My (top) 4.5 pieces of advice I give to my brides…

Contributed by our Good Friend Danielle Pasternak. 

Whenever I talk with a couple, particularly the bride, I like to give them advice. I know what you’re thinking – “isn’t that your job, Danielle?” Well yes, it is. But I want to share that advice with you. Because, frankly, I think it’s darn good advice.

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Now, I’m not talking about if the photographer doesn’t show up (more on that later). This goes for the things like, if the 2 year old ring bearer doesn’t walk down the aisle as angelically as you may have envisioned, or if not everyone realizes they are supposed to hang around to blow bubbles as you ecstatically exit the church. Along with this bit of advice includes the weather. It’s 100% out of everyone’s hands and the best thing you can do with your energy is have a solid PLAN B.

2. Make sure you eat and hydrate throughout the day. One of the biggest mistakes I see women make is not taking care of their bodies on the day of their wedding. Don’t skip lunch because of nerves. You don’t have to eat a big meal either, but please be sure to at least have some crackers, pretzels, or even some cookies and milk. It’s also super important to drink water. If you don’t believe me for the health aspect, I can at least tell you that your skin will show in pictures if you are dehydrated. Plus, you won’t always be able to sit and enjoy your dinner at the reception or hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail hour – so it’s best to not be famished.

3. Stop to enjoy the little moments. Your wedding day will be weeks, months, years (possibly) of planning and it will only last 24-hours, no matter what you do. It will be whirlwind ride and it will be amazing. Just please stop at certain moments to take it all in. One of my couples spent 15 minutes alone (just the two of them) after the ceremony just to absorb all that was going on and I LOVED that.

4. Hire professionals. This goes back to number one. When you are hiring your team of wedding artists, from photographers to florists to DJs/Bands to whatever, make sure they are professional and are capable of providing what you want. Prioritize your wants and needs, and invest in the right people that you feel comfortable with. If you don’t like your photographer, it WILL show in your photos. Also, ask for references or google them for reviews. They can say they’re wonderful, but look for the feedback of several different couples to really get a feel for what they did and didn’t like about them.

4a. You may not need a wedding planner, but a day-of coordinator is a MUST. Ok, I know I’m biased. But I can’t stress how much can potentially go astray during a wedding that you will NOT want to be dealing with. Hiring a DOC doesn’t mean you will be out of the loop on anything. In fact, you should stay in the driver’s seat the entire time. A DOC will simply take care of any questions, guide you along the way, handle any last-minute changes, and quietly put out any fires without you having to worry about how or who’s going to deal with it. Plus, they give you a complete peace-of-mind knowing that they are there. It’s completely up to you, but it’s beyond worth the investment here.