Top 10 Tips for a Stress-free Wedding Day

You've gotten engaged, you've set the date, you've booked a church and a venue........

NOW WHAT??

Your wedding day is one of the most emotional and overwhelming days in your life, probably only outdone by the birth of your children or by serious tragedy.  But unlike births and personal tragic events, your wedding day can be planned and organized.

Here are a few hints and tips to make your day "The Perfect Day"

1. Surround yourself with people you like throughout the planning stages. If you have a friend or family member who makes you laugh, especially if they are able to make you laugh at yourself, make sure they are around to help de-stress you when problems rear their heads.  It's no sense having cousin Mable the Miserable be the one to take shopping when you are having problems finding gifts for your attendants. When things go wrong, and they sometimes do, having someone level headed to help you think things through is MUCH better than having someone who just cries oh no!!
2. Don't set your heart on something without having a plan B that you can be equally happy with. After all, the outcome of the wedding is that you are beginning a marriage that hopefully will have you spending the rest of your life with someone you love.
3. Make lists of all the jobs that need done to create the magic of the day, and see which ones can be done ahead of time, or by someone else, or shared with family and friends. If you leave too much to the last days, you risk things going wrong, or yourself and your bridal party being tired and stressed. Try to do a mental walk through of all the events of that day, so you can visualize what tasks need done and by who they could be done.
4. Divide your to-do list and plans into must have and can be changed. If you just have to have a certain venue, a certain soloist or a certain colour of shoes, take care of these tasks early to avoid disappointment or to give you a chance to implement the equally satisfactory plan B if necessary.
5. Get signed contracts and quotes so you don't get any 11th hour surprises. If you find what you want at the price you want to pay, book it. It's important to recognize that there are only so many venues and so many entertainers available, especially on popular dates, so don't let your choice slip through your fingers by procrastinating.
6. Organize your paperwork, so things get taken care of when they need to be. Start a file box to keep your to do lists, your signed contracts, your sample pictures etc. Dedicate a small datebook/diary to track upcoming appointments and deadlines and update it often. Use a pencil if you want to keep it tidy when things change.
7. Take time to relax and enjoy the important members of your family and friends circle as you plan and carry out all the tasks leading up to your wedding day. When you go dress shopping with your attendants, add lunch at a fun bistro to break up the day, for example. On the day you and your mom go shopping for your wedding gown, start the day with a trip to the spa for a manicure and facial for both of you, to get you relaxed and give you some together time to reminisce or just chill out. A nice touch would be to present your mom with a lace edged hanky, to wipe those inevitable tears she will shed as she sees you in "the dress" for the first time.
8. Talk things over with your husband-to-be, decide on what tasks each one of you will be responsible for doing or for delegating and post reminders in your datebook. Check to see that things are done before its too late for a change in plans, so little problems won't grow into big problems.
9. Get LOTS of REST the last few days before the wedding. If possible, schedule any showers, stags, bachelorette parties, etc, for the week before the wedding week, so you have fewer social events to attend. Spend a relaxing evening with your future husband in the middle of the week just to be together. No planning, no organizing, no talking about the wedding day jobs to be done.
10. RELAX. Once your wedding day arrives, it's too late to worry about anything that isn't exactly the way you planned it. Remember that this day is the beginning of a long happy togetherness and smile away all the little things and enjoy yourself!

As the owner of The Perfect Day Miramichi, an event rental business, I deal with brides on a regular basis and see how pre planning takes a lot of the stress out of their wedding day. Every bride deserves a beautiful relaxed wedding day to share with her friends and family! Check out our website at:
www.theperfectdaymiramichi.com