You’ve spent MONTHS planning your wedding.

You have all the details picked. From the flavor of your cake, to the way your flower girls’ hair will be styled. The whole wedding is timed out to go smoothly. You’ve been dreaming of this day for what feels like forever and you’ve put in the time to make it perfect. But now it’s here! Tomorrow is your wedding and you just realized that you have hours of unplanned time in the morning! Your ceremony doesn’t start until 4pm, and your hair & makeup artist won’t be arriving until 11am. So what do you do? We have some really great tips and suggestions on what to do so you can have a fun/relaxing time before the ceremony begins.

We truly believe that it all starts the day before.

Setting yourself up for success before you get into bed on the night before your wedding is going to make all the difference. Lay out all the dresses, suits and accessories. This way everything will be wrinkle free and easy to locate. Plus, you won’t have to run around looking for those cuff links or earrings when you are trying to get ready. The last thing you want is to have to tear the room apart or run to Target and get replacements for anything. If there is something missing, you can plan for someone you trust to go pick it up right when the stores open in the morning. This will keep things calm and stress-free (just how we like it!).

The other thing you want to do the night before is go to bed early.

I know, we are party poopers! We promise we are just looking out for you and in the morning, you will be so happy you did! Getting a good night’s rest will have you feeling joyful and refreshed right when you wake up! You’ll be able to easily roll out of bed when your alarm goes off and start the day off right. This will also ensure that the wedding day timeline stays on track throughout the morning.  We definitely think you should enjoy some time with your loved ones the night before, but be mindful of how you are going to feel in the morning. The National Sleep Foundation says it varies from person to person, but the average amount of sleep is recommended at 7-9 hours for adults. So try to aim for somewhere around this number.

Did someone mention food?!

Everyone always says breakfast is the most important meal of the day and ya’ll already know I’m here for it! Getting something good in your stomach and keeping you feeling energized is so crucial to your whole day! I can personally guarantee you that you are not going to want to be a hangry bride or groom! Being conscious of the foods you choose to eat is going to play a role in how you’ll feel, too.

Dairy, refined sugar, or anything that can cause bloating or discomfort should be avoided. Some really great choices for breakfast are foods such as smoothies, green juice, bananas, and toast with a nut butter. If you’re anything like me and Chick-fil-a is now an essential part of your meal plans, you may even opt for some chicken minis! Just make sure it is something you are used to eating and will give you energy throughout your day. An omelet has protein and fiber that will give you the boost you need to keep going. Also, don’t forget to drink a fair amount of water! You don’t want to be dehydrated while you are standing at the alter.

Create a playlist and have some fun!

IT’S YOUR WEDDING DAY!!! Live it up and enjoy the moments! Chances are, you are with some of your absolute favorite people in the world and you all should be celebrating! What better way to do this then putting on some awesome hits and letting loose. Some brides go for a more upbeat, fun vibe and others stick to romantic, love songs. Whatever your vibe is, playing music will definitely help to calm the nerves and clear your mind. If you have the time, play a game or two with your bridal party. There are some fun bridal games for the girls that can incorporate your wedding day and let you get some good laughs in  with your crew before you start getting ready.

A lot of grooms choose to do something outdoors during the morning time, since they need less time to get ready. If you do decide to head outside for an activity like playing a round of golf, make sure to wear some kind of sun protection. No one needs a fresh sunburn the morning of their wedding! Amazon sells long sleeve 50+ UV Sun Protection shirts for less than $20. Check them out here to help you stay cool and protected.

Pick out something special to wear while you get ready for the day!

There are SO many options out there for this tip. The key is to make sure the outfit passes a few tests:

1. Is it comfortable? You will want something you can relax in and feels right for you. If you hate robes but like the way they look in other people’s photos; maybe there is a better option out there for you. You don’t want to be tugging and adjusting every two seconds because someone else made it look good! There are lots of variations of the getting ready look and you could probably find another choice that you think is just as cute! Which brings me right to the next question you should ask yourself.

2. Do you love the way you look in it? You are going to want photos of your morning while you are getting ready and what better way to really make these photos beautiful than having a great outfit picked out?! Get the girls matching or coordinating outfits and gift it to them the morning of!

3. Does it match your wedding vibe? Think about the big picture here. If you are planning on having pictures with your girls during the morning in these outfits (which you totally should be. These are some of our brides absolute favorite photos from their galleries!), chances are, these photos will make it into the wedding album. Now, I am all about personality and being boldly you. So if your look is fun, vibrant, eye-catching colors; you do you! But if you have a gorgeously romantic wedding with pastels and neutrals in your color palette, you may not love your choice of bright floral robes for the girls. Consider how these photos will look in the same album with the rest of your wedding. Does it match or does it look like two different brides picked them out? These little details really do just bring everything together so beautifully.

4. Will you be able to easily get out of it? You need something that is loose or buttons down to take off because once your hair and makeup is done, you still are going to be wearing this outfit. You don’t want to ruin all that beauty by pulling a shirt over your head.

ModParty is an Etsy shop that I absolutely adore and think you should definitely check out if you are looking for getting ready outfits (or anything pretty and wedding related!). They also have amazing little gifts that you could give to your bridal party. Just a sweet way to say thank you for how they’ve been there by your side through your whole wedding planning process! The morning of your wedding is a great time to give these out!

Pick out your most responsible friend.

Let them know all the details you want photographed and have them keep it organized and prepared. This way when the photographers arrive and you are sitting down getting your hair and makeup done, this friend can show us where the details are and we can start working on these photos for you, right away! We think capturing ALL of your wedding is important, and this definitely includes the small details you’ve put effort into planning. We have a small time-frame to get these photos done in and the more organized your details are, the better your photos are going to be!

This person can also make sure the room is clean and tidy for the photographer. Have one area that is completely clean, preferably by the window so we can get good light. The wall should be neutral and bare and no bags laying around. We know that on the morning of the wedding you will have quite a few people in the room. Everyone will have their Starbucks cup or their bottles of water; and that’s okay! We just don’t think you need those in your photos! Having one or two people in charge of keeping this area mess-free will make it so easy for us to spend our time getting you those fun, clean images you’re gonna love!

It’s not a bad idea to have an emergency kit with you.

This kit is going to be your go-to should anything come up! Some essentials are stain remover, fashion tape, a small sewing kit and safety pins. All of these will help in case anything happens to any dresses or suits. Other great items to have in your kit are tweezers, bobby pins, and clear polish. Breath mints aren’t a bad idea either, as you are about to have your first kiss as a married couple! Make sure you have some tissues, as well! This is an emotional day and you will want to keep your beautiful makeup intact through any tears.

You can make your own kit so you know that is 100% tailored to you and your needs by picking up these items up separately and putting them all in a cute makeup travel bag. If you don’t have time or are just not the DIY-type, there are a lot of places that sell these kits now! They have cute, glammed up small versions of these at Francesca’s that you can purchase here. Or you can go to Amazon and get a real souped-up version and be prepared for anything! Check it out here! No matter what you decide to go with, these items can come in extremely handy!

Your wedding will go by quickly! The morning is your time to relax and take it all in before things start rolling.

Once everything starts the day will be very active. So we recommend using this time to really enjoy that you are about to take one of the most exciting steps in your relationship! Use some of these tips to help you have time to focus on what’s important and make everything run as smoothly as possible. We enjoy being there in the morning to photograph these moments and especially love seeing our couples happy and ready for the day! We are prepared to celebrate you both AND be there to help with anything you need!! With these tips and us on your side, the morning of your wedding is going to be amazing!