10 Tips to Help you Feel Calm on your Wedding Day

1. Choose a venue that you love

Choose a venue that you love and one that you can feel completely calm, excited and content about. If you can stay the night before and marry on site, without having to worry about the journey on your wedding day, then even better.

2. Go to bed early the night before

I can’t stress how important this is for both the bride AND the groom. I could tell you a story about how my husband, went to sleep at 5am on the morning of our wedding, as he was out celebrating the night before with his family over from England, and almost ruined his own wedding day and photos, but I won’t!!!!

Also, don’t drink the night before either. It will just set you up for a hangover on the morning of your wedding and you will feel awful.

3. Treat yourself to a tea/coffee and a healthy breakfast

Having a calming tea and a healthy breakfast will set you up for a fabulous day full of energy. Even if you really don’t feel like eating, you should.

4. Choose calming scents

Consider having your favourite scent as a room diffuser or candle so that as you are getting ready, the scent fills the space and relaxes you.

5. Play music that you love

Make yourself a play list to enjoy for the morning, whilst you are getting ready that calms you, excites you and pumps you up for the big event.

6. Pamper yourself

If you are a bath person, have a good soak the morning of the wedding or even the night before, with bath salts, essential oils and flower petals. Treat yourself to a dressing gown that makes you feel wonderful. If you are a tactile person, silk or a fabric that is beautiful to touch is great. Also, make sure that you have had your mani and pedis and your spray tan done before the day.

7. Carefully choose your inner circle

Carefully choose who you will have as your bridesmaids as they will be with you all day and the wrong choices, can ruin your day.

Also, when choosing your suppliers such as your Hair and Makeup Artists, your photographer, videographer, stylist and planner, make sure that you choose professionals who will ensure that you have a seamless, stress-free and memorable day, taking the pressure away from you so that you can enjoy your day fully. It is crucial that you have a great natural dynamic with your photographer and videographer especially, as they are the people whom you will be spending a great deal of personal time with during the day. They should be calm, professional, personable, fabulous at their job, trustworthy and someone that you could call a friend.

8. Take in your surroundings

Connect and become present with your space. Take in your view, surroundings and focus on your breathing. If you practice mindfulness or meditation, then allow time in your morning for some practise.

9. Factor in contingency time

Don’t rush your morning. You must build in contingency time as everything ALWAYS takes much longer than you imagine. Make sure that you have had a hair and makeup trial before the day. I didn’t and I hated my hair on the day.

The day always runs late, so by factoring in contingency time, you allow time for things to happen that weren’t meant to, which they always do. Try to be ready an hour before your ceremony begins (if on site) or an hour before you are meant to leave. It is much better to be relaxed, allowing you time to enjoy being with your bridesmaids and family, rather than rushing at the last moment.

10. Consider a first look

A great way to remove any last-minute nerves is considering a first look session before the wedding. This is becoming more popular with couples and is certainly popular with younger couples. This brings the couple together with your photographer, before seeing all the guests at the ceremony, and gives the couple the chance to come together, especially if any nerves are setting in. It fuses the strength of the couple and is an incredibly personal and intimate moment to savour and remember. Every couple that I have ever done a first look with, as their wedding photographer, have ALWAYS said how much they loved the experience.