There are a lot of things, places and people to organise for a wedding - it can be a never-ending list if you let it. So let Jennifer Hughson help with a few dos and don'ts to get you started.
DON'T get overwhelmed by trying to please everyone or cater for every whim. During the planning stages, you'll find everyone has an opinion all of a sudden and an idea for everything.
DO listen to your instincts and your tastes. This is you and your love's special day. In saying that, be considerate to an extent. Don't make your elderly grandma stand up for an hour because your ceremony venue is tiny and won't fit chairs. Fit one for her at least.
DON'T wear uncomfortable shoes. If you must have sky high stilettos or diamanté platforms, keep them just for the photo-shoot or even a few key photos and make sure you have comfortable shoes for the majority of the day. Also if you've never worn heels in your life, now is not the time to start! You don't want to be saying your heartfelt vows and only be thinking of your throbbing painful feet.
DO think outside the traditional white satin kitten heel. Maybe you have a theme and want to wear cowgirl boots or brightly coloured ballet flats - anything goes! Just check this with your dress maker or bridal shop too - you don't want their perfect and time-consuming hemline being completely thrown out either.
DON'T forget to eat! I know you're nervous and excited but you need to get some sort of food into you so you can enjoy your day and you're not worrying about whether you can stand up for the entirety of the vows. Or find yourself wondering if a guest has thrown their confetti in the air too soon (‘What are those sparkling stars I'm seeing already...?'). No one wants a fainter at the wedding.
DO try nibbling at yummy things while you get your hair done, and let the distraction help ease the nerves. I'm sure your hairdresser knows far too many ‘interesting' workplace stories to send you into a glazed-eyed hypnotic trance enough to consume some peanuts and jelly beans (small with high calories you see!).
DON'T have the hen's party or stag do the night before the wedding! I don't know if anyone actually does this or whether it's strictly reserved for tragic rom-coms starring that Hugh fella but still, don't do it! Even the weekend before can be too soon for that hangover to ease, the bruises to vanish and his eye brows to grow back. (How many clichés have I covered here? Some? Good.)
And at the risk of sounding like your mother, don't get drunk at your wedding. Leave that embarrassment for a bridesmaid or groomsman or three... It's their duty, nay, their right! Let them regale a captive audience (while the luckier guests rip up the dance floor) with tales of your past Bride/Groomzilla tendencies.
DO enlist their help for the pack up at 10am the next day.
On the night before the wedding, DON'T transform into a tornado of activity or flap around like someone escaping a wasp ...This evening is the time to completely relax. This is when you should be painting your nails, enjoying the company of family that have travelled from out of town and just chilling with your besties.
DO just that, RELAX. Anything that's not yet done, either delegate it or forget about it - it can't be that important!
