Wedding Day Dos and Don’ts

You’ve been planning for months and the big day has finally arrived. It’s time to get married! Now is the time to relax and enjoy it all, right? Absolutely, but there are a few wedding day dos and don’ts that are worth keeping in mind. Think of them less as a list of rules and rather as a way of ensuring that both you and your guests have the best possible experience. After all the effort you’ve put into making this day happen, you want it to be memorable for all the right reasons.

Let’s dive in! From schedules to speeches, here are my top 10 wedding day dos and don’ts.

DO eat your wedding meal. Couples spend hours tasting cakes and picking a menu, but I can’t tell you how many end up skipping the food when the day arrives. Usually, it’s just because they are too nervous to eat or because they’re too busy doing the rounds and greeting guests. But trust me, this is one day where your body needs fuel. Start off with a good breakfast to keep you going. Then, at the reception, task a parent or bridesmaid to ensure you both sit down long enough to eat. You’ll be glad you did.

DON’T overdo the alcohol. Of course you deserve to pop the champagne and enjoy yourselves if you want to partake in drinking. But nobody wants to be a bride or groom with their head in a toilet at the end of the night. Besides, your wedding day will fly by as it is – you don’t want to make your memory of it even hazier. The easiest way to keep yourself in check is to ensure you always have water handy or alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

DO have a wedding day schedule. Having a schedule is one of the most effective ways to make sure that your wedding day runs smoothly. Not only will it allow you to get a clear sense of how long everything will take, but it will also allow you to communicate more effectively with your vendors.

DON’T try to do everything yourself. Once the wedding day arrives, the last thing you want is to be the point person, even if you’ve handled most of the planning. Ideally, a wedding planner will be able to take everything off your hands, but if you don’t have one, get your mom or bridal party involved and designate!

DO attend the cocktail hour if you want to. For many couples, the cocktail hour is a convenient time for the couple’s photoshoot to take place while guests enjoy drinks, canapes, and entertainment. But if you hate the idea of missing out on that social time, you don’t have to. A pre-ceremony photoshoot is a great solution and you can still make a grand entrance into the reception.

DON’T keep guests waiting too long. There’s nothing that spoils the experience of a wedding faster for guests than being left to their own devices for long periods of time. Whether it’s before the ceremony or between the end of the ceremony and the start of the cocktail hour or reception, try to make sure there aren’t any big gaps.

DO try to keep speeches to 3 minutes or less. The speeches can be a fun and very moving time during the wedding reception. Unfortunately, they can also be a huge buzzkill, especially if the speakers drag on and on. Prep your toast-givers ahead of time and ask them to keep their speech to around the 3-minute mark.

DON’T stress if something goes wrong. No matter how well you prepare, it’s inevitable that some detail won’t go according to plan. The best thing you can do on your wedding day is to shake it off and keep going. Often it will just make a funny story later!

DO be in the moment. Wedding days can pass by in a bit of a blur. The best way to hold on to those memories is to really experience them – together! It’s so easy to get sidetracked and separated, so make a conscious effort to stay together as you move around. You should also be sure to take a few moments to step back completely and take it all in.

DON’T waste time scrolling through your phone. Even if you’re someone who lives and dies by your phone, this is one time to put it away. You can scroll through Instagram any time but you’ll never get these moments back. Leave the pics and videos to the pros you hired and get out on that dance floor!

So there you have it – the key wedding day dos and don’ts to keep in mind!

xoxo,
Mindy

Image by Amy and Stuart Photography