Your wedding day is one of the most magical moments of your life, but with so many details to manage, it can feel overwhelming. Niall Tangney, Events Manager at Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, shares his expert advice to help make your big day as seamless and enjoyable as possible. From creating a smooth morning timeline to capturing picture-perfect memories, these essential tips will ensure you’re fully present to celebrate your love
1) Make a timetable for the morning of:
Hair, make-up, breakfast, bouquets and breathing…the morning of your wedding is a hectic one to say the least! The trick to making the hustle and bustle more exciting than stressful is to make out a short time table (and keep to it!) You don’t have to get into incredible details but it’s handy to have a notebook with approximate arrival times of you suppliers (also have a contact number jotted down for each so that anyone can give a bell while you’re working away yourself), timing for hair and make-up etcetera to be finished and the last possible minute you can get into your dress.
2) Give directions with your invitations:
This is one tip that a surprising amount of couples don’t heed. For peace of mind (and piece of sanity) on your big day, send any directions or info needed to all guests with their invitations, or put them on your personal website. People who take for granted how easy it is to get from church to reception or to get to the venue at all find themselves on their phones all morning telling their mates to take ‘the other right’
3) Assign a member of the bridal party to your photographer:
Once you’ve done all your research and are happy with your photographer, you shouldn’t really need to be worried about getting the shots you want on the day. If you want a mixture of documentary style shots and posed pictures, assign a bridesmaid or groomsman to the task. They can work with your photographer to make sure you get all the shots you want, from gathering groups of people to pointing out who’s who among the guests –just make sure the photographer knows who they should deal with for the day, and vice-versa.
4) Make sure you have a dresser:
This is an obvious tip, but one which is often forgotten; make sure somebody knows how to get you in and out of your dress! Assign someone to this task and make sure you do a quick dress rehearsal the week of the wedding so that your dresser is comfortable to take charge on the day. This person can also be in charge of having pins, chalk and any accessories you are wearing on the day. Make sure this person hasn’t got a fresh manicure or dark nail polish that will come off on your dress!!
5) Create the perfect emergency bag:
You’ve probably heard this one before, but there’s a good reason for it. Your emergency kit is your saviour for the day and will hold everything you need for any nasty little situation. Start by making a of all the things you might need throughout your wedding day, from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed. A good emergency kit will prepare you for anything the day throws at you, from dress stains (pack some chalk!) to headaches (Paracetamol)
You won’t need to keep this all on yourself for the day though, hand it over to your chief bridesmaid who can do a few make-up checks throughout the day, apply a little extra lippy, or baby wipe any tears.
6) Kit out your wedding car:
We’ve all heard of the bride jumping out of her wedding car on the way to the church, and heading into the local garage for a bottle of water, haven’t we? If you want to avoid a pit stop in white, kit out your car with all you’ll need on the way to the ceremony, and later, the reception. You’ll need lots of water to keep you hydrated for the day, and it’s also handy to have a few nibbles in the car too to keep your sugar levels up. Go for something healthy that won’t stick to your teeth or get too messy
7) Assign someone to take care of gifts/cards:
Have somebody there to take care of any cards or gifts you are given on the day. There’s nothing worse wondering whether or not somebody gave you a card when you get to writing your thank you notes. Ask a member of the bridal party to keep everything together for you, This is a good way to make sure nothing goes missing with all the hustle and bustle of the day and will also give you peace of mind knowing that someone’s got your back
8) Allocate time to spend with your other half:
There is so much to do during the wedding day, from the photos to the speeches and the first dance, it’s so easy to forget what the day is really about: two people taking a vow to love each other forever. Taking time to just be with each other, even for 20 minutes, will instantly relieve any stress you have on the day and remind you what it’s all about. Head outside during the reception for a few minutes and take a deep breath together, you’ll look back on those few minutes when it’s all over and be glad you had them.
With careful planning, thoughtful touches, and expert guidance, your wedding day will be as stress-free and joyful as possible. Whether it’s taking a quiet moment together or ensuring every detail is in place, these tips will help you create cherished memories.
For a truly unforgettable wedding experience, explore the stunning Muckross Park Hotel & Spa as your dream venue visit www.muckrosspark.com or call +353 (0) 64 662 34 00
