There are several things to consider:
One is to plan out your wedding day on paper from the time you get up till the time you leave the reception. See this sample from one of the couples I photographed.
You have hired professionals for the key things, i.e. photographer, caterer, music, site, in your wedding. Trust them. They do this for a living....and are prepared to give you the best of their services.
Take at least 4 days before the wedding day to get the last details taken care of. In addition...you might have relatives and friends coming in from out of town....and they are going to want your attention. Try to schedule your time for each one of them if possible. You will also have time to mingle with them at your reception.
Escape to a hotel to avoid the craziness of crowds of people at your house.
Make maps for the people from out of town. Give them directions to places they might want to visit or go to the Austin City Search (Web site with all kinds of info for the Austin metroplex) for things to do.
Schedule your hair and makeup appointment so that you have plenty of time to get dressed afterward at the church or at your home. Some good tips for wedding day makeup can be found at Clinique's web site.
Have needle and thread for making little adjustments to your wedding party gowns and tuxedos. Safety pins are also little lifesavers. You might arrange access to a seamtress for any kind of last minute emergencies such as broken zippers etc.
Eat something...such as a salad or a light meal to calm your stomach. Once the event gets rolling, there will be little time to eat...even at the reception. You need to monitor your blood sugar.
Make sure your special shoes fit. Wear them around the house to break them in as much as possilble. There are many brands of shoes out there that are elegant and comfortable.
You might consider getting a massage two days before the big day. Both of you. Here are some tips..if the masseur is too rough on your body, make sure you let them know. They cannot second guess you. The experience of a massage is to stimulate your blood circululation and help you feel good. Feed oxygen to the cells and relax. Do not get the massage on your wedding day. You don't need to have a muscle pulled, or a pain created that will hinder your body in enjoying that day.
Another thing to consider....even though small in size, but big in return is adhesive tape. Use it to tape the cards from the gift table onto the presents. That way you will know who gave you what. Many times....as people help clear the reception hall, the cards fall out of the presents and get mixed up. Then when you sit down to do your thank you notes, you know who gave you what.
One more suggestion...avoid using drugs or alcohol to take the
edge off. After all the time and money you have invested in this
day....you will not remember much of it, if you have a foggy
head.
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