How To Have A Seamless Wedding Morning

Too many times we arrive to a bridal suite on the wedding morning and walk into a chaotic mess! While part of our job is being able to adapt and go with the flow, chaos and disorganization does make our job more difficult. Not only that, but it makes for added and unnecessary stress on you (the bride!)

Here are some pro tips that will guarantee a smooth & stress free wedding morning:

1) Steam Dresses the Night Prior: I know the LAST thing you want to do after a welcome party or rehearsal dinner is steam dresses, but this can be a great task for your future MIL, your mom, or a trusted friend. Having them steamed & hanging nicely in the bridal suite or getting ready space will not only save time on the morning of, but it will protect the precious makeup & hair you just paid for!

2) Organize Bridesmaid Gift Bags: If you're having a bridal party and are doing gift bags, having them neatly laid out & ready to go first thing in the morning is ideal. Putting them in the space the night before is even better! Having to run back to a room to get them can be an annoying distraction. 

3) Be Ready in Robes: On a similar note, if you are having your bridal party wear matching robes or PJ's, ensure everyone is dressed and ready prior to the arrival of your makeup & hair team. If I had a dollar for every time a bridesmaid was about to sit down for makeup and jumped up realizing they needed to put the robe or outfit on, I'd be retired in Aruba. This may sound silly, but just that 5 minute delay in the schedule can add up if it happens 3 or 4 times...

4) Have the Early Birds Go First: If you have a smaller bridal party (less than  4 or 5), having everyone there and ready to go is important for things to stay on time. If you have a larger bridal party (more than 6), assign 3 friends/ family to be there first if it's a super early start time. Pick friends or family that are early birds! The ones who can grab a coffee and rally into glam at 6:30 AM if needed. If hair/ makeup starts late because no one is awake & ready to go, the buffer time we build in is gone within the first hour+ of us being there. 

5) Letters/ Sentimental Gifts: It's very normal to receive a letter or gift from your partner or bridal party on the wedding day. While these are an important part of the day, they are also major culprits of ugly crying. Try to read the letter or open the gift the night prior or first thing that morning. Wet, teary eyes make it SUPER hard for makeup to adhere to that area. Also, if you just got done with makeup, lash glue takes a while to fully set, so if you go right into tears, this could cause some issues. Chat with your photographer about staged options if you want to be captured reading or opening a gift. 

6) Have Details for Photographer Ready: Most photographers will want to capture details like your stationery, ring, shoes, jewelry, perfume, etc. Have these items in a box or out on a table ready to go for them! If you have to leave the makeup or hair chair to go hunt these items down, it can cause quite a delay in the timeline. 

7) Have Lunch Early: Depending on your timeline, this may vary. But, if everyone needs to be getting into dresses at 2 PM, don't have lunch come to the room at 1:30 PM. Be done with eating at least an hour and a half (or more) before hair/ makeup is scheduled to be completed. For makeup, I like to apply lipstick after the last service is completed (aka at the end of our timeline). If people are still eating, or lunch hasn't even arrived yet, it's pointless for me to put lipstick on anyone. This is also why I suggest bridesmaids bring their own lip color for touch ups- just incase! 

8) Designate a Point Person: SO many people will want your attention on the wedding morning. While some questions will need to be directed to you, having a point person (hey, hey MOH it's your time to shine!) can be super helpful! If you have a wedding planner, they will likely pop in and out and be able to handle most vendor questions, but there is always an aunt, or grandma or someone who will bug you with questions about when the shuttle arrives or what time dinner is. Give your phone to your MOH or point person to handle that. Relax and be present in YOUR day!

Long story short- the more organization and prep you can do the night prior, the easier off your morning will be! Wedding days go by so quickly, don't let silly, avoidable stressors ruin your morning.

Photos by: Laura Briggs Photography & Jenna Brisson Photography