Things I Learned on My Wedding Day

Jackie Roque and Luke Salas rehearsing their marriage at Saddlerock Ranch Vineyard The Dome in Malibu, California. — This picture is from our rehearsal dinner night, and my very talented bridesmaid Roxy Moure took it!

Weddings. You don’t really know how crazy they can be until you have one! That’s why I’ve partnered up with WeddingWire to share a few tips that I learned on my wedding day for my fellow future brides.

be present

I know this is advice that EVERYONE gives and gets, but it’s pretty vital. I don’t know how many people told me that the day goes by so FAST, but it really does. Faster than you will ever prepare for. So keep reminding yourself to not stress about the details, and actually stop, take a deep breathe and take in what is going on in that exact moment. Steal your husband away for 2 minutes and just soak up everything that’s going on!

hire an amazing coordinator

I know, they are expensive, but you NEED one. You don’t want to stress out about anything on the day-of or even month before. They are worth every penny! This is not one of the vendors that you want to skimp out on.

delegate

Do you want the top tier of your cake or your bouquet to be saved? Would you like to take home one of your centerpieces? Don’t assume that all of this os going to be taken care of. Make sure your coordinator AND a family member (or bridesmaid) knows everything you want to be taken care of at the end of the night. One of my biggest disappointments about my wedding day was not saving a piece of cake for Luke and I, and not taking home one of the stunning centerpieces. Everyone is going to be running around and so tired by the time your wedding ends, so make sure you have those loose ends tightened before you say “I do.”

The weather is not in your control, but the planning is.

Have a back-up plan for any and all weather with your coordinator. My wedding was outside in a Malibu vineyard, and it NEVER rains in LA, especially in the Spring. But, a few days before the wedding, the weather started getting a bit chilly at night, so I had to rent 5 heaters last-minute. Also, the day was extremely foggy and SO COLD. I wish I would have planned a bit better for a bad weather day, even if it really is always sunny in LA – just not on my wedding day.

Wait a few days before you leave for the honeymoon

This is just a personal preference of ours, but we wished we would have waited a few days before we left for the honeymoon. We had so many things to do after the wedding, the last thing we wanted to do was rush, pack and leave the country. We did have one day before we left, but we felt rushed to open cards & gifts, reminisce about the wedding, pack and also spend more time with family and friends that came into town just for us.

Get it done before the week of your wedding

Do not put things off till the week of your wedding! Everything that you can possibly do before the week of your wedding, do it! We had a lot of friends and family come into town that week that we wish we would have spent more time with instead of running all these errands.

Getting Married? Make sure to check out similar articles below on WeddingWire to help you prepare for your most special day!

Photography by Roxy Moure