Last-Minute Wedding Preparation Tips for the Busy Couple

February 8, 2023

Great ideas to make the lead-up to your wedding a breeze!

Getting married is the ultimate celebration of love. But the build-up just before a wedding can be a little chaotic. Your to-do list seems endless and there are so many people that you need to check in with or check up on. This can be especially tricky if you and your partner both lead busy lives.

However, last-minute wedding prep doesn’t need to be stressful, it can actually be fun! With this guide, you’ll can ensure that you’ve ticked everything off your lists and that you have plenty of breathing room on your special day.

Get as Much Done as Possible Before the Week of Your Wedding

When you lead a busy life, it can be far too easy to leave things to the last minute. The week of your wedding should be about relaxing and enjoying yourself. However, there’s no denying that there are plenty of to-do items that you need to take care of during this time too.

This is why you need to:

Book Time Off from Work – If it’s at all possible, take time off from work for the week before your wedding. This will mean that the only deadlines you and your partner will have to think about are the ones related to vendors and your special day. It’s also a bonus if you can both take time off as you’ll then be in the same head space, rather than having one of you still in work mode.
Create a Schedule for the Week of Your Wedding – The next step is to have a clear schedule of what needs to happen and when in the week leading up to your wedding. This should include all of your appointments and any appointments scheduled for your bridal party.
Your list should also include payments that need to be made to vendors and if you have any family or friends who are scheduled to assist with the preparations.
It’s a good idea to make your schedule shareable so that you, your partner, and everyone else involved can see who is doing what, and when. You can use a shared Google doc or even download a wedding planning app that allows you to create a schedule and calendar that other users can see and contribute to.

Photo by Natasha Fernandez on Pexels

Your Checklist for the Week of Your Wedding

Now, let’s look at the week leading up to your wedding and the important areas to focus on:

1. Touch Base with Vendors and Wedding Party Members

Right at the start of the week, you should take some time to touch base with all of the moving parts of your wedding. Confirm details with your flower provider, the photographer and videographer, and anyone else who needs to either deliver something to the wedding venue or be at the venue as part of the events of the day. During this moment of touching base, confirm arrival times and any other salient details. Next, touch base with your wedding party. Make sure they’re on top of any details that they have to organize, fetch, deliver, make or do for the wedding. Don’t look at this as micromanaging your wedding party. Rather see it as putting your mind at rest that they or you haven’t forgotten anything. You and the people in your wedding party want the day to be perfect.

Photo by Kseniia Lopyreva on Pexels

2. Confirm Your Appointments

There will be final appointments in the days leading up to the wedding. These can include final fittings for the wedding dress, the groom’s suit and the outfits for your wedding party. Then there are other pamper appointments—manicures and pedicures, massages to relax, spray tans and anything else you want to do to ensure you look and feel your best on the big day. It’s so important to ensure that all of these appointments are suitably scheduled so that you aren’t rushing from one to the next. You may also need to ensure you have everything ready for your honeymoon, especially if you’re going somewhere exotic and need vaccinations or visas.

Pro tip: Never get your hair cut the week of the wedding or try something like a spray tan for the first time. There’s too much that could go wrong that will leave you feeling less than your best.

3. Ensure You Get Your Marriage License

This is particularly important to note if you’re having a destination wedding. You need to have already done the research and applied for your marriage license before the week of your wedding. However, you may only be able to fetch it once you reach the area of your venue. This is one part of your wedding you don’t want to leave until the last minute. You also want to ensure that you have plenty of time scheduled to go and get your license. Setting aside a full day may seem like a lot, but rather have extra time than too little!

4. Break in Shoes and New Clothing

A quick way to ruin your wedding is to get blisters or chafe from new shoes or unfamiliar clothing. It’s important for the bride and groom to wear the shoes they’re planning to walk down the aisle and then dance the night away in before their big day. You want to get those shoes comfortable and get to know where potential hot spots are so that you can take preventative measures on your wedding. Another big one, mostly for women, is control underwear. If your wedding dress requires specific underwear, you need to try it out beforehand and make sure it’s comfortable. You want to be free to enjoy the ceremony and reception without worrying about underwear that’s digging into you or possibly cutting off your circulation.

Don’t Let Your Wedding Become Too Pressured

There will always be plenty to do in the week leading up to your wedding. However, with careful planning and some good forethought, you can easily ensure you have everything covered—despite your busy lifestyle. Then, all that’s left is for you to calm your nerves and say I do!

Main Photo by Peter Olexa on Pexels

Categorized in: Before the Wedding, Checklists & Planners

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