Five Pre-wedding Rituals to Make Your Day Memorable
Your wedding day will happen in the blink of an eye so take full advantage of your “getting ready” hours with your nearest and dearest. Now is the time to give and receive gifts, listen to the wise words of your elders, breathe deeply, and bask in that pre-wedding glow. Read on for five ways to make these moments meaningful and memorable.
1. Bridesmaids/ Girl Gang gifts: Your babes have been there for you from the beginning, swooning over your ring, planning your bachelorette and shopping for your wedding dress. Show them your gratitude by giving them a unique and heartfelt gift. They’ll feel loved and appreciated while you happily wipe away a tear or two.
2. Good luck charms: If you adhere to the American tradition “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” prepare for family members to gift you with an heirloom. In other countries there are rituals and traditions involving ribbons, henna, rice, veils, and even liquor to wish the bride well — you never know, your family just might surprise you!
3. A family blessing: Gather your female relatives and hold hands while your mother or grandma says a special blessing or prayer. Let this womanly energy inspire and ground you before stepping into your wedding dress.
4. Just breathe: If you feel stress and anxiety starting to invade, try the ancient “4-7-8” breathing technique. Lilia and Olivia can explain in more detail, but these three phases of inhalation, retention, and exhalation will provide your mind and body a peaceful moment.
5. Cheers to you: Having a small glass of champagne or prosecco before the ceremony starts will take the edge off without making your head spin. Mix your desired sparkling with fresh squeezed OJ or colorful berries for extra pizzazz — and don’t forget to get your photographer to capture the moment!
How to Avoid Stress and Stay Organized on Your Wedding Day
Ah, organization, the often overlooked antidote to wedding stress.
As a new bride, I’m sure you’re painfully well aware that your wonderful wedding day will be chock-full of small yet important details. If left unattended to, those tiny details can build into a huge headache or outburst, putting a damper on this significant day.
It is my firm belief that if all your event details are planned in advance, the big day will go smoother, and you'll feel more relaxed. No one likes a bridezilla, and trust me, it’s not actually fun to feel like one. If you have a wedding planner or coordinator, you can rest easy that most of the heavy-hitting is complete, but if you don’t, it’s time to open up Google Sheets and make some lists. Light a candle, breathe deeply, and most importantly, give yourself enough time to figure everything out.
First and foremost, create a timeline for the wedding weekend listing each task or event, the timing, and people involved. You can create this in Google Drive, and send it out to your wedding party and family — make sure everyone knows who’s doing what in advance and that all questions are answered. Within this doc you’ll also want to include names and phone numbers of important vendors and members of the wedding party for seamless communication throughout your wedding weekend. Believe me, you won’t want a million people approaching you like you’re a phone book at your own rehearsal dinner!
Next, ensure readings, vows, toasts, and anything else that needs to be printed is done a day or two beforehand. Trying to find a printer last minute or reading a toast from your phone is an etiquette faux pas. If there are important things that need to be brought to the venue (card box, guest book, favors, etc.) designate a responsible friend to organize and place these items appropriately.
You probably know this one already, but be prepared for “day of” emergencies with a good bridal kit. Make your own or find them on Etsy! I always bring band-aids, perfume, bobby pins, stain remover, blotting papers, gum, and tissues. On that note, make sure to designate fifteen minutes to eat while getting ready and be sure to drink enough water — you’re going to want to feel confident and radiant during your ceremony, not wobbly and nauseous. Getting ready with your girls is definitely more fun with a good playlist and a wireless speaker, so have your bestie set something up in advance (and make sure songs are appropriate enough for Grandma!).
Lastly, please do yourself a favor and have a rain plan in place. Weather is a major stressor for many brides, but it doesn’t have to be! Knowing you have a solid plan in case of inclement weather will free up your mind for the upcoming celebration. With all the logistics and details organized in advance, you’ll be free to spend the precious hours before your wedding sipping mimosas and bonding with your babes. Now that’s a wedding day well-planned!
https://www.bewedwell.com/blog/2018/5/17/five-pre-wedding-rituals-to-make-your-memorable
