The combination of anticipation and stress you’re likely feeling leading up to your big day can certainly be overwhelming. The smaller details can often fall by the wayside, especially as you’re distracted by your less-than-perfect dress fitting. But we’ve got you girl – we’re here with a few small details that will help the best day of your lives go off without a hitch.

Big Day Breakfast

With hair and makeup starting at 8am, the photographer arriving at noon and cocktail hour not beginning until 6pm, starting off the long day with a full belly is essential…and we mean more than just half a cranberry muffin and two mimosas. Based on your day’s specific timeline, you and your bridal party will most likely be skipping a formal lunch. Make sure you have enough fuel to get you all the way through to the reception because the bride and groom may not even be able to find five minutes to scarf down a granola bar.

A spread of breakfast options or a cooler of quick snacks that you can leave in the limo will be invaluable to keeping your bridal party happy and energized. And hey, you’ve been on your wedding diet for what four, eight, twelve weeks now? Go ahead and splurge on that second bagel – we promise the carbs won’t show up in your pictures until the next day.

Groomsman Gifts

Okay, we don’t want to stereotype here, but we do happen to know a few men out there that tend to be a bit forgetful. While your future hubby is obviously involved in all of the major wedding planning details (you know, like showing up the day of), there is a chance that he may overlook a few smaller tasks on his to-do list, like getting all of his best bros a token of his appreciation. Luckily, we’ve got a huge selection of groomsmen gifts including everything from guy favorites like flasks, beer mugs and money clips to more unique things like cooler backpacks and growlers. A few subtle hints can go a long way – let’s avoid using the word “nagging” and instead call it “persistence.”

Tip Envelopes

Your wedding day will go by in a flash, so the last thing you’ll want to do is waste any time dealing with cash to tip vendors. You’ll likely be able to pay most vendors way ahead of time, but it’s also customary to provide tips to individuals such as the actual limo driver, DJ or bartenders (that you won’t know who the actual person will be until the day of).

Figure out how much you’ll plan to tip, make a quick trip to the ATM and label a few envelopes ahead of time. Then, to make your day even less stressful, pass the tipping task off to your most trusted bridesmaid who will make sure the right people get the cash. Unsure of how much you are supposed to tip? This Wedding Vendor Tipping Cheat Sheet is super helpful in helping you figure out what is appropriate.

Keep an Eye on the Card Box

Some of your guests may give a cash gift (or check made out to cash), so with potentially a small fortune on the line, it’s very important to designate a trusted (and sober at the reception) family member to take the card box home with them at the end of the night. There are tons of wedding horror stories out there of the card box/gift table being raided by venue employees or other non-guests, and we want to help you avoid any black clouds hanging over the memories of your big day. Be smart, keep the gift table in the center of the reception hall (where everyone can see it), and make sure you know who is taking care of it at night end. After all, you’ll be busy dancing straight from the venue to the after party.

SaveSave