come directly to your home! We advise brides to schedule tanning a few days before the wedding, so the tan has time to fade into a natural wedding glow!
9. Prepare for Incoming Guests
Depending on your guest count/wedding size, you might have some family traveling from out of town. Whether they stay with you, other family, or at a hotel, there will most likely be some pre-wedding family reunion time! Preparing guest rooms and delegating airport pickup people are all little things that will help you feel prepared so you can enjoy your wedding week.
Keith & Lakyn Photography, Be Pretty Beauty, Chelish Moore Florals
10. Prepare Vendor Tips
We suggest preparing envelopes of vendor tips about a week in advance, so you can stow them away in your getting ready bag or hand them to an entrusted wedding party member. On the day of, we (or designated wedding party member) will hand out the envelopes to your vendors so you can enjoy your day to the fullest extent!
11. Pack Your Getaway/Honeymoon Bags
We suggest packing your honeymoon bags in advance so you can easily slip these into your car when packing up. We can pack all of your bags into your getaway vehicle so you can focus on what's important - newlywed bliss!
12. Pack Getting Ready Bag
Around the same time, we recommend packing your getting ready bag for the day-of! Your bag should include things like your deodorant, toothbrush, perfume, jewelry, shoes, accessories, etc. The more preparation you do in advance, the less stressed you will feel and the more you can enjoy all of the moments leading up to your big day!
Haley Lynette Photography, Ribald Events
13. Plan + Order Getting Ready Day Food
On the morning of your wedding, everything will start to fall into place. Vendors will start arriving, makeup and hair will commence, and all of a sudden you realize how hungry you are! We advise planning day-of food ahead of time, so everything will be delivered before everyone starts to feel hangry (we've all been there)! Many brides opt for Chick-fil-A trays, charcuterie boards, Panera, or other brunch style trays to limit messy eating - plus, doesn't all of that sound delicious?
14. Plan a Cute Unplugged Date Night as Fiancées
Once all of the preparation is taken care of, there's only one thing left to do! Soak in the last days of your engagement with an unplugged date night for two! As one chapter ends, another one is about to begin. Enjoy unplugged quality time together away from all of the wedding busyness - this could mean a night out on the town or staying in and ordering takeout! However you define quality time, this will be a date you remember forever.
Connection Photography, New Creations Flowers
15. Don't Forget to Live in the Moment and Have Fun!
Finally, we want to applaud you! No matter what stage of the planning process you're in, we want you to know that you are killing it! Amidst all the scheduling, appointments, decisions, opinions, and deadlines you are facing/have faced, you deserve to enjoy your wedding week! We encourage you to unplug, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath and reflect on the joy you feel with your partner. We hope you'll look back on this season as one that excited you, rather than stressed you out. Live in the moment and enjoy every second of your wedding week, because you'll never get it back!
Again, we know preparation looks different for everyone, but we hope our tips have inspired you to live out a stress-free wedding week. Getting married is a BIG deal, so we believe your wedding should be celebrated all week long!
If you have any other tips for brides during the wedding week, we would love to hear them in the comments!