Wedding Day- Getting Ready

Written By Cat Carter

Getting ready the morning of your wedding is one of the most chaotic mornings of your entire life. There will be screaming, crying, high energy, low energy, drinking, but most importantly, good people by your side. Here's how to make the most out of your wedding morning.

 

Where to Get Ready:

It is always our preference to get ready at the venue if possible but certain venues won't allow you to get in early enough and that's ok! It is definitely not the standard to get ready at the venue.

 

What to Eat

What to Drink

  • Champagne and Mimosas

  • Light caffeine (Diet Coke, drip coffee)

  • Liquid IV

  • Water

Try to avoid heavy carbonation drinks like beer. There is no worse feeling than being bloated when you put on your wedding dress.



Assigning Tasks

  • Setting Up: Assign one person to arrive early and setup your getting ready space. Your hair and makeup artists will prefer a large enough space by the biggest window in the room. You can also task this person with hanging up the dresses so they aren't in a crumpled pile on the ground when your photographer arrives.

  • Music: Assign one person to create a "getting ready" hype playlist and bring a speaker with a charger.

  • Phone: Assign one person to have your phone on them. This is a great task for someone who will be wearing pants or a suit so they can put it in their pocket. Your coordinator will also be happy to carry it around for you in their fanny pack.

  • Emergency Items: Assign one person to create an "emergency" kit for getting ready. Your coordinator will come with an emergency kit for the wedding but most likely not for getting ready. Items to include are:

    • Liquid IV

    • Bottled Water

    • Phone Chargers and blocks

    • Extra towels for flowers

    • Safety Pins

    • Band aids

  • Details Box: Assign one person to collect your details items for the photographer. Typically, this is the first thing the photographer is going to ask for when they arrive. Make sure that this person has all the detail items ready for them 30 minutes before they arrive.

  • Picking up the food: Typically, your getting ready process will take about 5-6 hours. You will want to assign a person to grab a tray of food from Publix, sandwiches from Sully's, or a huge Starbucks order.

  • Drink water: If you are a forgetful little bird like myself, make sure to assign someone to always have water for you and encourage you to drink it. This will be more important when you are taking photos but you will thank me later.

  • Gifts for your people: If you have gifts for your mom and bridesmaids, either remember to pack these in your car the day before the wedding or ask one of your people to bring these for you. It's ok to ask for help. This is your day.

What not to do

  • Wear a bra when you are getting ready. Your bra will leave indents on your back that is very difficult for your photographer to edit out!

  • Wear a crew neck shirt or sweatshirt. Plan on wearing something you can easily unzip or unbutton when getting ready. You don't want to ruin your hair and makeup right after they finished.

  • Steam Your Dress: You need to steam your dress 1-2 days before the wedding and leave it somewhere to hang safely. Steam will mess up your skin for makeup application- Steam open pores. Open pores bad for makeup application. PS This goes for not only the bride's dress but bridesmaids' and mothers' dresses.

  • Spray Tan. This should be done 48 hours before your wedding and never the morning of your wedding.

  • Nails. This should be done 2-3 days before the wedding. Why are you trying to add extra stress to your day?

  • Plan a sit down breakfast with your wedding guests. Your wedding day already has a packed timeline full of events. Don't add anything that will make your life more stressful. (Your bridesmaids will thank you.)

  • Freak out. If you are an anxious girly like myself and you have your certain comfort items that will make your morning more enjoyable, have at it. My favorite stress gummies are from Olly's and I get them at Target. Try these BEFORE your wedding day to see how you react to them. Never take OTC anxiety medications like Klonopin or Xanax on your wedding day especially if you plan on drinking alcohol later or if you are unsure of how these medications effect you.

Hair and Makeup

  • If you had your hair and makeup trial and have notes for the artist, please send these notes to them ahead of time. You can remind them of these notes on your wedding day but don't throw a curve ball at them on wedding day.

  • Do not show up to get hair and makeup done with wet hair. Most stylist will require your hair to be dry and ready to style since unlike at a traditional salon, these artists are on a strict timeline and do not have time to do all that. If you have thick curly hair like myself and want a sleek look, make sure to straighten it before hand. They will not have time to straighten all of your hair!

  • Do not ask your hair and makeup stylist to redo your looks before the bride has gone for hair and makeup. If the bride is already finished, then its ok if the artist has time.

  • Put your contacts in BEFORE your hair and makeup. This goes for everyone.

Photography courtesy of Kendra Martin Photography

Cat Carter
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