By Kim Fusaro for Glamour
Welcome to your wedding day! With the stress of planning behind you, you might think the big day will be easy-breezy, and it should be -- as long as you can navigate these six potential stress bombs.
The "It's-All-About-Me" Mom or Mother-In-Law
Weddings come with a host of heavy emotions, especially when your son or daughter is the star of the show. Some moms might be adept at handling stress, while others might teeter closer to meltdown territory. If you know your mom or future MIL might get a little testy, plan to keep your distance. (If you'll be getting your hair and makeup done at 10am, schedule her appointment for noon.) Hang a sign that reads: "Stress-Free Zone: Bride and Bridesmaids Only Beyond This Point" on your hotel suite. If a manic mama busts in anyway, appoint a bridesmaid to run interference, steering her gently toward the door before she asks if she can quickly rearrange some tables on your seating chart.
The Badly Coiffed Bridesmaid
On a similar note, your closest friends might start acting a little funny on your wedding day too. I've seen several bridesmaids tear out their up-dos in disgust or take a wipe to a fresh face of makeup that's "All wrong! Just ALL WRONG!" If your friends tend to be picky about their hair and makeup (and even if they don't), leave plenty of room in the day's schedule for stylist do-overs. It might be worth it to book an extra appointment at the tail end of your session, so you have pros to attend to any 'maids who are feeling less than perfect.
The "Wedding Hotline" Callers
I'm always amazed by how often a bride's cell phone rings on her wedding day. Some calls are from well-wishers ("Don't forget to stop and take it all in!") and others are from guests who want to update you on their schedule ("We just got to the hotel!" or "I think the GPS is on the fritz. Where, exactly, is the wedding?") Rather than field all the calls yourself, put your phone on vibrate and turn it over to your maid of honor, who can gently let people know that you're unavailable.
The Lost (or Just Late) Wedding Vendor
A week before your wedding, email a reminder to your vendors with the date, time, and location where they're expected. If anyone's responsible for "extras" (your florist said she'd bring an extra-tall ladder or your caterer volunteered a mic stand), remind them then. Type up a quick list with two contact numbers for each vendor ahead of time and you won't have to dig through your wedding binder to track down your cake maker. Give the list to your day-of coordinator or a cool-headed family member -- your super-chill aunt, for example -- and ask her to touch base with any vendors who are running behind schedule.
The AWOL Guests and the Unexpected Plus-Ones
No matter how carefully you tallied your RSVPs, your head count will fluctuate until the very last minute, with some guests getting sick and others showing up with a surprise date. Assuming your seating plan stays mostly intact--there's not one table that's suddenly empty -- inhale, exhale, and let your caterer know to adjust the number of chicken breasts accordingly. Sure, it's not ideal that everyone at table 6 has to scootch over to make room for your college roommate's new fling, but at the end of the day, a couple of extra bodies (or a few missing ones) aren't worth stressing over.
The Long-Lost Relatives
The best thing about weddings is that they bring together far-flung friends and relatives. The worst part is, some of those guests might want to spend cocktail hour (the WHOLE hour) catching up or getting to know you better. A LOT better. Be prepared for when your mother-in-law's cousin goes into a never-ending spiel about adding your relatives to the family tree (this happened to me) by practicing a few key phrases: "I'm excited to catch up with you, but my wedding planner seems to need me right now" or "I'm sorry, I need to run to the ladies' room, but let's chat more at brunch tomorrow!"
Are you anticipating wedding-day stress? Or do you think your guests will keep their cool?
More from Glamour:
10 Beauty Tricks That Make Guys Melt
50 Wedding Dresses That Will Make Your Heart Skip a Beat
10 Things He's Thinking When You're Naked
Kate Middleton's Best Tour Outfits
10 Wardrobe Essentials Every Woman Should Own
The Ultimate A-Z Guide to Excellent Hair
Related
Before You Go
