My Wedding Tips + Advice!

Hey Friends! So, post wedding I compiled a list of tips and advice to share with those future brides and brides-to-be! Before my wedding, I had never been a bridesmaid. I had only ever been a guest at other peoples weddings so I didn't ever really get to see the nitty-gritty side of things. 

I relied heavily on "wedding tips" I found on Pinterest, but never had any heart to heart info or advice from anyone I knew.

So, here we go...these are in no real order so bear with me! 

1). A few months before your wedding schedule a 60-90 minute massage for yourself about 3 or 4 days before the big day. No matter how busy you may get, DO NOT cancel this. What I found was that I really needed one because I was super tight and tense, as well as I really needed some personal time away from everything wedding related and everyone. Because trust me, no matter what kind of bride you say you will be....by this week everything will be wedding, wedding, wedding and it's crazy overwhelming!

2). A facial! So, my skin is crazy sensitive so I didn't want to get a facial and cause a breakout but my hair dresser had told me about dermaplaning just over a week before our wedding and I decided to give it a shot as it's less invasive. I would suggest doing the smart thing and trying a few out before the week before your wedding. I LOVE dermaplaning. It's a little razor and takes off the top layer of skin and all of your peach fuzz and makes your skin glow! It made my skin feel wonderful and I am definitely hooked, it's definitely my new favorite kind of facial! 

3). Shellac Mani and Pedi! I was the ultimate DIY bride which meant I was putting flowers arrangements together, transporting all of our arts and crafts displays around and running errands the day before our wedding which meant I was super nervous about getting a nice mani and pedi done as I thought for sure I would get a chip and ruin it. I never get my nails done so I was totally clueless to shellacking but was SO glad I decided to shellac both my nails and toes. I stubbed my toes, bashed my nails on stuff and my shellac was so tough it stood up to everything! It was amazing! This stuff seems to grow out before it will ever chip! The only downfall is I totally destroyed my nails taking it off, so I'm going through the long process of growing everything out now but for the wedding day, it was totally worth it! 

4). Flowers! I would HIGHLY recommend paying your florist to put a sample bouquet together before they order all of the flowers for your big day! I learned the hard way. See, I loved my flowers but they weren't exactly what I wanted. I had given my florist a picture of exactly what I wanted and they somewhat followed but there were a couple things that they didn't include....I really wanted a mix of white flowers with coral and peaches but there were no white flowers....and I seriously dislike bouquets that are just solid color. I brushed it off because they were really pretty but when I saw my photos I was a little sad as my bouquets didn't balance with our boutonnieres or center pieces very well, which I had given some serious thought and planning into.  I also thought we had discussed having dahlias in my bouquets but there definitely weren't any of those in there which I was a little disappointed in too as I love them! So, as much as your may be communicating perfectly with your florist and think you're both on the same level...if you want your flowers to be perfect....get a sample bouquet before hand! You'll be super relieved you did!

5). Photographer! If you're going to bite the bullet and really invest in something, spend extra money on your photographer! I was expecting to spend a lot of money on a photographer, but was so blown away when I started to get estimates from photographers I really wanted. So, I spent some time and found someone who was more in our budget. She's suuuper talented. However, weddings were not exactly her specialty. Our engagement photos were beyond incredible but when we got our wedding photos back, it was like it was a different person had taken them. They were not of the same quality by any means and both my husband and I were disappointed by them. So, spend some extra money on a photographer you really want to work with. There's no way to re-create your wedding day so you only have one chance to capture it! Do it right so you don't regret it! Also, ask for some time to just "be yourselves" without any cheesy poses. You will want some photos that really capture the natural love between you and your partner, photos that are a little more "you"! :)

6). Hire a videographer and a day-of planner!! For real!! These were the best two decisions I made for our big day! A videographer captures the energy and a part of the day that no photographer could ever accomplish. And a day-of planner just makes sure the day goes as planned without you having to worry about a thing! :)

7). Crest whitestrips! These things are amazing! They made my teeth look incredible and I am totally hooked on them! If you want your smile to be extra amazing on a day you will be smiling a lot, totally worth the investment and is way cheaper than getting them whitened at your dentist office!

8). Day before....I figure most brides will be on a crazy workout plan of some sort before your big day. The day before after all my errands had been done and before the rehearsal dinner, I took some me time and headed to the gym in the hotel we were staying at. I got in a super intense workout and burned some steam off and felt incredible. It got my blood flowing, relaxed me and was such a great decision! Not to mention, my abs were super tight and extra flat for our wedding day too! :)

9). Last but not least....baby powder!! If you're getting married in a big white dress, whether it's tight or not it's most likely going to be heavy and hot. No matter how skinny you are, your legs are going to rub together and be super uncomfortable to avoid this try rubbing baby powder in between your thighs. I didn't try it but someone also suggested deodorant between your legs too! Regardless, try applying something to reduce friction! You will be happy you did!

Last but not least, enjoy your day! You've worked hard for it! Slow down, enjoy it and take it all in...it goes by way too quickly! Roll with it too...things will go wrong, stay cool and roll with it. There are some things that you just can't plan for or won't go as originally planned and that will just end up being a part of your day and a memory! That's it friends! That's some of the best advice I can give you! Best of luck on your wedding journey! If you ever have any other questions or concerns regarding your wedding day, don't hesitate to e-mail me! I'm here for you!