20 Things to DO/NOT DO the week before your wedding day
10 Things TO DO the week before your wedding:
Stay out of the sun
Your wedding dress or suit will not feel comfortable with a sun burn. Period.
2. Drink LOTS of water
Wrinkles are less apparent the more hydrated you are. If you’re wearing makeup, your makeup artist will thank you for having hydrated skin. It really does make all the difference with your makeup application. Also, being well hydrated going into your big day will mean less of a hangover if you plan to party it up with alcohol on the day.
3. Get your nails done
You don’t want your acrylic nails to be on week 3 for your wedding day. Make sure they are freshly done with gel polish so you don’t have to worry about it coming off.
4. Sleep in when you can
Listen, you do not want to be tired on your wedding day for many reasons. For one, people are cranky when they are tired…you don’t want to be a cranky bride. And two, being tired means dark circles under your eyes. Let’s avoid that please!
5. Plan some “me time” and “us time”
No matter how intentional and mindful you are on your day, it will go by in a blur of pomp and circumstance at times. Make sure you take some time to remember why you are doing this in the first place. It’s not just a party. It is a celebration of the biggest committed decision of your life. I have heard that taking some time to remember this on the week before the celebration helps you remember that fact throughout the day and remember what’s really important if something doesn’t go as planned.
6. Send your “family” timeline to: bridal party, family and anyone involved in the “pre-ceremony” timeline and any family members in the the family formal photos
My team sends our couples a special timeline for the family/bridal party (with only the information they need to know) 7-10 days before the big day with an email reminding them to share it with everyone. I used to be surprised by how many family/bridal party had ZERO idea of when things were supposed to happen. Sending them the timeline the week of the wedding will help them remember better. If you send it much before that you run the risk of them losing it or forgetting.
7. Pack your detail box
I hound my couples about the details box but for a good reason. I need A LOT of time to take those photos. I have to take things apart, arrange, rearrange, bring things in from my car, cut flowers, and basically create fine art in a relatively short amount of time. So, the more you can be prepared with everything I need to get those shots started, the better.
There is usually a time I have in my head that if I don’t start those shots by that time…they aren’t going to happen. So, if you are late to arrive if you’re getting ready off site and arrive with everything all over the place, you may be SOL for those detail shots if you aren’t organized and ready. And trust me, I want those pictures too!
Feel free to check out the Guide to Detail Items I send my couples the week of their wedding as a reminder.
8. Practice walking in your shoes on hardwood and carpet…not outside.
You should 100% practice walking in your shoes so you know you can on your wedding day BUT make sure your feet are clean and only walk inside so you don’t ruin your shoes for the detail photos.
9. Take off work a few days leading up to your big day
You will be busy in the days leading up to your wedding day. Take off work so you aren’t wound so tight you can barely breath as you walk into your wedding day. Planner or not, you will have a lot to prepare and communicate in those final hours so take it easy on yourself and give yourself the gift of extra time to make it all happen (and take those moments together and for yourself to remember why you’re doing this in the first place).
10. Journal
This will be a time you will want to remember forever. Write it all down so the little details don’t get missed. Maybe for a few minutes with your morning coffee. You may be able to read it to your kids one day!
10 Things NOT to do in the week before your wedding
Get a fake tan of any kind
Whether a spray or a cream fake tan, you will look orange in your photos and it will take me extra long to edit your photos to make you look a little less orange. Please don’t get a fake tan no matter how much you think you might need one.
2. Change your hair style
This is not the time to try something new. Go with the old faithful hair cut and style for now especially if you had a hair trial and your stylist is expecting a certain length to work with for your wedding day updo.
3. Try new skin or haircare products
Our skin can be very sensitive and it will show its dislike of a new product with redness and pimples. DO NOT try new things in the week before your wedding day!
4. Drink alcohol
OKAAAAAY. This is the hard one people. I know. You’re nervous, dealing with a lot, off from work, and you have your rehearsal dinner. Why not pop a bottle…or 5 on your wedding week? I mean, it’s YOUR day, right? Wrong…when it comes to this. It’s often I see couples who are hung over, miserable, tired and dehydrated when they show up for their wedding day. DO NOT BE ONE OF THEM. Abstain (or at least keep it to a minimum) for a few days to really enjoy on the most important day.
5. Stay up late
GET ENOUGH SEEP on the week of your wedding. There is enough research to back up the importance a good night sleep that I shouldn’t have to quote it here.
6. Change any plans/decor for your big day
All of your vendors are locked and loaded about two weeks (or more) out from your wedding day. If you try to change anything the week of your wedding it will rock our worlds so hard you may feel it on your special day. Make a plan and stick to it. You may think adding time to keep us there until the end of the night for your sparkler exit is a good thing because you are paying us more money but it will effect the rest of the week that we need to plan for in advance. Of course we will say yes but please don’t do that to us on the week of your wedding if you can avoid it.
7. Listen to anyone’s wedding day horror stories
There is no perfect wedding day. Let me repeat that: There is no perfect wedding day. SOMETHING happens at every wedding. There are too many moving parts and people for something to not happen. But, you don’t need to hear everyone’s juicy tales on the week of your wedding. So, when your bridesmaids start telling their stories from other weddings they were in, simply stop them and say, “I don’t want to hear it. Just keep it to yourself and tell me you know what to do if anything comes up because you’ve been there, done that. That’s it!”
8. Overeat
Again, with the off work and rehearsal and partying but you will be upset with yourself if you are all bloated for the wedding attire you’ve been dreaming of for so many months. Eat healthy, light meals that will energize you to make it through your marathon-long wedding day.
9. Try on your dress
This is one that you may not think of but you do not want to try on your wedding dress so close to your day unless it is with the person doing your alterations. If you rip something or step on it funny or get the zipper stuck, you might be too close to the wedding to get it fixed. On your wedding day we will all be there to help you get in it carefully.
10. Watch the weather too closely
Look, you can’t change the weather. I’m sure you’ve already considered the rain plan early on in your venue selection so you HAVE to be okay with it. Just let it be and let it be what it is going to be. Stressing about it won’t do you any good. In fact, it may lead to you sleeping less…remember those dark circles we talked about earlier? Let it go and let the venue handle it. Whether you realize it or not, the venue is going to make the decision for you anyway so just let them and enjoy your day and your people.
What do you think? What will be the hardest for you? What resonated the most? Was there anything you hadn’t thought of at all? Comment below your thoughts.