Time flies

Ask any newly married couple about their wedding day and one of the first things they’ll comment on is how quickly it went. That big day has exactly the same number of hours as any other but they seem to fly by in a moment. The advice a lot of people offer is to ‘enjoy every minute’ but for this weeks wedding guide I thought I’d try to put together a few tips to help you get the most out of your day.

1. Plan your day-so much of planning a wedding is about trying to fit in as much as possible but one of the best things you can do is to allow lots time and consider things like travel and any potential delays. If your plan only allows you 10 minutes to make a journey that would normally take at least 20, you’ll arrive flustered and stressed, it’s traditional for the bride to be late, just not too late!

2. Extend your day as much as possible-the night before your wedding is a great time to catch up with out of town guests and your bridal party. When we got married this was one of my favourite parts of the whole wedding, We booked a table at a nearby restaurant and it gave the bridal party a chance to meet properly, we got a chance to catch up with everyone before the wedding itself and it felt like the celebrations had already begun.

3. Tell your guests-a lot of couples put up a schedule for the day highlighting the time of the ceremony, dinner and drinks reception. Things don’t always run to time but they do help with keeping things running smoothly and knowing roughly what to expect and in what order things are happening.

4. Plan some pictures-the most important pictures that your photographer needs to know about are your group shots, ideally this is 10-20 key group pictures of close family, friends, bridal party etc. A big group picture is also a good idea, that way everyone is in at least one shot. Avoid the temptation to send over a list of every single picture you would like (there are often lists of shots in magazines that can run to hundreds of images) even with two photographers they can take up a lot of time and it can often result in you not getting candid pictures, these can be the best images because they show everyone having a great time and how your day really looked.

5. Take time together-this might be 20 minutes with your photographer just for some pictures as a couple or a stroll around the garden at sunset. Pencil in some time for just the two of you to soak in the day and be together.

6. Break with tradition-some traditions are lovely and romantic, cutting the cake, your first dance and they make for lovely pictures. Other traditions such as receiving lines can feel impersonal and rushed, a nice alternative is to visit each table in between courses or during your drinks reception, it’s far nicer for your guests and it gives you a better chance to speak with everyone.

7. Take a break-if possible, allow for a decent amount of time between the end of dinner and the arrival of your evening guests. It can feel very rushed if you know that your late for the evening reception when you haven’t even finished eating. Try to allow for at least 30 minutes if possible.

8. Start early-if it’s possible, look at an early ceremony, at one time 12 or even 11am wasn’t unusual, it can give you a lot more time to enjoy your day and really enjoy the celebrations.

9. But don’t start too early-the one note of caution is opening the Prosecco too early, by all means enjoy a few drinks while you’re getting ready and during the day but have some food and some soft drinks too, it will definitely help you enjoy your wedding and help you to remember it too.

10. Enjoy-it sounds so obvious, but enjoy yourself! It’s your day!