1. Delegate, delegate, delegate!

You have spent months and maybe even longer planning and coordinating your wedding day to ensure you have everything covered and ready. Now it is time for you to delegate all tasks to your friends, wedding party and family for everything else once the day comes. The more you delegate tasks and the simplify each of them, the smoother your day will unfold. Let go of making sure tasks get done and trust your friends and family- trust me, they are happy to help you with your day. Which leads to the next must-do:

2. Let go of expectations

So many times I have seen brides and grooms stress that everything is perfect that it ends up ruining their day and makes the focus on things that don’t matter. Having a wedding day doesn’t mean to have to have the perfect day. The “perfect wedding day” mindset belongs to the media and rom-coms- leave it there and know that your day is just like any-other day. If something were to go wrong or array- go with it! Do yourself the favor of not expecting everything to play out like you want it to- you will end up missing out on living in the moment and what the day is really about; which is marrying your best friend!

3. Brides: give yourself plenty of time

When I help couples plan their wedding day timeline, I always ensure to give 30-40 minutes of wiggle room after the hair and make-up are set to be done. This is just make sure that the hair and make-up artists have plenty of time and not rush making you look spectacular on your big day! Often times I also see brides fixing or altering their hair and make-up because let’s face it, every bride knows how to look their best!

4. Be on the same page as your partner

The best thing you and your partner can do is be on the same page with how you want your day to play out. Haven’t thought about it? Don’t worry- not a lot do!
Take the time to talk to your partner and go over topics like:

What if something goes wrong? (How do we handle stress that day?)
Who do we contact for specific things?
Who can we delegate day-of tasks to?
Do we want our day to be packed full of activities or give ourselves some down time?

This will ensure for a smooth day that you both can enjoy and have the best time at! Another great thing you can do is be with each other for most of the day - I know, sounds silly but hear me out: after your ceremony, stick with each other when greeting your guests and family when they congratulate you. This also goes for the reception when you both are approached by your wedding guests- sticking with each other allows you to experience everything together and you aren’t lost in each other’s own party.

5. Give guidance to your officiant if they are not a professional

Having a family or friend officiate your wedding is a great option for that personal touch; it brings a natural, eccentric and familiar feeling to your ceremony. However, since they are not a professional and may be doing this for the first time- here are two main pointers that you should bring up to them:

Ask them to keep their script concise and to the point (no fluff necessary, we have all heard the cliches a hundred times)
Make sure they know their queues such as: asking the guests to be seated once you take your places at the altar, when to exit before you kiss
(pro tip: have them proclaim you off stage so they are out of the way already, not when you are about to kiss), etc..

6. Soak it all in

To piggyback off of letting go of expectations, it is so freeing to let the day flow and not worry about what is to come or what is next; your photographer, wedding planner or venue coordinator will help guide you throughout the day. Live in the moment and appreciate everything as is. That way you can soak in every moment and truly experience the day.

7. Have fun!

Your wedding day is solely about you two celebrating your relationship with the level of love and commitment to one another. Again, the day does not need to be perfect- it just needs you two surrounded by friends and family that love you just as much. Have fun, soak in every moment, let go of all expectations, delegate as much as you can, give yourselves plenty of time and you will have an amazing and unforgettable time! Cheers!