Invaluable Wedding Day Tips For Brides

Many couples have spent upwards of twelve months arranging the wedding.  That’s a long time.  It feels like you’re constantly talking about the upcoming nuptials and planning out the details.  A lot of time and money is invested.  So, it’s understandable that we have desires and expectations for your special day.  The thing is, couples who revel in their weddings are the ones that are able to let go of that attachment to a certain extent – to go with the flow of whatever may come down the pike.  Those who can do this and who can delegate effectively can actually have fun at their own wedding.  Sounds good, huh?.  And while Grooms have become increasingly involved in the process, it is still the Bride who shoulders the majority of the expectations.  So, generally speaking, the Bride’s outlook and approach have a greater impact on the day than anything else.  Ergo, ‘Happy Bride, Happy Day’.  A calm Bride, which often results in a chilled out Groom, promises a happier day, as well as better wedding photography.

Now, may not be as easy as it sounds because there are a lot of people involved.  That includes the Bride and Groom, the Family members and the Vendors.  Still, the wedding day is largely centered around the Bride.

First to the easy-going Bride.  You’re all good.  That is because you will run into some problems – which will most likely not be anything remotely major.  Maybe the flowers aren’t ‘precisely’ what you wanted.  Maybe there isn’t a place card for one of your guests.  Maybe your dress rubbed against something and there is a minor stain.  Maybe one of your always irritating family members is, not surprisingly, being irritating.  Maybe after five sunny days in a row, it’s pouring rain.  Etc. etc…  No worries, mate.  After all, you’re just elated because you adore your soon-to-be-hubby soooo much!  So, you take it all in stride and revel in your special day.  And the wedding photographer loves you.

To the excitable Bride, this is most likely going to be the most intense day of your life so far (if you haven’t already given birth that is).  Of course you’ll want to have a happy and easy day.  Alas, it doesn’t take much to uncenter you.  While the following tips apply to all Brides and Grooms, the emotional Bride can certainly benefit:

- Delegate responsibilities to someone dependable and capable, preferably your Matron of Honor.  She should take care of most problems, only letting you know if it’s a key decision.

- Have all aspects of your wedding finalized well before the day.  Doing things the night before guarantees stress that will spill over into the wedding day.  The better organized you are ahead of time, the more you can focus on the magic of the day.

- Visualize in advance.  Knowing it’s going to be a demanding day, set your intention to center yourself.

- Recognize Escalation & Fear.  Situations can often materialize from out of nowhere with a nothing event.  If you allow one episode to take on a life of its own, it can produce something else, and so on – all of which ends up playing into the fears you’ve had forever about stuff going amiss with your Wedding.  Seriously, it’s not worth it.

- That thing you are so worked up about…  Chances are your guests will not see or care – unless you make a big deal out of it.  The vast majority of the people there are there for you.

- Family Intrigue.  You already know who in your families drove you up the wall (nobody does that quite like family).  The silver lining here is that if there is a specific someone who just gets your goat, you can see it coming from miles away.  It’s a shame to allow anyone to ruin things for you.  Own your own feelings and responses.

- Be open to a change of plans.  Rainy day?  Be receptive to your photographer’s ideas because they should be doing their utmost to capture good couple shots (arguably the most important pictures).  In short, be flexible.  Occasionally, an alternative plan actually ends up being better than the original.

And what of the Groom?  Needless to say, he can also make things difficult, but generally speaking, he is usually trying hard to keep his Bride happy – if he’s smart anyway.  The wedding day is an intensified practice session for marriage.  ‘Happy Bride, Happy Day’ segues perfectly into both ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’ and sets the stage for creative wedding photography.