20 things I learned on my wedding day

It is natural to worry about your big day. Until you’ve had your wedding it can be hard to tell which things you should focus on and which things you shouldn’t worry your sweet-little-head over.

18 months ago, I married my gorgeous husband. The day after the wedding I scribbled out all the things I had learned, while they were still fresh in my mind. My best friend was getting married just a few months later and I wanted to share with her what I had learned. Now I’d like to share it with you.

1. If you are having your hair styled and/or makeup done, have a trial beforehand. My makeup trial prevented me from choosing colours that would have left me looking like a C-class stripper. I didn’t have a hairdo trial. On the wedding day, I had to push aside a few disappointed thoughts because it hadn’t turned out quite how I had imagined. But, the awesome makeup made up for that.

2. Wearing a dress? Leave your final fitting until the last couple of weeks. You are less likely to change sizes in that time if your wedding nerves have been causing you to snack a teensy bit or completely forget to eat.

3. Wear your shoes in! Oh god, please wear your shoes in, the more fabulous the shoes the more you must do this so you don’t end up with fabulously sore blisters after two hours on your feet.

4. Don’t spend hours and hours deciding on what reception music you want. We wanted every song to be special, then didn’t end up noticing even half of them. Either get a DJ who can do requests or get the venue to use some of their music depending on the ambiance you are looking for.

6. Make, create, design or at least one thing yourself that your guests will see or get to take home as a keep sake. We sourced little tins in our wedding colours. We had them engraved with our names and the date, and I filled them with jelly beans in our colours. We also designed and made our wedding programmes ourselves.

7. Weddings are often a little generic in their formula. Do or have or make or say something that feels unique to you. Our unique thing was that our cake maker (and friend) Raina, made us a cake that looked like an ambulance. Not because we are accident prone but because my husband is an ambulance officer, we run an independent ambulance service business.

8. Don’t leave your flippin’ hair ties on your flippin’ wrist! Let me rephrase. Do an Idiot Check just before you leave for the ceremony. Check for missing jewellery or other adornment, that you have all the right stuff with you, that your fly is done up! Don’t end up having all your photos with just one earring dangling, or with your damn hair tie still around your wrist. (see photo at top…)

9. I was thinking of not having anyone ‘walk me down the aisle’ but my brother convinced me to do it. I’m glad I changed my mind. It was super reassuring to have my dad with me in those last few nervous moments before you reach your soon to be husband.

10. At the ceremony, your nerves will disappear the moment you lock eyes with your hubby or wife to be. At that moment everything will feel calm and perfectly right. If they don’t, it’s not too late to run…

11. Some guests commented positively about how we didn’t spend hours after the ceremony taking photos while the guests got sozzled waiting. Either get a super organised photographer or just do what we did and ask guests to take heaps of photos instead. Saves significant dollars and we got some great shots.

12. We reckon speeches are over rated, formal and sometimes just a bit cheesy. Get one or two people who are great speakers or just don’t do it.

13. Don’t let your 9 year old flowergirl lock the keys to your wedding car in the boot. Or if you do, don’t let it worry you for a moment. Someone will have a solution to any problem.

14. Lay out all your stuff before you get ready so you won’t forget anything. I was running about late and forgot my earrings. Try a ‘getting dressed’ rehearsal a day or two before your wedding.

15. I planned to have at least an hour spare on the day before leaving for the ceremony. On the day, I was only ready to leave for the venue a few minutes before the wedding was due to start. Things can take longer than you expect.

15. When you realise, halfway up the aisle, that you’ve forgotten to put on the beautiful earrings your mother bought you as a birthday gift, just smile and carry on. No one else will notice. (They will, however, notice the flippin’ hair ties you left on your flippin’ wrist)

16. Keep hydrated during the day before the ceremony and remember to switch to water a couple of times during the evening. There shall be no videos of horribly drunken you posted to youtube.

17. Take a nervous pee before you leave. Then go again, just in case.

18. Your wedding day can go past in a flash so remember to savour everything. Step back mentally and look around and think ‘ ‘wow, what an amazing day this is’.

19. Don’t worry about your guests, whether they are having a good time or if its taking too long for them the last table to be served or that you are one seat short or what is that child doing throwing chips at people. People will deal with problems. It isn’t your job today.

20. Enjoy the moments, have fun, laugh off the minor issues, and any major ones and just savour being with all the people you love.

P.S. You will NOT trip over your dress!