How to Stay Fully Present On Your Wedding Day

Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life; a day you’ve probably been dreaming about since your childhood. However, sadly, this day can go by in the blink of an eye. With all the hustle and bustle of wedding planning and the excitement of the day, it can be hard to stay present and savour all the moments of your nuptials. So, you need to find ways to enjoy your wedding day to the fullest. In this article, we’ve put together the top tips on how to stay present on your wedding day.

1. Bring in Experienced Vendors and Trust Them

To make sure you can be fully present on your wedding day and not get bogged down with stress, hire professionals whose work you have faith in. If you have to keep an eye on them or examine their work, it will reduce your ability to enjoy the wedding. Skilled professionals understand what they need to do and will be honest about the timing and details. As a bride or groom, you mustn’t manage every single detail on your special day. So count on your vendors to take care of everything.

Let a Professional Coordinator Handle Your Wedding Day 

Hiring a wedding planner can take the stress of the big day off your plate. However, if that isn't in your budget, you can still hire a day-of coordinator. Lean on your coordinator to handle all the details. Give yourself the freedom to enjoy the special moments of the day.

Rely on Your Photographer

If you're worried about how your wedding photos are going to turn out, you won’t be able to be in the moment and appreciate all your special memories. To make sure you can fully enjoy your day, it's important to find a photographer who you love and trust. Let them handle the work of capturing those moments so that you can just be present and relish in the celebration. Put your phone away. Let the photographer do their job – they're there to take pictures so you can focus on the joy of the day.

2. Ensure You Have Ample Time Flexibility

Couples often feel rushed throughout the day, with little opportunity to appreciate each other's company. A strict timeline of events can be a major source of stress when things inevitably take longer than expected. To avoid this, plan your wedding day with lots of space for delays, breaks, and private moments between the two of you. Allow extra time for every stage of the process to ensure you don't feel hurried.

3. Seek Out Time Alone with Your Partner

This special day is all about the two of you, so make sure to spend a romantic time together. Spending time by yourselves on your wedding day is a great way to take a breath from all the bluster and simply be with one another. It's a chance to recognise and honour the vow you both are taking on that special day. Taking a few minutes away from all the others to just be together can be a sweet and significant experience that will help you both enjoy the moment. Intentionally plan a few moments of solitude, whether a few minutes or a few hours, after your first look, while you're getting ready, after your ceremony, or any other time, to have a meaningful and memorable big day.

4. Carve Out Time to Enjoy Your Meal Together

Make sure to have some time alone to have a meal together. Enjoy your food, drinks and dessert while watching all of your family and friends around you. It's easy to get distracted and leave one another alone with a plate of food untouched. Be sure to keep your energy up by eating when you can. If you need a few minutes to eat, ask a friend to politely turn away your visitors.

5. Keep Your Morning Routine

On your wedding day, make sure to take a few moments for yourself. This will help you stay mindful and present on your wedding day instead of worrying about the future. Whatever your normal morning routine is, try to stick to it. Going for a walk, practising yoga, reading, writing in your journal, or drinking a cup of coffee can all be useful for relaxation. Meditation can also be an effective way to breathe and relax. Making time to rest and reconnect with yourself will help you be fully present and soak up the joy of the day.

6. Practice Mindfulness

Find ways to practice mindfulness – paying more attention to the present moment. Savour the days leading up to your wedding day to be more prepared to truly appreciate the day when it comes. Mindfulness can help you enjoy your wedding day more. I know this should be so simple to remember, but it's easy to get wrapped up in yourself. Embracing mindfulness during your wedding planning and on your wedding day will help you appreciate the gift of marriage and be grateful for your blessings. Here are some tips to practise mindfulness on your wedding day: 

Watch Your Thoughts

On your special day, it's normal to have lots of worries and concerns. However, it's important to acknowledge these thoughts, rather than trying to make them go away. As you take part in the ceremony and mingle with guests, take the time to observe and appreciate the moment. Practise being thankful for all the people who have come to celebrate with you. Doing this will help create lasting memories of your wedding day.

Make a Motivational Statement for Your Day

Make unique motivational sentences for yourself to repeat to let go of any fear, anxiety, or doubts that you may have. For example, you can keep telling yourself:

‘I will focus on the love that I and my partner share and will be present in the moment and enjoy our wedding day to the fullest. I must let go of the things I cannot control. Everything is going to work out just fine. We are going to have a beautiful wedding no matter what.’

Focus on Your Senses

In order to stay present on your wedding day, focus on the details of what you can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. By paying attention to all the aspects of the moment, you can truly take in the sights, sounds, scents, and flavours of that day. This way, you can save the emotions of the ceremony, such as the look on your spouse's face at the altar, the smell of your flowers and the taste of your food or dessert. 

Smells can evoke emotions and memories in the brain. So, selecting a particular perfume to wear on your wedding day or choosing fragrant flowers are great ways to feel all the joyous emotions from your wedding day again later. 

Moreover, the magic feeling of gazing into each other's eyes on your wedding day is incomparable. So don't be embarrassed to look into each other’s eyes for as long as you can.

7. Eat a Nourishing Breakfast

You may be feeling a bit nervous, but don't forget to take care of your body. Eating a good breakfast will give you the fuel you need to make it through the day with a clear head and a positive mind. You could even share your meal with a supportive friend or family member to start the day off on the right foot.

8. Accept That Things Will Go Wrong

No matter how hard you try to plan and prepare, there will always be things beyond your control. Don't get too worked up about it – it won't help to fix anything. Don’t let stress take away the joy of the most significant day of your life. Instead, focus on the positives, find something to be thankful for, and allow yourself to enjoy the moment.

Conclusion

Being present on a day filled with many moving parts and emotions is no easy feat. Weddings are whirlwinds. Despite all the effort you put into planning your big day, you might barely remember any of it. However, you will only have ONE wedding day, so you must focus on the joy and excitement of the occasion. Remember to take a deep breath and remind yourself that you have worked hard to get where you are. Stay positive and be kind to yourself. Know that things may not always go as planned, but you need to remain calm and stay present on your wedding day.