How To Enjoy Getting Ready For The Big Day: Lessons from Nicole and Troy’s Wedding

No doubt, your wedding day will be one of the most remarkable days of your entire life. But so much goes into planning and preparing for this big day, many couples wind up too stressed to actually enjoy the fruits of their effort. Even with a top notch wedding planner to handle all the details, logistics and design, it’s easy to be so preoccupied with all the wrong things.

We believe your wedding day is a celebration you should feel immersed in. It’s not a “show” for your guests, but a genuine, intimate gathering overflowing with love, joy and fun! We want you to feel like your guests feel…relaxed, excited and ready for celebrating.

So how can you prepare yourself on the day of your wedding to be free to enjoy the moment and savor every second of it?

Well, we recently had a couple from Oak Park IL, Nicole and Troy, who set a great example for how to prepare mentally and logistically for a day filled with love and laughter. They had a stunning wedding at The Cape in Cabo San Lucas overlooking the water and truly relished the event from start to finish.

How you get ready, both leading up to the wedding day and in the morning before the festivities, sets the tone for the fun ahead. In this post, we are thrilled to share some tips and ideas about day-of preparation, inspired by them.

Stay Hydrated and Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The day before your wedding is a big one. However it can also be a stressful one. There are many things you need to prepare and some last minute issues might crop up. In the midst of this chaos and confusion, it can be easy to forget about simple things like drinking water.

To avoid this, keep a big bottle of water with you all the time. Take sips all throughout the day, especially during the hair and makeup services early in the morning when you have uninterrupted time to get your liquids in. This is extra important if you plan to indulge in a little mimosa or champagne with your wedding party because spirits are dehydrating. You might want to consider downloading an app that reminds you to take a sip every hour.

Staying hydrated throughout the day can help make your skin retain moisture so that you look extra glowing the next day. It will also help the body flush out toxins and waste so that it doesn’t wind up showing up on your skin.

Get some sleep too. Being sleep deprived will only give you a headache the next day and prevent you from enjoying the big day properly. Delegate issues and tasks to your wedding organizer, best man, maid of honor so that you can get a full 8 hours the day before the wedding.

Sleeping will prevent eye bags and black rings from forming and will also prevent skin breakouts.

Listen To Your Beauty Team’s Recommendations

By the eve of your wedding, small details like hair and makeup are finalized. Your style team will have provided you helpful instructions for how to cleanse your face and treat your hair the day before. Keep in mind that they are professionals and know what they are talking about.

It is essential to follow these instructions “to a T.” This advice can impact the clarity and brightness of your facial skin as well as the texture and stylability of your hair as well as.

By following these recommendations, you’ll give the style team the perfect canvas they need to make you look amazing on your wedding day.

Enjoy Your Solitude

Amidst a day that will be filled with an overwhelming amount of attention and socializing, it’s important to have a few “me moments” before the activities ensue. For a healthy mindset and peaceful disposition, consider starting the day in complete solitude. Take some time to be alone, even just for a while. This could be an opportunity to get in a few minutes of meditation, calming yoga, peaceful prayer or simple visualization. Whatever mental practice helps you find your center, that’s the one to utilize.

Practice gratitude and take time to envision the day and all the happiness to come. Imagine the joy you’ll feel all day long, the faces that will make you smile, the hugs that give you goosebumps and the laughs that you’ll remember for years.

Even 15 minutes of alone time could help you create a shield around your mind that deflects any potential stress that could sneak up on you, giving you the positive perspective you need to fully experience the joy of the day.

Surround Yourself with Friends

Surround yourself with your wedding party after some solitude, whether that’s your bridal squad, groomsmen, family or close friends. You will need their support as things start to pick up and get busy. Make sure to give them a timeline of the schedule for the day to avoid any confusion and unnecessary stress. Let them know any important tasks they can help you with to be a valuable part of the day and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

Nourish Your Body

Have some healthy, nourishing finger foods nearby while getting your hair and makeup done. Hydrating veggies such as cucumber and celery are a great choice. Avoid greasy and low nutrient foods at this point in the day to keep your energy from tanking too early in the day. Save the cheat meal for later ;)

Oh, and did we mention staying hydrated? Well, it’s worth repeating! Remember to drink plenty of water to keep that gorgeous skin hydrated and glowing. It will also help prevent headaches and dehydration should adult beverages be a part of your consumption on the day of your Cabo wedding.

Having food inside your stomach before the ceremony will keep you from getting light headed during the ceremony and drinking lots of water will keep you hydrated while toasting on champagne.

Get Photo Ready

Have your dress, shoes, and accessories ready as well as any other personal items you want documented that day such as invitations, welcome bags, or gifts so that your photographers can take photos of all of those details

If your leading ladies or best guys need to be captured in certain clothing, accessories or personal effects, make sure they come prepared with that too. Whether it’s matching themed socks, dressing robes or customized gifts, make sure they bring them to the dressing suite for photo opportunities.

Make sure that everything you need to get dressed is already set up and ready to put on a few hours before your call time with the photographer.

Pre-Photo Clean Up

Few things bring on more unexpected wedding day stress than not being ready for the photos. When the photographer arrives, shots are snapped swiftly and there will be no time for delays. When the photographer falls behind, it impacts the whole schedule for the day.

So in addition to having all photographable items ready, we also recommend having your wedding crew assist in cleaning up all photography spaces about an hour before the photographer is expected to arrive. This might include the bridal suite, a dressing room or any designated areas where you expect to be photographed. Tidy up clutter, trash, random shoes, water bottles and any item that isn’t specifically meant to be photographed. In addition, you’ll want to relocate items like suitcases, trash cans and certain furniture temporarily if you don’t want them in the photos.

Late Bridal Flower Delivery

While it’s tempting to be surrounded by your gorgeous fresh florals as soon as possible, we actually recommend postponing flower delivery until a few minutes before photography begins. A later delivery will prevent them from wilting early as some flowers are sensitive to the heat. It will keep them as fresh and vibrant as possible.

However, by having them delivered just before the start of the first photo shoot, you’ll still be able to get a few shots of you in your dress carrying your flowers prior to the ceremony.

Be Present in the Moment

As you slip into your dress and put on your fabulous jewelry, try to really enjoy the experience and be mindful of how it feels. It’s truly a special feeling to dress your best and feel gorgeous inside and out - so appreciate that feeling! Be excited about your transformation and soak it up.

This applies to the little moments you get to steal with your loved ones. Try to be present with your people and revel in those minutes as much as possible. It will become part of the wedding story each of you record in your minds as your unique memory of it.

Remember, you have an expert Cabo wedding planner for a reason - to delegate the work so you can enjoy the moment. Your focus should be on friends, family and fun.

A little bit of mindfulness during each phase of your wedding day will allow you to relive the experience over and over again in your mind when your day is over.

Let the Photographer and Videographer Be Your Guide

Let go, relax and follow their lead. Let the photographer and videographer guide you as you get your photos and videos taken. They are professionals and know how to work their magic. They know which angles, backgrounds and positions will put you in the best light in every photo. If you are uncomfortable with any pose or have suggestions, make sure to communicate properly so that they can accommodate your wishes or adjust as needed.

Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks. Even though it may be tempting to push through to capture every single detail, those photos won’t turn out nice if you’re stressed about them. Little breaks will help you stay calm and relaxed so every photo looks fabulous.

These are the only tangible, physical memories you’ll take with you after your big day so you want to make sure they accurately reflect what you want captured.

Ready, Set, Celebrate!

How you get ready for the wedding day will set the tone for the whole event and your experience of it. Being well rested, staying positive and listening to the advice of professionals can help make the day go smoothly and successfully. Most importantly, it will give you a sense of peace and help you remain resilient against any snags that pop up unexpectedly so that you can enjoy your day free of stress or worry.

“We hope that these suggestions help you have an "easy breezy" beginning of one of the most important days of your life. Having a relaxed experience will show through every photo and have you enjoy the wedding day fully.” - Gaby Cobian,