The Week Before The Wedding

When all said and done, we know all too well that after all the fuss about major decisions like The Venue, The Dress, The Vows, what a couple really wants is some actual, practical and realistic advice the week before the wedding.

In our experience, it is the week before the wedding that couples need the most support and the most protection from making seemingly small yet potentially very stressful mistakes.

Here are the top 10 most common errors made the week before your wedding and how to avoid them:

DON’T…

Forget to break in your shoes

This goes for both parties, not just ladies wearing heels! Get them on and have a good boogie around the house with your partner to lighten the mood and break those bad boys in.

Start tanning

You think that it’s ok to pop on the sun beds or go for a spray tan the day before your big day? You’re wrong! So much can go wrong with this beauty regime. Is it worth looking like an orangutan or a lobster on your wedding day? Think again, book at least a fortnight in advance then add a very minimal layer of tinted moisturiser the week before.

Start creative DIY activities

There is nothing more stressful that being faced with 90 wedding favours you have promised yourself you will handmade, because that’s just the sort of person you are! Especially if your creative masterpieces actually end up disasters! If you need to get fiddly and do-it-yourself, do yourself a favour and plan months in advance for these projects.

Leave your nails until the last minute

A small but highly irritating error, when you look down at your hands the night before and see chips and snags and over-grown cuticles – these can be retouched.  Put aside a whole day over a week before the day to sit still while you get your hands and feet pampered over a glass of bubbly.

Get a deep facial treatment

Like tanning, so much can go wrong with this. Even if you have never had a blemish or skin irritation in your whole life, don’t risk a mass breakout in reaction to some unknown chemicals! We recommend investing in a carefully tried and tested skincare range, 6 months prior to your wedding. Use daily and religiously and your skin won’t need any one-off expensive treatments.

Cut or colour your hair

Even if you rock the pixie cut or bob, we advise not leaving the chop until the precious days before your wedding day. Again, is it worth the risk or a snippety snip out of place and feeling deeply dissatisfied and disgruntled with the outcome, then threatening black magic to make it grow back within 48 hours?

Play contact sports or any other activity that risks injury

Again, this applies across the board. It’s good to de-stress and continue with ‘normal’ activities, but if you’re partial to a bit of touch rugby, marathon running or rock climbing, think again. one slip and you’ll be forced to rock the plaster cast on your special day. Opt instead for safer activities – what about yoga and swimming.

Spend too much time around your family

Forgive us, friends and family of the couple, but we’re pretty sure you’ve spent a fair bit of time in one another’s company in planning this wedding. Could you perhaps manage without one another for just one week? Reason being that this is the time that tempers fray, unkind words are spoken and sudden changes of heart about crucial decisions occur. Nobody needs that. Pop each other a kind text message, but invest your time in one another above anyone else.

Overdo the alcohol

You’d be surprised how many couples turn to the bottle to calm their tattered nerves the week before their wedding…or perhaps not. It’s easy to keep re-filling that glass or hide away at the local pub as the anxiety mounts. Although a nice short-term solution, in the long run this will only serve to heighten your minds worries and make you feel physically weak. Consider a dry week, topping up on water and delicious smoothies, to keep your energy and spirits high.

Start panicking about small details

Now is not the time to fret about whether you have told people to bring confetti, whether you chose the right DJ, whether everyone will do their jobs correctly. It’s time to let it go. Remember, marriage is about the bigger picture and we promise you that you won’t look back filled with deep regret over your choice of DJ. Enjoy the precious moments running up to your wedding day. They don’t come around again.