Hints and tips to keep your best day from turning into your worst nightmare.

Hints and Tips: All those little things you may have never even considered that can really mess up your wedding day.

Check list
Make a list of all the things you will need to due for your wedding, have a friend or two help you.
Check things off as you go.  This will you organized and will hopefully keep you from being so overwhelmed.

The Dress:
Don't buy a dress from any store that wants more then 50% down.

It is normal for it to take 4 to 6 months for the dress you order to come in. Leave yourself plenty of time for shopping and ordering.

That type of bra you wear can dramatically change the look of the dress. When trying on wedding dresses be sure to wear a long-line backless bra. Lone-line bras are easily found at  Sears, Wal-Mart, Victoria's Secret, Lane Bryant  and other stores.

When you do order a dress tell them your wedding date is a week earlier then it really is...The dress will get there a little faster and you won't have to stress as much.

Shoes:
Wear your wedding shoes around the house for a week or two before your wedding. Put plastic Baggies on your feet to keep your shoes fresh and clean. This trick works great and saves your feet for dancing.

 Bridesmaids:
Remember it's YOUR wedding not theirs... I hate to tell you how many brides I have had to console (we are talking sobbing in tears) because their bridesmaids where making their lives miserable. Pick a dress you want them to wear and stick with it. They should feel honored to be in your wedding even if the dress is puce with green polka-dots.

When having your bride's maids dresses altered, make sure you have the hem measured the number of inches from the floor up, instead of at the knee or ankle. Everyone's body is different and not everyone measures 3 inches below the knee the same. If you have the dresses hemmed at the knee or ankle you will end up with a very jagged line of dresses in all your wedding pictures.

Flowers: 
If you decide on an outdoor wedding, you may want to consider sick flowers for three reasons.
1. Silk flower will not wilt in the heat or be easily damaged by wind.
2. Silk flowers won't attract unwanted 6 lagged guest of the flying or crawling kind
3. Silk flowers can be given as wedding favors to your guests at the reception.

You can still use real flowers in corsages and boutonnieres if you like.

Real flowers on wedding a cakes may look nice at first, but it is a real mess.  I don't recommend it.

Children:
If you are planning on having children in your wedding party or attending the reception make sure you have something for them to do. A little gift bag with crayons and coloring book, bubbles, games, etc. will go a long way to keeping the youngest members of your party happy. If you have very young children attending your wedding make sure there is a quiet out of the way place for them to take a nap.  If you have alot of childern coming consider hiring a baby sitter or two.  Maybe a magician and or puppeteer.

4 to 6 months befor the wedding

Your wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses should be order no less the 6 months before the wedding.

Invitations should be ordered 6 months in advance.  When you receive your invasions from the printer open them right away to check to make sure all the information is correct. 

Invitations should be sent out no less the 8 weeks before your wedding. If you have people coming from out of state send those people their invasions 16 weeks before your wedding so they can arrange their travel plans.

When mailing out your invitations make sure you include a map to the church and to the reception and a phone number for people to call and get directions if they get lost.

Make sure ( and this is a MUST!) that you have enough postage on the invitations when you send them out, or you could get them back.  

2 to 4 weeks before the wedding

 It is absolutely essential that when you and your bridesmaids come in for fittings you have on the undergarments you are going to wear at the wedding.  If you don't and you change to another bra…your dress might not fit right…it might not fit at all.  

You also need to have the shoes you are going to wear with you as well.   The dress can not be hemmed correctly without them.

This goes for the mothers of the bride and groom too.

Week before the Wedding:
Check, check, recheck and then triple check EVERYTHING!

Directions:
Make sure to put clear directions to both the church and the reception in with your invitations.  A small map plus written out directions work best.  Also a phone number to call if  someone gets lost.
Have someone who is good with directions and who knows the area well manning the phone on your wedding day. 

Bachelor  and  Bachelorette parties.
Having these the weekend before your wedding will give everyone a chance to recover.

Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner:
Generally held 24 to 48 hours before the wedding, but can be held sooner.
While it may be tempting to party hearty, it is better to for go a ton of toasting and save those for the reception.  No one wants to deal with a hang over on their wedding day. 

Wedding Day:
It's a good idea to bring along a small sewing kit just in case.                Most of us don't go around wearing full-length ball gowns everyday. I can't tell you how many brides I have seen take 3 steps and rip the hem of their dresses.

Bring at least one extra pair of hose or stockings. That way if you run one you have a spare.  

Big hint!  If your dress is big and puffy or super tight, go to the bathroom right before you put on your dress…..You may not be able to manage it once the dress is on.

Oh yes, water proof mascara and smudge proof lipstick are a must!

Reception:
Keep the alcohol to a minimum.  In this day and age it is irresponsible to get everyone at your wedding smashed.  Besides it is vary expensive!  Punch is fine.  Save the Champagne for a toast when you cut the wedding cake.

Good luck! And have fun!