15 Wedding Day Tips and Advice to Be Completely Present

Your wedding is almost here and you and your soon-to-be spouse are ready to bask in all the hard work, dedication and love that got you here. But how can you actually enjoy your day and be fully present for every moment? All it takes is a few tried-and-true wedding day tips.

"Try not to lose perspective about why the wedding is happening, which is to celebrate the union of you and your fiancé," says wedding planner Lindsey Nickel of Lovely Day Events in Napa, California. "On your wedding day, what matters is that you and your fiancé can share meaningful moments like your first kiss, spending time with friends and family and truly celebrating your love."

Remember: It is important to let go of perfection and embrace the joy of your wedding day. But that might be easier said than done—unless you've got great wedding day advice. With the help of Nickel, we've got wedding day tips for the bride (and the groom!) on how to fully enjoy your day, wedding morning ideas, how to take advantage of the present and, of course, remember it for years to come with this advice, below.

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1. Have a Solid Plan

What makes a perfect wedding day? Well, for starters, It's about feeling supported, loved and present. And, of course, having a solid plan. "Work with a wedding planner to handle the logistics, so you can focus on enjoying the day rather than troubleshooting," Nickel explains, "Your wedding planner can also create your timeline and keep the day running smoothly."

2. Delegate Wisely

Another thing: delegate wisely. According to Nickel, it's so important to empower trusted friends or professionals to take care of last-minute details such as picking up lunch for the wedding party and driving you from the hotel to the ceremony.

3. Eat Lunch!

"Be sure to eat lunch. The first place I see weddings go sideways is when the couple and wedding party don't eat lunch," Nickels explains. Have a plan for lunch for you, your fiancé and the people getting ready with you. It can be as simple as ordering sandwiches from the local deli and bags of your favorite chips.

4. Limit Distractions

"Keep your phone off or designate someone to handle communication," she says. "The less you are preoccupied with your phone the more you can be present and enjoy the day."

5. Do a First Look

Who doesn't love a first look?! Doing one allows you and your fiancé to have a private moment before the ceremony. It also helps to settle nerves that day.

6. Schedule Buffer Time

Build in moments to pause, breathe and soak it all in throughout the day. After the ceremony, when you exit the aisle, you and your new spouse can go to a private corner or room and have the caterer bring you appetizers and drinks. This gives you a chance to take a moment to soak in the emotions of the ceremony and sample your appetizer.

7. Hydrate

This might sound like an obvious one, but be sure to drink plenty of water during the entire day, especially for summer weddings and weddings at elevation. It will keep you hydrated and healthy (and if you plan on drinking at the reception, it'll help with that, too.)

8. Focus on Your Partner

On your biggest of all big days, the best way to be in the moment is to focus on your partner fully. A great way to do this, Nickels suggests, is to exchange a note or small gift as a token of your love and appreciation for each other.

9. Trust Your Team

We know, we know. Trusting folks to do their job is hard sometimes—but especially on your wedding day. But try to trust that the people you hire will do their best for you and your partner. "Trust the vendors that you booked, they are professionals and can handle last-minute adjustments without bombarding you with questions and additional stress," Nickels says. Your wedding vendors have decades of experience between them. Trust the process and that everything is taken care of so that you can be a guest at your own wedding.

10. Practice Mindfulness

Take deep breaths, stay grounded and appreciate each moment as it happens. If you feel overwhelmed it's okay to take a break and go to your hotel room or even spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom.

11. Keep Traditions Meaningful

Only include traditions that resonate with you, letting go of anything that feels obligatory. For example, if you don't care about dessert or a cake cutting, skip a wedding cake and do a mini dessert bar. If you have wedding traditions and superstitions, feel free to keep those in.

12. Put in Tiny Moments Just for the Two of You

Set aside time for special moments in your wedding day that are a special, not-so-public way of honoring your special day. Whether you're choosing to discreetly honor a deceased parent at your wedding or you chose a color that you and your partner love best to put on the tablescape, these little moments and details will make it feel extra special and sweet—just for you two.

13. Create a Morning-of-Wedding Timeline

Ok, here's a big tip for your wedding day: Create a morning-of-wedding timeline. Whether you want to wake up early and have breakfast with your wedding party, you know hair and makeup will arrive at 10 a.m. or you want to build in a moment of meditation for yourself, creating a sample wedding timeline (specifically for the morning) will help.

14. Keep a Week of Wedding To-Do List

The week before a wedding can be overwhelming—but it doesn't have to be. We recommend starting a week of wedding to-do list early on in the process, so that as time goes on and the event gets closer, having a to-do list to check off makes sure everything is on track (and nothing is lost.)

15. Don't Do Anything for Social Media

Lastly, remember that a perfect wedding day isn't about getting the perfect photos for social media or making sure your parents are happy with who's in what photos. Your wedding day is about celebrating you, your future spouse and the beautiful life you'll have together, beyond this one day.