The wedding day checklist is extensive and while there are many weekly tasks that should be completed, there are some that have to wait until the week of or a few weeks prior. These tasks include hair and makeup appointments, outings with friends and family, food and drinks, packing up décor and alcohol and so much more! However, there are also some tasks that want to be avoided for any just in case moments that may happen along the way. We are here to share some “to avoid activities,” give you some alternatives and share some tips and tricks for the weeks leading up to the week of your wedding!
Physical Appearance
Of course we all want to look our absolute best on one of the biggest days in our lives, however, this is not the time to experiment. If your normal daily appearance is to have a nice, full and trimmed beard, this is definitely not the time to shave it all off! If you have always wanted to try this hair color or that hair style, the week of is probably not the time to try that out. If you have never had acrylic nails done, learning how to do daily tasks with long nails while you are finishing all the other last minute wedding tasks is not good for stress levels.
Instead, try different hair styles, makeup looks, nail designs, facial hair and tanning well in advance to settle on the perfect combination for the big day. Not to mention, your hair and makeup artists should have a trial run within their contract. Book this for another big and long event to really test of the endurance of heat, sweat, etc on your hair and makeup. There is no harm in experimenting or trying new things, but take a moment to time manage. This leaves the week of the wedding to complete all of the necessary appointments just as they were practiced so that you and your soon-to-be’s confidence is glowing from head to toe!
Pro-tip: Make a list of all appointments that will need to be scheduled for any last minute touch ups three to four months in advance and create those appointments at that time. We all know how booked up our salons and barbers are, so make sure you have that appointment locked in for the week of your wedding well in advance.
Physical Activities
This may be an obvious one, but we are going to reiterate it because of how important it is! Do not do anything out of the ordinary physically or any contact sports the week of your wedding. We cannot stress this enough as the temptation before a wedding is to do something that you have never done before, but what can actually happen is a high risk of injuring yourself. For example, you have never gone mountain biking, but a few days before the wedding your buddies want to take you on a mountain biking tour to hang out. This seems like a fun, “I will never do this again” activity, but what it actually consists of is an extremely high risk that you will injure yourself before your wedding day. The same goes for contact sports, even if you regularly partake in them. There is still a huge risk that you will injure yourself, especially with the adrenaline of an upcoming wedding. The risk is not worth it.
Instead, go on a leisurely hike that does not cause too much strain on your body. Other alternatives are to play lawn games, board games or bar games. If your favorite sports team is playing in the area, book some tickets to see the game instead of playing it. These all have little to no risk of injuring anyone, but are still really fun activities for you and your friends.
Pro-tip: If there is an activity that you want to do before your wedding that has a bit of risk involved, plan it on your bachelor or bachelorette trip! These often happen months in advance of the wedding, which leaves a good amount of wiggle room if needed.
Food and Alcohol
Most of us have seen or heard references to The Hangover. It is a movie for a reason and let us keep it that way! Having an almost Hangover like experience is sometimes tempting and even easy to do. The days leading up to your wedding are filled with friends and family coming into town with tons of opportunities to eat and drink together. Not to mention, the rehearsal or meet and greet the night before can often go into the early morning hours with drinks galore. Even though it is so tempting, it is really important to try not to over indulge the days and especially the night before the wedding. This also goes for food. Try not to eat anything that you are not familiar with or any take out that could possibly lead to food poisoning. Trust us, you do not want an upset stomach on your wedding day!
Here are a few tips and tricks! 1. Drink. Lots. Of. Water. This is a lifesaver, especially if you are out and about and it is hot outside. Keep a water bottle on or around you at all times the week of. 2. Eat a healthy and balanced diet starting a month before your big day. Try to cut out a few more sugars than you normally would and add in some more vegetables and protein. 3. Keep liquid IV or Pedialyte around the week of, just in case you need to brighten up after a long night. 4. Stay away from sugary cocktails that can leave you with an awful headache even if you do not drink too much. 5. Remember to have fun and to be ready to wake up for hair and/or makeup in the morning!
Pro-Tip: If you have any questions about anything in your diet, see a dietician or an allergist well in advance so that those foods can be avoided. Also, plan a massage a few days beforehand to leave you relaxed and pampered. We all want you to look glamourous on your big day!
Packing for the Wedding and Honeymoon
The tricky part of planning a wedding is that it is often being planned around an already busy life. So when it comes to packing, it is often left until the week of the wedding because couples designate days off and assume they will have time. In actuality, that time is often filled with appointments, other last minute errands and friends and family. There are three different packing piles when it comes to the wedding day. The first is all of the décor and alcohol that you are providing. The second is packing the “I Do Duffle” and any other wedding day essentials. The third to packing for a honeymoon if it is immediately after the wedding.
We recommend picking a day of the week that is solely dedicated to wedding planning as well as a location that is solely for wedding related items. On your wedding planning day, go through your checklist and make sure that you and your soon-to-be are keeping up with wedding tasks, placing any orders, making appointments, paying vendors, sending emails or invitations, working on the seating chart etc. A month or two before the big day, start packing items. This will help tremendously so that all you have to do on the week of it drop off all the packed décor and alcohol to your venue for your wedding planning team and caterer to handle. Same goes for the bags, having all of your items packed and ready to go well before the week of reduces your stress immensely, because you can just grab them and go the morning of your wedding. This also allows you and your loved ones to enjoy the wedding day instead of running around picking up last minute décor pieces or making last minute errand trips.
Pro-Tip: Have a trusted checklist, with recommended dates, from the moment you get engaged to the wedding day. This will keep you on track with timing and help you feel more organized. Also, check out our other blog post “The I Do Duffle” to ensure you have all the necessities for those just-in-case moments!
Wedding Attire
That feeling when we open up a box, the item inside is brand new, we do not want to touch it and mess it up at all is a wonderful feeling. However, it is not one for wedding attire! This is the most important time to try on any and all attire well before the wedding day and then about a month or two beforehand to ensure everything still fits and feels good. After that, it is essential to steam or press the items so that they look perfectly pressed on the big day. Steaming is a step that is often missed, especially by the wedding party which leads to steaming on the day of. This can often take much longer than previously thought and may even damage the garment if done incorrectly or in a rush.
Instead, designate a member of the wedding party on each side to check in with the other members to make sure their attire fits, feels beautiful and is professionally pressed or steamed the month before the wedding. For the bride’s dress and any dress changes, make sure to try them all on a month beforehand and then steam them if needed. Place them back in the garment bag and in a dry, clean place until the big day. Now, there are typically touch ups needed, but the bulk should be taken care of before. Same goes for the groom’s, make sure your shirts, dress pants and jackets look clean and pressed. We want you all to shine!
Pro-Tip: To all brides and grooms ~ make sure you break in your wedding day shoes and make sure you pack a change of shoes. This is incredibly important, because you will be on your feet for eight to ten hours that day and moving around often, so comfortable shoes are a must! You can thank us later 😉
From physical wellness to packing to attire, there are definitely tasks that will remain necessary on the week of your wedding, but there are definitely some that should not make an appearance. To plan as much in advance as you can will help you to remain organized, healthy, looking fresh and relaxed. Do not hesitate to reach out to your wedding planner, friends or family to help you organize some of these tasks above so that they are not overwhelming and get completed ahead of time. Your wedding day is about you and your partner looking and feeling your very best!
