8 Must-Dos On Your Wedding Day
I recently got married on May 26, 2019 in Corolla, NC to my endlessly sweet and understanding hubby, JC. We had a relatively small wedding (less than 100 people) on a semi-private beach, and the reception was held at my parent’s beach house in Corolla. It was a wonderfully intimate wedding. We were able to spend some time with every individual there and really had fun! I wanted to share 8 things I think you absolutely cannot miss doing on your wedding day from my own experience!
Take Time Alone with your New Husband
This is #1 because it is by far the most important! You & everyone else is there because of the blooming love between you & your hubby. Take the time to appreciate the newness of it all and the relief that the wedding planning process is finally over and you can start your life with your husband now! JC & I were able to sneak away for a sunset photo shoot and it was fun to get away from all the guests and busy day for some quiet photos and video together.
Hire a Videographer
I can’t begin to explain how special it was to get our full wedding video 6 weeks after it was over. Everyone tells you it goes by so quickly and you hardly remember anything afterwards, and they were right!!! The video allows you to not only reminiscence on that day for the rest of your life, but it also allows you to see the wedding from a different perspective. You get to see little moments you may have missed throughout. One of the most special things for me was seeing the filming of everyone walking down the aisle before me. I didn’t realize that was something I would miss as the bride until it was happening! I am SO glad I had the video to watch it. I would 100% recommend this to anyone getting married. We used Hearts Home Films – they were absolutely wonderful & I cannot recommend them enough!
Come Up with a Good Way to Share Guest Photos
Create a hashtag that your guests can share their photos and tag! It’s awesome to be able to wake up the next morning and see all the posts from your guests! You see things you didn’t even know were happening, and you get a sneak peek weeks before your professional photos come in.
Don’t Sweat the Little Stuff
If you are type A like me, you will lose your mind over anything that doesn’t go as planned on your wedding day. I had a couple moments where I had to take a few deep breaths and keep on rolling. #1, you don’t have time to stress every little detail that isn’t perfect, and #2 it is NOT worth it! Believe it or not, your guests won’t notice if the napkins aren’t the right color! On our wedding day, one of our groomsmen realized he didn’t have his suit just two hours before the ceremony. Imagine being the person who had to break the news to me! LOL. It all worked out okay though, we were able to sub-in JC’s dad because he had a similar suit, and it actually ended up being really sweet that his dad was able to be a part of the wedding party. The groomsmen that forgot his suit WAS forgiven, and he was even able to walk our dog, Beau, down the aisle in place of JC’s dad (they switched). Not to mention the 100 million other little things that went wrong on the day of. Candles on tables melted from the heat and stained my white tablecloths, the wind blew things away & off the table settings, the table numbers and seating arrangements didn’t get put out in time, decorations didn’t show up on time, the cake came with no flowers on it, and the bouquets were wilty when they got there! Some of these could’ve been fixed with better vendors, which leads me to my next point!
Research the Crap Out of Your Vendors
Read customer reviews, look up ratings, talk to them and ask them specific and detailed questions, ask to see their contracts, etc. Be as thorough as possible and give yourself enough time to get a vendor that is still available on your day!
Stay in Your Budget & Plan Ahead on Small Expenses
Planning ahead on my budget was fairly easy, but the last minute stuff really was what added up for us. Not planning far enough ahead on things like decorations, printable menus, programs, and table numbers, etc was what really put me over the edge on our budget. Without the proper time, I couldn’t shop for deals or have things shipped in time, so I ended up running around to a million stores and just buying whatever they had available at whatever price listed.
Make Sure to Ask your Caterer to Plan for Kids & Special Meals
Our caterer did an amazing job on our food overall, but what really made them stand out to me was the care they took in preparing the special food we needed, and the cutesy kids meals! We had a few vegans and gluten-free guests, and they went out of their way (at NO extra charge) to make sure they had special meals that were just as yummy and delivered them right to their table (the rest was a buffet). The kids meals were chicken fingers and fries served on a frisbee and they came out early – before the buffet started! It really helped the kids stay satisfied and entertained through the long dinnertime. And the parents really appreciated the thought!
Take Some Time to Thank your Guests & The People Most Important in Your Life
While this day is about you & your new hubby, it’s also about celebrating with the most important and valuable people in your life! Whether that is your parents, grandparents, siblings, or close friends! They’ve spent money, time, and energy, some coming from far away, to be there for you and celebrate your love. Make some time to thank them and express your love and appreciation for them as well! It’s a busy day, but this is important!
With all that said, just try to have some fun girl! It’s your wedding day, and it (hopefully) only happens once!
