Bride Etiquette: Your Wedding Day
Sleep
You are about to host the biggest party of your life, so you will want to be calm and well rested. Remember to get a full night's rest the night before your wedding. Although your wedding will be joyful and fun, getting married and hosting a wedding requires a lot of energy. You will likely want to be as patient, calm, and centered as possible on your big day. A full night's sleep means you will give yourself the best chance for a relaxing experience on your special day.
Eat
Make sure you’re not hungry at your own wedding by having a full breakfast and lunch before the ceremony. You will not want to feel low energy, impatient, light headed, or pass out on your big day! A full ceremony and reception take up many hours in the day and night, and you will be the center of attention on your wedding day. You will also be greeting guests, taking a lot of photographs, and speaking a lot throughout the day and evening, so you will need fuel to be able to do all of that activity well.
Drink
We mean water, not alcohol! Of course you are free to drink champagne and other libations throughout the day, but you need to be hydrated to feel your best. As photographers, we can tell you that hydrated brides photograph much better than overly served, sloppy brides. So feel free to celebrate with adult beverages, it is your wedding after all. Just make sure to temper any alcoholic beverages with water and make sure to pace yourself.
Be Cool
It's your special day and you will want to remember it fondly when all of the festivities are over. Your wedding day is a time for you to relax, have fun, and get married! There have been unfortunate brides who have created unnecessary drama by arguing with vendors or guests at their weddings. If you've eaten properly, gotten good sleep, and hydrated, you will have a much easier day and can avoid becoming a bridezilla. Remember that your wedding is ultimately about marrying the love of your life and that is the most important task to complete. As long as you end up married by the end of the evening, you have succeeded. You will not be able to do your wedding day over, and you will want to remember that you had fun as a couple on one of the happiest days of your life.
Greet Your Guests
Your guests took time out of their lives and spent money to come and celebrate your wedding with you. It is proper etiquette for the bride and groom to thank the guests and speak with them to acknowledge that you appreciate them celebrating with you on your big day. You may be surprised by how much time this takes, depending on the size of your wedding. In a big wedding, you may end up spending quite a a lot of time chatting with the guests at the reception. Brides often find it helpful to go around to each dining table and speak with a guests, because you will ensure that you don’t forget anyone.
Be Comfortable
This tip is mostly for you. It is important for you to feel comfortable throughout your wedding day. Trying out a new pair of stilettos or a new hairstyle or an uncomfortable dress is not a great idea. In many ways, a wedding is a marathon and not a sprint, and you don’t want to wear uncomfortable stilettos for a marathon. It is a long day and night, despite being very fun and joyful. You will want to make sure you make the most of it by looking good and also feeling good throughout the day.
Bridesmaids' Gifts
Brides traditionally purchase bridesmaids gifts to present to the bridesmaids early in the wedding day. Sometimes it can be a necklace or other piece of jewelry, or anything sentimental you think they will appreciate. The bridesmaids have put in the time, energy, and money into being there for you on your big day and you will want to thank them for being there for you. They can wear jewelry during the ceremony or you can give them a gift for them to enjoy later.
