The Unromantic Wedding Day To-Do List

You've scoured the internet and memorized every bridal magazine, all so you don't forget anything on your wedding day. Well, add one more pin to your Pinterest boards ladies, here are ten things no one tells you to do but MUST be done on your wedding day! 1) Give naps to flower girls, ring bearers, or any other important children of napping age. Children absorb excitement, so while they may not understand what's really going on they feel the excitement around them and it raises their excitement levels as well. You know how tired you feel, imagine being a four year old! Tired children turn into grumpy, loud, whiny children, and these are emotions adults absorb. A crying child is probably just tired, save the headache and frustration by making sure the kiddos take good naps!

2) EAT! The energy and nerves might make you feel like you're not hungry, but the raised heart rate, frantic running around to get ready, and the sea of emotions is going to drain your body of nutrition and energy quickly. Carbo load, like an athlete. This day is a marathon, not a sprint. 3) Do not put your shoes on until right before you go down the aisle. Even if you're taking pictures before the ceremony take your shoes off as soon as you're finished or consider even wearing different shoes for the first pictures. No matter what you're wearing, by the end of the night your feet will be killing you. Make that happen a little later in the evening by postponing putting on the pretty shoes until as late as possible.

4) Practice using the restroom before your wedding! Wedding dresses are created to look lovely while you’re walking down the aisle, posing for pictures, and shimmying on the dance floor. What they are not created for is easily using the bathroom. There are several pieces of advice out there on how to pee in the most important dress of your life, but which one is best? The best time to figure that out would not be on your wedding day, right before the reception, with a bladder full of champagne. So put that dress on with all of your wedding day underwear, and even your shoes! Try out several different ways until you figure out the best way so on your wedding day you know exactly what to do when the need arises. 

5) Designate an official texter the day of your wedding. The last thing you should be worried about on the day of your wedding is answering texts asking for directions or congratulations or “Is it too late to change my plate for supper…?” At the start of the day give you phones to one certain person: maid of honor, best man, sibling, parent, basically anyone who isn’t you. You trust these people, they will be able to answer everyone without bothering you. 

6) A mix of heat, dehydration, and nerves and excitement can make your hands swell as you’re heading down the aisle. Which means that ring that might fit perfectly on a normal day might have a little trouble going all the way on when the time comes. Instead of having a minor meltdown in the middle of the ceremony in front of your guests use a little bit of lotion on your ring finger before the ceremony so your bling can slide on without any trouble!

7) Gift bags can be a great favor for kids whether at parties or at weddings. But! If you’re giving them out at the beginning be sure to fill with mini coloring books and crayons, stickers, or other things that might keep them occupied. Don’t put the sweets in until the end. Imagine: dozens of sugar filled, hyper, then grumpy children screaming and crying before the end of the event. The easiest way to keep the kids cute and calm is to add things they love to play with without the added sugar.

8. We cannot stress enough the necessity of waterproof and long lasting makeup. You’re going to be talking and kissing and crying all day at different times and you don’t want to be reapplying lipstick and cleaning up running eyeliner all day.  Just remember that long lasting make-ups can be very dehydrating, especially lipsticks. Moisturizer and Chapstick will be highly necessary after you take it all off.

9) Make sure you’re staying hydrated. Assign a bridesmaid or your wedding planner to this task. And when I say hydrated I don’t mean alcohol! I’m not saying you can’t imbibe at your own wedding but with all the people you’ll be talking to, dancing, and drinking you will be doing nothing can quench that kind of thirst like good old water. 

10) BREATHE! Breathe deep and breathe often. Breathing is a natural, automatic action; but, sometimes it’s necessary to consciously take control of your lungs and fill them with nourishing, relaxing oxygen. It’s been scientifically proven that a deep sigh is like pushing the reset button on your mind and can give you a boost to mind power and help you de-stress.