As you approach your wedding day, hopefully, all your plans are coming to fruition so as well as feeling excited you will probably feel a bit nervous too, after all, there’s a lot at stake. You are inviting your closest and dearest to come to one of the most important days of your life and you want it to be fabulous in every respect and a day that you will remember for the rest of your life.
So naturally, you want everything to run smoothly without any hiccups. Richard from surreylaneweddingphotography.co.uk offers some simple last-minute tips to help brides along as their big day finally arrives.
Let others worry for you
First and foremost, remember to simply enjoy your wedding day. With all the planning that’s gone ahead, you can get caught up in all the details throughout the day. So this is a reminder to let go a little and take everything calmly, stop worrying about things and let others such as your Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids, and the Bestman, Groomsmen, and Ushers help take care of the details and worry on your behalf.
Remember, you can’t change the weather
Source: ultimateweddingsite.com
Be aware of what the weather will be like on your day, especially in the UK, and adapt to the conditions if required so that there are no nasty surprises. So if for example, the weather report says there will be heavy rain then accept it and move on, even if it means that no one can use the wonderful outdoor facilities. You’ll be surprised how easily your family and guests will just go along with whatever is thrown at them. In addition, when there’s bad weather you usually get unique and very memorable wedding photography such as walking romantically in the rain under an umbrella.
Slow down and savor every moment
It’s a well-known wedding phenomenon that early in the morning of your wedding day time seems to just drag out slowly. That’s until a particular moment arrives and suddenly everything speeds up and the feeling of calm goes and before you know it you need to finish off and leave. From that moment on your wedding day will go very fast, almost in a blur. So it’s important to slow down and take it all in as it happens and savor every moment.
Bridal preparations – some things to consider
Source: broxmouth.com
Your wedding photographer will use natural light where possible so bear that in mind when you decide where you are getting ready. So that natural light from a window is directed onto your face.
If you want a shot of your beautiful wedding dress draped from a hanger, ensure you have a good-looking hanger as a cheap-looking plastic one can reduce the overall look of the final picture.
There can be a lot of clutter created during the bridal preparations; clothing, food, drink, etc., but try to avoid having brightly colored, heavily branded plastic bags around, especially supermarket bags, which whilst strong and very useful, can destroy the overall ambiance and pictures.
If you are following the old English Victorian rhyme, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe’ then make sure your wedding photographer is aware otherwise these things can be easily overlooked all the excitement of the morning. The photographer will only be with you for a short while before they have to leave and get to the ceremony location.
If the flowers delivered by the florist are still wrapped up and sitting in jars of water when you are getting ready then make sure they are taken out and dried well before you are about to go.
Source: weddingideasmag.com
Try and make sure you eat something during the session as it helps calm the nerves and helps line your stomach if you are having some celebratory fizz.
You usually aim to put on your wedding dress at the last moment, around twenty minutes before leaving so it’s always advisable to go to the toilet before dressing as it can be quite cumbersome trying to do so before leaving. In addition, make sure you have tried the wedding dress on recently….so that it still fits perfectly otherwise you could be in for a shock. Also make sure that whoever is helping you with your dress, usually the mother of the bride and bridesmaids, has practiced beforehand and knows what they are doing as sometimes the fine buttons can be very fiddly especially if you find you are running out of time.
Brides will take special pride in their carefully chosen wedding shoes but it can be advisable to bring a second pair of shoes along, ones that are more comfortable for the evening celebrations, especially on the dance floor. In addition, if it’s a rainy day and you are in a setting that is open to the elements then a special pair of wedding wellington boots is also a good idea, especially when you go off for your romantic walk.
Getting out of the bridal car
Your photographer will usually try and capture you getting out of the bridal car, so unless they have briefed you already then remember to slow things down and don’t rush as you exit, making sure to look up and smile.
Walking down the wedding aisle
Source: theknot.com
When you walk down the aisle, you will either feel very excited or very nervous, so remember to calm down and walk slowly as there is the tendency to head straight for the end of the aisle as quickly as you can without looking at either side of you. This is especially important when you are having a nonchurch wedding where the function room aisle can be a lot shorter in length. Slowing things down means you have time to take in all your guests looking and admiring you, so look up and look around you and savor this very special moment.
Traditionally the father of the bride walks down on the left-hand side with you on his right arm. Then when you reach the end of the aisle, your father will leave you on the left-hand side, with your bridegroom standing on the right-hand side.
In conclusion
Just being aware of these simple steps will help make you more at ease on the morning of your wedding and so make the whole experience more enjoyable. Good luck!
