Five (Unexpected) Things To Do the Week of Your Wedding!
Written By: Layna Macurak (Flat Ridge Second Shooter & 2021 Bride)
Thinking about throwing the biggest party of your life can be pretty overwhelming.
Thinking about the fact that said party marks a significant milestone that is going to change your life for the rest of your life… well the whole concept of a wedding really just is a lot to process. My husband and I got married in August of 2021, which, at the time I’m writing this, was only about 5 months ago. What that means to me is that I’ve got quite a ways to go before I can consider myself qualified to write any kind of marriage advice. It also, however, means that I hosted a wedding only a few months ago, and I do feel qualified to speak to that process.
Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram (basically all of the social media under the sun) all have more advice for wedding planning than you could ever need. Personally, I wasn’t super interested in dealing with all of the nitty gritty stuff. I wasn’t ever the little girl daydreaming of her future big wedding moment, and even once it was actually time to plan that moment I relied heavily on my sister and my mom to help make things happen. All that to say, if you’re looking for planning tips, this is not the blog post for you (BUT, I would highly recommend talking with Elle because she is the aforementioned sister who helped make most of the planning happen!).
This blog post is about what to do with the week before your wedding. I have a few things that I’m really glad we did, and also a couple things that I wish I had done but didn’t, that I’d love to share with you. Everyone is different and prepares differently, but I do think that there will be something in this list that is helpful for everyone!
Prepare For Your Marriage.
Notice this does not say “prepare for your wedding.” Your wedding day is just that… one day out of the hopefully thousands more days that you have left. But, most if not all of the rest of your days will be spent married to your person. Ideally you’ll have been spending a good bit of time before the week of your wedding preparing, but especially during the days leading up to your ceremony I would encourage you to consider what you want your marriage to look like. If you’re the praying kind (I certainly am!), spend some time in prayer, asking God to bless your marriage and to use it for His Glory. Maybe even set some goals for yourselves, both short term and long term. You can do this on your own and also with your partner!
2. Check Things Off Your To-Do List… and Definitely Don’t Add To It!
This is probably the best advice that I got before my wedding (thanks Shelby!), and I think it’s worth sharing with every soon-to-be bride. I know how much there is that needs to be done at the last minute in the week leading up to your wedding, and it’s okay if they are on your to-do list! The main goal here is that you wouldn’t add anything to that list. If something pops up unexpectedly that truly needs to be done, delegate it! But chances are pretty good that if something is popping up for the first time the week of your wedding, it’s probably not all that important.
3. Go On A Date
… and while you’re on the date, don’t talk about the wedding! It’s been consuming a lot of your time and energy, and probably a lot of your conversations. Go out to a place you love and take some time to just be you. Once all of the family starts getting into town and you start with all of the wedding related events, it’ll be a whirlwind of activity and constant attention on you for days. Having a few hours alone to connect with each other before all of that starts is huge.
4. Get Advice From Wise Friends
Something that my bridesmaids did for me that I will treasure forever is they went around and gathered notes of encouragement and advice from some of my friends and family of all ages. Some of those people have been married for upwards of 50 years, others have never been married, and the notes ranged from just silly short notes to longer well thought out lists of advice, but the fact that so many people cared to love me in that way right before getting married was so special. Whether you gather notes to be read the night before your wedding, or find some other way to connect with the people who love you most, I think this should be on everyone’s list for the week before their wedding.
5. Drink Water!!
This one might seem silly, especially if you aren’t a big drinker. My husband and I both enjoy a good beer (or a whiskey or tequila, respectively!), but neither of us typically drink a lot at once. So truly, this assignment has nothing to do with how much alcohol you plan to consume during the week of your wedding, and has everything to do with the health benefits of drinking water. Even if your wedding day goes perfectly without a single hiccup (which ours honestly did as far as I’m concerned), you will likely be completely fried by the end of it. It’s an exhausting day, both physically and emotionally. Add in the fact that you probably won’t get much sleep the night before, and it’s a perfect storm. Drinking water leading up to the wedding will help with a lot of things, and one of them is your ability to sustain your energy levels throughout the entire day!
There are obviously plenty of other things to do during the week of your wedding. Packing for the honeymoon, finishing up the cute little crafty favors to send home with your guests, do all of the spa days and mani pedis… the list is long. My goal in writing this was just to throw a few things out there that I think are less often thought of, and that will often end up taking a back seat to some of the more pressing logistical things that pop up. Don’t forget that you can take ownership of your time! The week before your wedding doesn’t have to be stressful… It can be a life-giving week that helps you go into the day feeling well prepared to celebrate your love for and your marriage to your partner!
