“Stressed out” is the last thing we want you to be the week before your wedding. To help combat that potential stress, we’ve put together a list of 24 things to remember to do the week before the big day! Give this blog a quick read, finish up these final items, and get ready to enjoy the biggest + best celebration of your life!
Also, if you are nervous about slipping in your new shoes on your wedding day, scuff up the soles with a piece of sandpaper or add a few lines of hot glue along the bottoms. Voila: no-slip soles!
PRO-TIP: Grab your fiance + practice dancing in your wedding shoes, even if it’s just once. It will make you feel 100x more confident during your first dance.
Keep them updated on any changes, see if there is anything else they need from you + confirm your finalized timeline, including their arrival times.
If there are certain vendors you plan on tipping (or those that requested a cash payment) withdraw cash ahead of time + organize it into separate envelopes, each clearly marked as to which vendor it should go to. Then, determine who will be in charge of getting these envelopes to the correct vendor at the close of your reception.
Check in with everyone who will be giving a speech or toast at either the rehearsal dinner or the wedding reception + make sure they know they are on the timeline to do so.
Once you’ve finalized your vows, go ahead + practice reading them out loud, as you don’t want to stumble over your words when you’re standing up at the ceremony site. Practicing out loud will leave you feeling confident + sure of your words on the day of the wedding.
Write a letter to give to your fiance while they are getting ready on the big day. (P.S. if you are wanting them to have one written for you as well, you might need to give them a heads up!)
If you plan on doing a first look, exchanging letters just before is the perfect time to do so. If you won’t be seeing each other until the ceremony, have your bridesmaids or groomsmen deliver the letter to their suite earlier in the day.
If you will be providing welcome bags to greet your out-of-town guests upon check-in, prepare these bags + have them dropped off at the hotel.
PRO-TIP: Include something local in the welcome bag. Local salsa. Local beer. Samples from your favorite bakery in town, etc.!
Your “wedding day emergency kit” should consist of any + all essentials you may need day-of. Think things like band-aids, medicine, super glue, bobby pins, safety pins, etc.).
Designate someone who will be in charge of grabbing the card box + wedding gifts after the night concludes, loading them up in their car, and delivering the lot to your home.
PRO-TIP: Choose someone you trust, and often, someone with a big car, to get your gifts home safe + sound.
Ensure you have paid a visit to the county clerk’s office nearest you to pick up your marriage license.
Make sure that you are taking time to take care of you! Go get that last minute root touch-up or the deep tissue massage you’ve been dreaming about!
Set some time aside (typically the day before the wedding, once everyone has gotten into town) for you + your girls to go and get your nails and toes done. Confirm ahead of time how many people will be joining you + make an appointment so you don’t get stuck waiting for hours or worse, turned away.
We say “encourage” because we know that sometimes there’s just no convincing that sweet man of yours to do anything, BUT we do think wedding week calls for a nice, fresh trim.
Consider setting up an appointment for your groom + his guys to all get a cut and shave or beard trim together the week before your wedding day. This makes for some fun, male-bonding time in the days leading up to the wedding celebration!
If you will be leaving for your honeymoon immediately following the wedding (or maybe the next day), go ahead + pack your bags for the trip. Once your honeymoon bags have been packed, designate someone who will be in charge of making sure they end up in the getaway car on the night of the wedding.
In addition to packing for the honeymoon, we also recommend packing a separate bag for the wedding night. Keeping things separate (honeymoon luggage + wedding night bag) ensures that when you get to the honeymoon suite, you won’t have to fully unpack.
It’s nice to have all of your wedding decor organized, labeled, packed up, and ready to go prior to the morning of your wedding. Just as with the wedding gifts, designate someone (or a few someones) to be in charge of transporting the decor back to your home following your grand exit.
Finalize your wedding day timeline + send a copy to the wedding party. Sending out the timeline will ensure everyone knows exactly when + where things will be happening. It should also help deflect any questions – “check the timeline!”
Share via email or take screenshots on your phone + send out in your bridesmaid group text.
It is so, so important to make sure you are eating throughout the day prior to your ceremony. Put someone in charge of picking something up or setting up a lunch delivery.
Staying hydrated will help keep your skin clear + glowing, which is exactly how you want it to look on the big day. It will also keep you feeling energized. Win, win!
Keep in mind: you hired a professional photographer – it’s very important to trust them to be the pro. This piece of advice is not to give them a list of every. single. image. Rather, to make it clear if there are any “must-have” photos you simply can’t live without. A short, simple document will do the trick.
Find a safe place (like a clear, plastic bin with a lid or a shoe box) to keep your shoes, jewelry, rings, ring boxes, invitation suites, and any other small details that your photographer will want to style + shoot.
This can be a hard one because we get it – the week before your wedding day can make you feel a little crazy. Even so, we do think that it’s important. Take the time to connect + get excited together about your upcoming Best Day Ever because trust us… it will FLY by!
If you opted to do parent or wedding party gifts, make sure these are prepared + wrapped ahead of time. We suggest writing a small thank you note to include alongside each gift, as both your parents + wedding party have likely been a strong force in getting you to this point… just a few days out from your wedding!
Rest? The week before your wedding day? Are we crazy? Maybe. But try to – at least as much as you can. Your wedding weekend is going to be a whirlwind. Squeeze in some extra sleep the week before if you’re able.
Everyone says it, but it’s because it’s true – your wedding day will come + go far more quickly than you can imagine. So our best advice? Be present + enjoy it! Hiccups will probably happen + that’s okay. We like to say that every wedding that ends with you marrying your best friend is a successful wedding.
One week out – you’re almost there! Breathe. Enjoy. Go marry the love of your life.
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“Stressed out” is the last thing we want you to be the week before your wedding. To help combat that potential stress, we’ve put together a list of 24 things to remember to do the week before the big day!
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