Wedding Day Getting Ready Tips

/ Galway Downs/
Galway Downs Bride and Bridesmaids pouring champagne in bridal suite Wedding Day Timeline Tips by carrie vines

Timeline Tips for a Calm Wedding Morning

As a wedding photographer for the last 10+ years, I am seeing a shift in wedding day timelines. I’m finding more and more couples wanting to enjoy their time while they’re getting ready, relishing in those moments with friends and family as they prepare for their big moment. And that makes my heart sing.  I love documenting the emotions and the traditions and everything in between before the ceremony starts. I love capturing the little details that make weddings unique and pretty, but in my opinion, at the end of the day, it’s the people that you’re with, the hugs that are shared and the tears that turn into laughter, that you want to make time for. So here some timeline tips for a calm wedding morning..

Bride writing a love letter to her groom while getting ready Galway Downs Wedding by Carrie Vines

Give Yourselves Time!

You’ll Never Regret Having More Time

Brides and grooms, remember these moments are so special and give yourselves as much time as possible in your timelines to enjoy them. We often don’t think about how long it takes to get ready, and all that includes…. everything from hair and makeup to putting on the dress..

For example, some wedding dresses are slip on, good to go….others require an instructional video taken at your fitting! Lol… in other words, it could take 10 minutes or up to 30-45 minutes just to put on the dress! On top of that, you still have jewelry, shoes, garter, veil, makeup touch up… the time adds up. So keep in mind that just for the bride to get ready in her dress (not counting hair and makeup ) could easily take 30 minutes or more. If at all possible, give yourself at least 30 minutes to an hour to enjoy the process of getting dressed..

But there are so many other moments between hair and makeup and getting dressed that are overlooked on a wedding day, often times even omitted if not given space on the getting ready timeline. These moments include, sharing a champagne toast, or a moment of silence for a prayer with family or the officiant, giving gifts or a game of foosball with your friends.

Let’s face it.. no matter how much pre-planning we do, wedding days are innately stressful… One way I’ve seen Brides and Groom help settle their nerves is to take a moment to write out their vows or write a love note to their fiance to be shared with them before the ceremony, letting them know they are thinking of them. This is especially true if the couple isn’t sharing a First Look moment. What a beautiful and memorable way to stay present in this moment! So if at all possible, give yourself 10-15 minutes during your getting ready time, just to take a breather and write a note!

Stay Organized

A Little Organization Before Hand Goes A Long Way!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a bride have a moment of unnecessary stress simply because the garter couldn’t be found. Not only is it causing worry, its a time waster, having to dig thru multiple bags to find a missing item.

I recommend to my brides and grooms to each have a designated bag just for their wedding day items so that any and all personal items can be found in a moment’s notice. Also, bonus: your photographer will love you for this! 😊

Bride and Bridesmaids personalized gift bags, perfect for the wedding day Carrie Vines

Bride and Groom wedding day details can include:

  • shoes

  • invitation suite

  • jewelry (including wedding rings)

  • hair accessories

  • makeup touch up kit - lipgloss, etc

  • perfume/cologne

  • bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts

  • parent gifts

  • handkerchiefs/pocketsquares

  • ties

  • socks

  • garter

  • tie clip/cufflinks

  • watch

  • dress belt/belt

  • purse

Use A Calming Fragrance

Your sense of smell is closely linked to memory..

This final tip may not really have anything to do with your timeline specifically, but it has everything to do with calming the nerves.. and besides.. this tip is super easy and very effective and takes no time at all! We all know that your sense of smell is closely linked to memory, so why not burn a calming candle while you’re getting ready. At one of my recent weddings, a bridesmaid presented the bride with a candle while she was getting dressed and suggested they start using it right away.. I loved this idea so much!! Some other olfactory nerve pleasing ideas could include your favorite perfume or cologne, or even the fragrant flowers you choose for your bouquet! Any one of these aromas can help calm unwanted stresses and in the future take you down memory lane.