You know enough not to hop into a tanning booth on the morning of your wedding, nor slather yourself with baby oil and lie out in the sun to bake yourself bronzed just a few hours prior to your walk down the aisle. Risking a painful lobster-red burn before a full day of hugging a hundred+ people isn’t wise at all. Here are some additional Wedding Morning Don’ts to keep in mind, to keep yourself comfy, sober, on time, and free of wedding morning disasters:
Don’t drink too much champagne at your wedding breakfast. A toast or two won’t likely impair you, but if you’re downing flute after flute of bubbly, you won’t be at your best, and if you’re truly tipsy, someone’s going to capture you on video and send you viral. And not in a good way. Plus, a post-bubbly energy crash can slow you down on your big day. Drink plenty of hydrating water instead.
Don’t social media your wedding dress hanging up. Your groom and guests should get their first look at you in your dream gown, not get a full sneak peek of your dress. Let your professional photographer snap photos of your artistically-displayed dress, but keep those images private this morning.
Don’t forget to eat. You need healthy energy to give you stamina for your wedding day, so choose healthy bites and stay away from greasy foods that can make you queasy or sap you of energy. Don’t go anywhere near food or colorful drinks while wearing your wedding gown or veil, and don’t allow food or drinks to be carried into the room where they and your wedding shoes are awaiting you. Don’t clean the rings anywhere near a sink, or anywhere else they can fall down a crevice, causing a ring nightmare.
Don’t invite too many people to your getting-ready place on the wedding morning. Sure, it’s festive to be surrounded by your bridesmaids and immediate family for a wedding-morning brunch, dressing and photos, but if your mom wants to invite other relatives, and if the bridesmaids want to bring their dates to your 3-hour pre-wedding gathering, that can cause a crowded space and extra stress.
Don’t lose track of time and rush through your photos. Talk to your wedding photographer about how many hours to block off for pre-wedding portraits at your place, and mark that time block on your itinerary. Stick to it, and you won’t wind up with rushed, less-than-stellar group photos.
Don’t take up all the pre-wedding photos time. A slow start and an extended photo session could mean the photographer (if you hired just one, and not a team) won’t have a lot of time to photograph the guys where they’re getting ready. And the groom with his parents, which could cause his mom to get aggravated. Don’t decorate the outside of your house with wedding balloons, signs, streamers, paper lanterns and other evidence that your house will be empty all day and night. Thieves can target your place, getting such a sign that no one is home. They know that weddings often mean lots of wedding presents are in that house, not to mention all of your computers, TVs, jewelry and other valuable items.
Don’t let anyone drive drunk. You may have steered clear of the bubbly, but if you have a bridesmaid who hasn’t eaten and had a few too many glasses of champagne, and you’ve opted to have everyone drive the short distance to your ceremony as a budget-saver, that’s a recipe for disaster. Take keys, have backup drivers and ask a parent or responsible friends to help spot the tipsy people in your circle.