You might feel like you’re waiting forever for your wedding day to arrive, and that you have plenty of time to plan. However, when the big day arrives you’re going to be so excited it’s likely you might forget a few things. We’ve rounded up 15 things brides forget to do after the ceremony, so you can remind yourself. You might also want to check out the mother of the bride checklist, so she can be organised too!
Have Some Water
It’s likely that someone will hand you a glass of champagne as soon as you leave your ceremony as a newlywed, but make sure you ask for some water too! It’s crucial to stay hydrated and if you drink too much alcohol too early on, you’ll start to flag in the evening.
Go to the Bathroom
It’s crucial to make sure you set aside time to go to the bathroom as soon as you can after the ceremony! You’re going to get caught up in photos and greeting your guests so try and sneak off to the bathroom as soon as you can – otherwise you might be waiting a while.
Remember to ask your chief bridesmaid to go with you for dress assistance – it’s one of the maid of honour duties, after all…
Touch Up Your Makeup
Take your bathroom break as an opportunity to fix your wedding makeup as well. As your wedding makeup artist what products you should carry with you on the day – if you’re emotional you might need to fix your mascara and eyeliner, and a touch of lip gloss will have you looking more photo-ready.
Take Five Minutes Together
Take some time off together, just the two of you, to relish in that ‘we did it!’ glow. You’ll spend all day surrounded by your friends and family, so make sure you grab a moment together just the two of you – even if it’s just for a post-ceremony high-five.
Check Your Photo List
It makes sense to give your wedding photographer a list of the shots you definitely want to have on your wedding day – so check in to make sure you’ve got them all. You should also set up a few shots for your wedding thank you cards, so you can personalise them with a picture you love.
Check When the Sun Will Set
Make sure you know when the sun is going to set on your wedding day – it means you can make sure you get all your pictures done in the best possible light, but also allows you to head outside for some romantic sunset pictures with your partner.
Why not share the groom’s wedding checklist with your partner so he’s organised?
Switch Your Shoes
After you’ve finished posing for your photos post-ceremony, it might be a good idea to switch your shoes. If you are wearing high heels you can give your feet a bit of a rest during the meal and the speeches – before switching back into your bridal heels for the evening party if you want to.
Say Thank You
Before the reception starts, make sure you thank the key people you need to thank – anyone who has done a reading for your ceremony, the person who conducted the ceremony and anyone else who helped to pull it all together.
Get Some Food
It’s likely you’ll be so busy talking to guests and mingling that you will totally miss the canapés as they circle around. Ask one of your bridesmaids to grab you a selection so you’re not running on empty. Read up on more bridesmaid duties here.
Reserve Some Cake
Whilst you have the time, make sure you ask the venue to set aside some cake for you and your partner. If you don’t have chance to grab any at the party, it’ll be a relief to know there are a couple of slices waiting for you to take back to the bridal suite at the end of the night.
Put Your Engagement Ring Back On
Most brides swap their engagement ring to their right hand for the wedding ceremony. Make sure you swap it back so your wedding ring and engagement ring can sparkle together as a set in your wedding photographs!
Collect Your Ceremony Items
If you’re not able to do this, make sure you ask an usher to check the ceremony room for any items you want to keep. This might be vow books, ring boxes, ceremony guides etc. Find out more about what an usher does here.
Set Up the Gifts
If you’ve got thank you gifts to give to your bridal party, make sure they’re in place for the speeches, especially if you need to take them to a separate reception venue or room. This is an easy job for an usher to take care of – just don’t forget to remind them!
Take off Your Veil
Your veil is a stunning accessory for your wedding ceremony and photos, but it’s not so practical when you’re sitting down to dinner or dancing the night away. Don’t forget to take it off before you sit on it by mistake…
Relax and Enjoy It
Finally – make sure you enjoy every second. Don’t stress if something hasn’t gone to plan or if it’s not exactly how you had it laid out on your Pinterest board – you just got married and you’re in the midst of the best day of your life!
Got all that? Now make sure read up on the key things brides forget after the wedding reception to make sure you’re as organised as possible.
