Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Your wedding day countdown is drawing closer and closer to zero. If you’re excited, nervous, and wondering what you can be doing in these last days and weeks to prepare for one of the biggest days of your life, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’ve been working with a Chicago wedding planner, you’ve likely already signed all your vendor contracts, finalized your menu, and scheduled your final dress fitting. What else can you do to feel good going into your wedding day? Read on to find out!
One of the wonderful parts of working with a wedding professional is that they’re there to support you during the lead-up to your wedding, as well as on the big day itself. Whether you’re working with a day of coordinator in Chicago after having made many of your larger wedding decisions or if you’ve worked with your planner since day one of your engagement to plan your dream wedding, count on being able to access your planner as the day gets closer.
When they begin their wedding planning journey, many brides feel apprehensive about how to set and stick to their wedding budgets, and may wonder if the full wedding planner cost or if the cost of day of wedding coordinator is worth it. What they may not realize when they ask, “how much do wedding planners cost?” is that planners add value by helping to negotiate with vendors for better prices or added perks as well as providing the peace of mind that your wedding management is in good hands.
When you consider that the average cost of a wedding in Chicago is $25,752, we think working with a planner who has strong vendor relationships and can make that network available to you is well worth it! The wedding coordinator price may even help you avoid making costly mistakes, whether from not having the support they offer concerning venue and vendor contracts or other kinds of assistance.
As the big day gets closer, you’ll be able to meet with your planner. Together, you can run through your day-of timeline, finalize any travel plans that may need to be adjusted, work out any kinks in your seating chart - all of these are things your planner can help with. After all, it’s what wedding planners do!
Even if your pre-wedding jitters feel more like excitement than nerves, we always recommend that in the weeks leading up to their weddings, brides prioritize taking time regularly to check in with themselves. How are you feeling and what do you need to do to feel grounded and a little more confident?
Especially on days when you expect to feel the most overwhelmed, go ahead and block out a bit of time for a walk through the park, a coffee date with a close friend, or some time to enjoy a favorite hobby. You’re your own expert, so if you know that a massage will help relieve any stress you’ve built up, or if a hard run outside is the solution, go with your gut!
When you listen to yourself and take the time to make yourself a priority, you’ll show up more authentically and more rejuvenated. That’s a win for you, as well as your partner and those around you.
Every bride we know wants to look her very best on her wedding day. Not only is it a celebration with some of your most beloved friends and family, but you’ll likely have a professional photographer capturing much of it for you to look back on fondly for years (or decades!) to come.
To protect your skin and keep it looking fresh, use your regular moisturizer, apply sunscreen, and be sure to drink plenty of water every day. Besides detoxifying and healing acne and breakouts, drinking enough water also takes away the sluggish feeling that being dehydrated can cause.
On this note, we and other wedding planners in Chicago always advise couples to lay off the alcohol as their weddings get closer. Alcohol can increase puffiness and reduce the quality of your sleep dramatically. If you’re having trouble and enjoying a night cap seems to help, be open to trying other alternatives that might help, like getting some exercise in the morning, turning off screens 60 minutes before bed, having a cup of herbal tea, or speaking with a medical professional.
One more note about skin - don’t try any new beauty regimens in the month before your wedding. Bad reactions to chemicals, fragrances, and more are fairly rare, but they can result in rashes, discoloration, and swelling. Avoid introducing new things like masks, peels, lotions, and even serums to reduce the risk of a bad reaction.
Regardless of whether you’re hosting a small wedding with minimal guests as one of the many micro wedding packages in Chicago or are expecting to fill a ballroom with friends and family to celebrate your love, integrating personal touches can be a special part of the day. Having unique elements like the ones we’ve included below can help your guests feel like they know you and your partner, are welcomed and appreciated, and preparing these touches can be a great way to keep your love front and center in the wedding’s lead-up.
A tradition we’ve loved seeing more and more in recent years is the inclusion of “Our Story” on wedding websites. Though these sites are absolutely not required, we love how they can offer a sneak peek into couples’ love stories.
Another idea from top Chicago party planners is creating welcome bags with iconic Chicago elements like Jay’s potato chips or a few Goose Island Brewery beers. You can opt to write a personal note to each recipient and include it in the welcome bag for an extra special touch.
From creating table names that reflect your favorite travels to offering signature cocktails that allow your guests to enjoy your favorite drink, there are so many ways to personalize your wedding! Have fun with the process and do as much - or as little - personalization as you desire!
When your wedding day arrives, besides dealing with the expected jitters and excitement that brides feel on their wedding day, you may encounter snags and snares that you didn’t anticipate. Whether it’s managing a situation around family dynamics, smoothing over an issue with a vendor or product, or coordinating a change in plans for who will be doing the best man speech, handing these issues to a third-party professional is part of any wedding coordinator package.
Keeping your wedding planner in Chicago in the loop and trusting them to handle things that crop up on the big day means that you’ll be able to be fully present and enjoy the celebration. Whether you selected a full wedding package or day-of support, your planners have your back and their priority is to ensure you have a meaningful and special day.
From meeting with your planner and scheduling some time to yourself to taking care of your body, integrating personal touches, and then trusting your planner on the big day, these tips are intended to help you stay in tune with what’s most important on your wedding.
As you prepare for such an important day in your and your partner’s lives as your wedding day, we hope these 5 tips help you stay calm and cool-headed. It’s an exciting time, and we want you to enjoy it without the stress and overwhelm that can start to creep in. Don’t forget to keep celebrating your love central, and try to make decisions and take actions that reflect what that means for you.
