3 Tips to Avoid a Stressful Wedding Morning

Let me paint you a little picture of a stressful wedding morning scenario that I see all too often as a professional bridal makeup artist….

Imagine waking up on your wedding day. You and your friends are taking turns getting pampered with hair & makeup, laughing about inside jokes, and sipping your mimosas. 

Finally, it’s your turn to sit in the makeup chair.

While your makeup is being applied, family members and wedding professionals slowly begin trickling into the room. Professional photos are being taken, your videographer is capturing footage, and your florist just knocked on the door to deliver your bouquet. 

As the “happy chatter” volume rises, the music volume turns up, and suddenly, your calm getting-ready room feels a little (or a lot) more overwhelming than you expected. 

You may start to feel a little nervous excitement.

As the getting-ready room fills with more people and becomes busier, it’s a normal feeling that many brides experience. We can usually sense that, and we aim to be a calming presence that doesn’t add to the noise. 

Here’s how I recommend preventing this situation:

1. Surround yourself with the right people

Most brides love the thought of getting ready with their best friends (and for good reason – it can be a lot of fun)!

But if the thought of nerves mixed with a lot of high energy in the room (on an already emotionally-charged day) is already stressing you out, you may want to consider this:

It’s ok to be selective and keep the number in your getting ready room to a minimum.

If you’re nervous about hurting people’s feelings who expect to get ready with you, I give you full permission to blame it on your wedding vendors. Tell them that your vendors request as few people in the room as possible. And guess what? Your vendors DO prefer that.

Most of our brides choose to get ready in spacious settings like penthouse suites, or conference rooms so there is more than enough space for you & all of your vendors to spread out.

Others opt to book 2-3 adjoining hotel rooms so they have a tranquil space of their own to get ready, and yet their wedding party isn’t too far off. 

2. Book experienced hair & makeup professionals

Gathering all of the most important women in your life to get ready together in the same room for a big event together can be *just* about as hectic as it sounds.

The good news is, after being a part of hundreds of wedding mornings, we know exactly how to coordinate this portion of your morning to make it flow effortlessly. (If you’re an MBM bride, we’ll create a morning beauty timeline for you with plenty of cushion time for you never feel rushed.)

Make sure you understand what your “hard stop” time is for hair & makeup to be complete. Please do not guess on this – ask your photographer!

Failing to do this is the #1 mistake I see brides make. And it very quickly causes your timeline to run behind. This can be entirely avoided just by communicating with your vendors beforehand.

3. Hire a wedding planner or day-of coordinator

As a wedding professional, it’s almost immediately clear on a wedding day when a bride has hired a wedding planner or coordinator.

Brides with planners know that they never have to check the clock, because their schedule is being carefully managed for them. (Doesn’t that sound amazing?)

As a recent bride myself, I know you’re probably wondering if you really need to hire a planner or coordinator.

Please hear me when I say this: hiring a wedding planner gives you your best chance of having a stress-free wedding day.

It’s absolutely crucial that have someone as “point of contact” for you that day so you don’t become the go-to problem solver taking calls, sharing directions, and making decisions.

And someone who is experienced in the wedding space will be familiar with the hustle and bustle of a wedding day, and be able to prevent problems before they happen without you ever having to know.

Your only job should be to relax and soak up every amazing moment.
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With a little preparation during the wedding planning process, your wedding morning can become the peaceful experience you’ve always dreamt it would be. If you need any additional help on this topic, I’m here for you!

Ready to see why becoming an MBM bride will the smartest decision you make for a stress-free wedding morning? Click here to get in touch.