The Importance of a Honeymoon

After your wedding you will 100% require a break...whether it be in a hot place or just a week off at home YOU WILL NEED THE TIME OFF!!! You will likely get sick or at the very least have some sort of emotional breakdown. Wedding planning is hard work and the wedding day is loooooong...you deserve a break with your hubby. Take the time to relax, open & organize gifts, write some thank-you cards (that are to be done within 6 weeks of your big day), and sleep A LOT. Just take the time to get ready for the realities of married life!

My Wedding Day

Well, it's over! The day was perfect, most things went off without a hitch and the things that didn't went unnoticed.
I'm so happy to be married to Adam and the day was packed with love!
The morning was fun and a little nerve-wracking and the drive to the church was the craziest that I've ever felt...but when those church doors opened and I saw the love of my life standing at the altar waiting for me and all our friends and family standing in the congregation i immediately calmed down and got so excited for the amazing day ahead.
The reception was a blast - the food was delicious, the drinks were fabulous and the company was the best.
We couldn't have asked for a better day!

Wedding Day Tips!

Here are some things that no one told me to consider before the big day and I ended up kicking myself for them!

1. BUY COMFORTABLE SHOES - you'll be in them for at least 10 hours...walking down the aisle in them, standing at the altar in them, dancing in them....so practice, practice, practice in them a bunch beforehand!

2. You'll need to ensure that you leave plenty of time to get in to your dress et. al. the morning of, I recommend leaving at least 45 minutes to do so. I did not do this as I didn't even consider this and it threw off our hair and make-up schedule. Plus - the photographer wants to get pictures of this process and this takes time also!

3. Drink a lot of water. Hydration is key on the big day - your nerves and all the talking you'll be doing will thank you.

4. Have breath mints at your disposal. I've never hugged and kissed so many people in one day...pop in a mint for good measure.

5. Enlist the help of one of your bmaids to be in charge of your purse, copy of your speech, garter etc...so that they are under your head table chair before you enter the room.

6. Practice hugging in you veil...people will yank it accidentally, but if you have a proactive hugging procedure in place you could avoid whip-lash.

7. Have a camera of your own there...have a friend not at the head table be casually responsible for taking pictures on your behalf.

Ahhhhh...It's Over...

When all is said and done, breath for the first time since your engagement! You may feel some post-wedding anxiety disorder...this is normal. For so long every free moment you have had has been spent planning your one big day. It is a bizarre feeling not having to do this anymore. For the first time in a year and a half, I sat down and watched t.v. I kept feeling like I should be doing something other than nothing. This led me to slight anxiety issues as I no longer had anything to do to fill my free time. Enjoy this time as thank-you cards are the next step and boy, are these tedious!

One Week To Go....Last Minute Tips!

O.K. - will one week to go until the wedding day,(wow - time flies!!)...I have some suggestions on what you can do in the home stretch.
1. Call or e-mail all of your vendors and make sure everything is accurate and ready to go - have your contracts out to review with them and make sure you're on top of the payments!
2. Practice dancing the first dance with your groom.
3. Practice your vows with your groom!
4. Walk around your home in your wedding shoes...are they comfy? If not, buy the appropriate inserts!
5. Make lists...they make you feel better!!!
6. Get and review your marriage license - ensure all fields are filled out correctly or your marriage isn't legal!!
7. Sleep lots.
8. Practice your speech.
9. Make sure your bmaids are updated on everything and see whether they have any questions.
10. Ensure all people involved in your ceremony and reception have a printed out itinerary of the day.

Have fun!!!!

Pre-Wedding Honeymoon...

In my last post I discussed taking some time to yourselves (groom & bride) to relieve any stress in your wedding-planning lives...well...I recommend something more extreme now. I just got back from five days in Hawaii with my fiancee - a trip I came so close to not attending! (Adam qualified for this trip through his work, otherwise Hawaii wouldn't have been an option). It was so relaxing, hot and far, far away from wedding-planning mayhem! Obviously Hawaii is a stretch due to the incredible expense that flights and accommodations cost there, but if you can find a way to go somewhere sunny and warm for a week a month before your big day, you'll be so thankful that you took my advice. You'll come home relaxed and ready to wed! We practiced our vows there and just talked about all of our thoughts and concerns regarding the big day. It's so easy to lose focus when wedding planning - often times the bride can put too much time and energy in to the details of the day instead of cherishing the reasons why you're getting married in the first place. You have to enjoy the day and in order to do that you need to stay connected to your groom. I found that really getting away was the best thing for us and we're more ready than ever to get married!

Relax!

The countdown is on...in 5 weeks I will be a married woman! Although the majority of the wedding details are booked and ready to go, there are a million little things to do...I'm finding this to be more intense than the big stuff. Here's some advice for you - take a time out! Take a day (or two) to yourself to get your mind off the wedding work so that you can attack your 'to do' list in a refreshed manner. Go to the spa, have a movie day, go to dinner, take a weekend away - anything that you enjoy doing that will be distracting enough for you to 'forget' everything that needs to be done so that you can relax! Believe me - you'll be a happy girl if you take this advice!