If you're anything like me, your wedding day stress has already begun a year in advance. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited and absolutely certain the day is going to be amazing no matter what happens! But I'm so caught up in making sure everyone else is taken care of and having an amazing time; I just know I'll need help keeping calm and relaxed on our wedding day.
So, I'm very grateful for the variety of helpful and healthful ideas Knot & Pop and Taylor and Porter (the team behind last week's incredibly romantic, English manor inspiration) shared with us about how to wake up refreshed and pamper yourself in order to stay calm and relish in all the wedding day excitement.
From Knot & Pop
Working predominantly with the five senses we explore ideas that aim to make this day, your wedding day, one of the most memorable and enjoyable days in your life, allowing you to be as present and relaxed as possible.
1. Consider the Location
A venue that you feel instantly emotionally connected to is the ideal surround to make you feel calm, excited and content. Whether that venue be a historic home like Port Eliot, with it’s eclectic, bohemian sensibility in the beautiful English country-side, or something modern and city bound, it’s important to feel your venue reflects you both as a couple – allowing you to enjoy the space and feel comfortable in it.
Consider a venue where you can stay the night before and marry on site so the morning of your wedding day you are in place and can enjoy every moment without the worry of having to make a big journey to your ceremony. The more traveling you add to your day, the more panicked about arriving on time things can become, with unforeseen traffic jams never a friend of any bride.
2. Get to Bed Early
The night before your wedding it may take you longer to drift off than normal so head to bed a little earlier and give yourself that time to relax. Comforting linen sheets and a calming play-list are the perfect way to set you up for a restful sleep. Guided mindfulness meditations can be downloaded onto your smart phone in advance, helping to calm you into easy rest.
3. Treat Yourself to Tea & a Healthy Breakfast
A calming infused tea and hearty, healthy breakfast, brought to you in bed for that extra indulgence, is the ideal way to start the day. Avoid greasy and fatty foods as these could make you feel queasy if nerves are heightened. Many brides say they can feel too anxious or excited to eat in the morning but it really is important.
A breakfast bowl layered with fresh fruit, natural yogurt and granola is a visual treat that many brides will find easy to eat and will provide that much needed boost to your energy levels for the day ahead.
4. Choose Calming Scents
Consider your favourite scent as a room diffuser, or candle, so as you’re getting ready a lovely aroma fills the space to relax you. We used traditional sage smudge sticks, an ancient form of incense which are used to cleanse the air and bring calm.
5. Play Music You Love
Make yourself a play-list to enjoy for the morning. Pack a set of bluetooth speakers into your
overnight bag and of course don’t forget your phone charger. Music has a wonderful role in emotional balance and you know the sort of music that lets you feel positive, excited and relaxed; fill the space with these sounds and enjoy the feeling that it brings.
6. Pamper Yourself
If you’re a bath person, have a good soak the morning of your wedding with enriching bath salts and flower petals if you wish. How often can you be this extravagant after all? Treat yourself to a dressing gown that makes you feel wonderful; we chose a luxurious silk Kimono that is beautiful to touch.
7. Carefully Choose Your Inner Circle
Along with your inner circle of bridesmaids and mother(s) on the morning of your wedding, there will be others to consider on the supplier side, and it’s importantly to choose them carefully and make sure you have a great natural dynamic with them.
Those front line in the morning are the Hair and Make Up artists, the Photographer, and the Planner, should you have booked one. Each are there to ensure you have a seamless and memorable day, taking the pressure away from you so you can enjoy your day in full. Minimize distractions by referring last minute questions and queries to your nominated trusted person, whether this is your Planner, a Bridesmaid or Family member.
8. Take In Your Surroundings
It’s important to connect and become present with your space. Clear yourself of your phone and if you’re getting ready in a room with a beautiful view then take a moment out to take in the vista. Notice the sounds, colours, scents, focus on your breathing. If you practice mindfulness or meditation, allow time into
your morning for some practise. The aim is to connect you to the here and now, rather than your mind racing about all the details of the day to come.
9. Factor in Contingency Time
Most importantly, the morning shouldn’t be rushed. It’s important to build in contingency time should for any reason aspects over-run in the morning. If the day starts late, it can be emotionally challenging with stresses easily heightened.
Ensuring you have a hair and make up trial not only means you are happy with the planned look for the day, but also means the time needed to achieve the look is known, and accounted for in the wedding schedule.
We recommend that you aim to be ready an hour before your ceremony begins. It’s much better to be relaxed, knowing you're ready to go, allowing you time to enjoy being with your Bridesmaids and Family rather than rushing at the last moment. Alternatively in this time why not…
10. Consider a First Look
A great way to remove any last minute nerves is to consider a First Look session. This brings the couple together, ahead of seeing all their guests at the ceremony for some pictures with their Photographer. It fuses the strength of the couple, to lean on one another if any nerves are setting in. It’s also an incredibly personal and intimate moment to savour as one of those future all-time-favourite memories and is a great time for pictures as everything about your look and the florals is pristine.
For more helpful tips as your wedding approaches, look through our Wellness section for stress busting ideas and healthful advice.
