The morning of your wedding day can be a stressful time. You wake up with a stomach filled with butterflies, but think it’s fine because you have hours and hours to get ready. Then, suddenly it’s midday. Your hair’s still in rollers, your dress still on it’s hanger and you’re getting married in an hour! Where did the morning go?

I’ve experienced more wedding mornings than I can count and the one thing they all have in common is that there’s never as much time as you’d like. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a mad rush to get everything prepared in time. To help you get through the day unscathed, here are my top 10 tips to help make your wedding morning run smoothly.

1) Plan Enough Time To Get Ready

Work out a schedule with your hairstylist and makeup artist and make sure that each member of the wedding party knows what time their “appointment” is. Most stylists prefer to do the bride near the end so her hair and makeup will be fresh so don’t worry if your bridesmaids are ready before you. Experienced stylists know how long it takes them to get each person ready.

2) Make Your Own Touch Up Kit

Put together a small bag of hair and make up essentials for touch-ups throughout the day. Include useful items such as spare hair grips, a mini hairspray and blotting papers. Make sure you ask your makeup artist which lipstick she’ll be using so you can have one with you or see if she’ll put a small sample in a pot for you.

3) Have a Wedding Dress Dry Run

Practice getting into your dress beforehand so you know how long it will take. Some dresses take seconds to put on, others should come with an instruction manual. If your dress has elastic button loops, a crochet hook can be a life saver.

4) Use The Bathroom

Don’t forget to go before you get into your dress.

5) Have Breakfast

Even if you don’t feel like it. It doesn’t matter how nervous you are, you won’t be eating until the afternoon so have at least a piece of toast or some fruit to keep you going.

6) Enjoy Girl Only Time

Surround yourself with the right people such as close friends and your mum, who will keep you relaxed and help you enjoy getting ready.

7) Plan a Photography Schedule

Discuss with your photographer what shots you’d like to be taken on the morning and allow them enough time. If you want pictures of your dress being fastened and pictures of the groom outside the church, he or she needs enough time to do both.

8) Delegate If Necessary 

It’s easy to get carried away when you want everything to be perfect but don’t try to do it all yourself. Give some tasks to bridesmaids and relatives, who are usually eager to be involved and help out.

9) Stop Stressing

Don’t worry when things go a bit wrong. Complete wedding disasters are thankfully rare but you may have the occasional mishap. For most people, their wedding is the biggest event they’ll ever organise and you should be proud of yourself for making it happen. Remember all the things that have gone right.

10) And finally…

Enjoy yourself! It sounds simple but you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to forget to have fun.

Thanks for reading my guide, it’s advice I’ve compiled from experiencing countless wedding mornings. If you have any tips to add I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment below!

Rebecca x