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1. Have a Relaxing Day and Get an Early Night the Day Before
Try and get all the last minute things done a few days before the wedding. That way you can totally chill the day before rather than pulling your hair out organising last-minute problems. A visit to the spa with a massage the day before the wedding will calm those frayed nerves. Relax into the night with a meal with the girls and an early night. You will feel wonderful when you wake in the morning!
2. Don’t Do Anything You Don’t Want To
There is no part of the wedding day that is set in stone. It is YOUR DAY so if you are uncomfortable with any aspect of it, like cutting the cake or having everyone gawking as you do the first dance then don’t do it. Doing anything you are uncomfortable with will just stress you out on the day.
3. Use Calming Scents
Choose your fave scent in candle form or room diffuser. Relaxing scents include Lemon, Lavender, Rosemary, and Jasmine. Having a lovely aroma around the room as you prepare for the day will soothe and relax you.
4. Make a Fave Musical Playlist
Make a playlist of your favourite relaxing tunes. Music has real power to affect our mood so in combination with your fave scents your room should be an oasis of calm!
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5. Nominate a Trusted Person
Ask a bridesmaid or mum to be the go-to person to deal with any official stuff during the day. Your role is to have a great time, not get into discussions about trivial stuff that could stress you out.
6. Aim to be Ready 30 Minutes Before You Are Due to Leave
Talk to your hair and makeup people and make it clear that you want to be done well before you have to leave. (A hair and make up trial helps) If you want your photographer to capture you putting on your dress this is really important. Giving yourself plenty of time gives you a chance to take it all in and have a glass of champagne, without having that feeling of rushing out the door!
7. Don’t Stress About the Small Stuff
You want the day to be perfect, but if you get lost in the fine details that can go wrong it can cause upset. You will be too busy creating fabulous memories with your loved ones to worry that the napkins were the wrong colour.
8. Hire a Documentary Wedding Photographer
Having a documentary wedding photographer really can take away some of the stress of your wedding day. They will document your day while you get on and enjoy your day with your loved ones. A documentary photographer will only take natural photographs throughout the wedding day. They will shoot the group shots and offer a portrait shoot too, but that should be the only part of the day they get involved. Here is How To Find The Right Wedding Photographer For You.
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9. Plan Your Photographs With Your Photographer/Limit the Group Shots
I normally call my clients before the wedding to arrange a time to shoot the group shots. I recommend a small list of the immediate family. A large list of over 10 group shots has the potential to be time consuming and painful. You don’t want to waste your precious reception time looking for Uncle Fred who happened to nip to the loo or Cousin Amy who had gone for a lie-down!! If you have already read my guide how How to find the right photographer for you, to make sure you get the perfect photographer, here is a guide on When To Book Your Wedding Photographer.
10. Have an Unplugged Wedding
Ask guests not to take photographs during the ceremony. Gently remind everybody you have hired a professional photographer and they will have access to an online gallery after the event. I have lost count of the times a guest has stood in the aisle to photograph the bride and groom coming back down the aisle. It doesn’t look good in your photographs at all.
11. Give Plenty of Time For Your Reception
The day really will fly by, so you want the most time available to talk to your day guests at the reception. Everybody wants to talk to the bride and groom so I would recommend 2 hours minimum. This seems like a lot of time, but you have to squeeze in the photographs too, so it will soon be time to be called into the wedding breakfast.
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12. Speeches Before Dinner
For everyone to enjoy the meal, it’s better to get the stressful parts of the day out of the way first. You will probably have some nervous speech givers in the party and you don’t want anybody ending up pissed trying to calm their nerves with one too many drinks! You might get more than you bargained for in the speeches as a result!! If the groom is worrying about his speech, here is a great guide on How To Give A Great Grooms Speech.
13. Cake Cutting Before the 1st Dance
Cutting the cake with the help of the DJ before the first dance guarantees you have a crowd around the dance floor for the first dance. You can totally relax now that everything is out of the way!
14. Take a Few Minutes Away Every so Often
The day is gone before you know it, and you will both be pulled in different directions chatting to everyone throughout the day. Take a few minutes every few hours to spend some quality time alone together. It’s your day so make sure you enjoy some of it in your own little love bubble!
15. Think About the Light With out of Season Weddings
It gets dark really early after September so consider this when booking your ceremony time. If you are having a winter wedding you still need group shots and relaxed portraits so allow time for this. As much as I love Christmas weddings, the sun sets at 4pm in December!!
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I hope you enjoyed reading my top tips to make your wedding more relaxing. I hope it has given you some ideas to make your wedding a more fun and stress free day. If you are looking for a relaxed wedding photographer who will capture all the best moments from your day please Get in Touch! Below are some other articles you might find helpful.
How to Look Great in Your Wedding Photos
Find The Perfect Flowers for Your Day
