So one of my favourite pass times with my mom is watching the TV Show Suidooster and I'll admit it's currently ranking under my favourite TV shows. I love the stories, the Cape Town culture and the accents. So as most of the fans know, recently they celebrated the wedding of Imraan and Kaashifa and we all followed the tumultuous build up to this special occasion. The thing that stood out the most was the endless arguing as the couple lost sight of the most important thing.....the marriage not the wedding.
So I thought I'd write a blog based on my own personal experience as a bride almost 15 years ago and conversations I've had with brides I've photographed on the day of the wedding.
1. Breathe
Start your day with just being still. Say a little prayer and draw your peace for the day. Meditate on what this day means. You have found the one whom your soul loves and this is start of your lives together. Be in the moment. Take it all in, every, single, moment. Consciously smile as you choose to feel nothing but excitement, butterflies and constant impending tears of joy. Don't allow anything or anyone to steal your joy on this day.
2. Don't sweat the small stuff
I cannot emphasize this enough. You have planned your day to the finest detail. You've done your absolute best. No one is going to know if the flower girl's shoes were suppose to be gold, but because they weren't packed she had to wear the white pumps she came to the venue with. Silly example I know, but on the day, the smallest thing can be the straw that broke the camel's back. So on the day, all you must focus on is getting ready and the love of your life who's going to be waiting for you at the altar.
3. Remember why you chose your bridal squad (bridesmaids)
Your bridesmaids are most likely the first names who jumped to mind right after you made the "we're engaged!" phone calls. So these are ladies who has a proven track record of having your back. So allow them to do their duty. With a good bridesmaid, the bride won't even be aware there was an issue as she anticipates your needs. At least that was my experience with my squad :-)
4. Hydrate and snack
You're probably thinking "duh that goes without saying", but I know the very common "I'm too nervous to eat". Now don't get me wrong, I get that the last thing you want is to bloat or feel like you need the ladies room every 5 minutes, but I can't tell you how many brides I've had feel faint especially if it's a summer's day wedding with an outdoor ceremony. Take tiny sips of water throughout the morning and light snacking as you go.
5. Smile. laugh, cry
In other words, just feel every emotion of the day. This ties in with point 1 and 2. This is goin to be one of the happiest days of your life, with many more to follow. Take in every emotion, but don't allow any negative energies into your space. When you look back on your wedding photographs, it should make your heart smile at the raw emotion that was captured on the day and you'll feel those emotions stir with every image.
I could probably keep going, but these are definitely my top 5.