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The morning of: eat breakfast, and break the shoes in beforehand
This one is short, because you won't have time to read a long article that morning. But skip these two things and the cost shows up halfway through the ceremony.
Eat breakfast
Hair and makeup takes 2 to 3 hours. You sit in a chair while someone works on your face, not wanting to move, not wanting to eat, too nervous to feel hungry.
Next comes changing outfits, getting-ready photos, the first look, and the ceremony. By the time you notice you're hungry, the reception has usually started, but you'll be busy making rounds to toast and still won't get to eat.
Plenty of brides eat nothing from morning until the end of the ceremony and hit low blood sugar during the vows. That isn't a romantic swoon; it's genuine shaking, ringing ears and a drained face.
The fix is simple: eat breakfast, and put crumb-free protein bars and straws in the emergency kit (a straw means drinking without ruining lipstick, see item 50 of the checklist). Also ask the coordinator to set a plate aside in the green room (see item 52 of the checklist).
Break the shoes in
You'll be standing for six hours, walking down the aisle, and dancing that day. Wearing brand-new shoes for the first time is a guaranteed recipe for blisters.
Walk around the house in them a few times in the weeks before. You'll also discover early that a pair isn't standable, with time to swap them.
Have a pair of flats to change into as well, once the reception starts. A dress usually covers them and nobody notices.
What to bring that morning
- The rings (handed to the best man later)
- The marriage license(If signing on the day) This is the most important thing. Forget it and the whole day is wasted (see item 126 of the checklist).
- Your vow cardsNerves on the big day will definitely make you forget your lines, so don't rely purely on memory.
- ID
- Phone and power bank
- The emergency kit
- Tip envelopes for vendorsPlease pre-portion these and label them with names in advance (see item 53 of the checklist).
- The dress and shoes
Pack the night before
Put every item on that list in a fixed place the night before. That morning your room will have hair and makeup artists, bridesmaids, flower deliveries, and relatives calling, so there will be no way to properly look for anything.
In one line
Eat breakfast, wear broken-in shoes, pack the night before, and delegate the rest.