One of the best pieces of advice I received when planning our wedding - and I honestly can’t remember if it was our celebrant or photographer who suggested it, maybe both? - was to pack a hamper for ourselves to have between the ceremony and reception.
It’s one of those things that I am reaaaally grateful we did for a few reasons!
Firstly, I was HUNGRY - our ceremony was early afternoon, and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast (except for a glass of wine and some chocolate I’d had mid morning while getting ready!). So, by the time our ceremony was over and we had mingled and chatted with family, it was time for photos. No time for lunch!
So, what we did after having our big group photos taken, we sat down our hamper on the grass, cracked open a bottle of wine (a juice box for our son) and had some nibbles with our bridal party between photos.
This also gave us all a chance to relax, have something to eat and enjoy the moment. Our venue was at a big old estate, which happened to have a tea room, so most of our other guests were either roaming the gardens or in the tea room having Devonshire tea (amazing right?!).
As the bridal party, we were busy taking photos, so we didn’t get time to have Devonshire tea, so I was grateful for our snack-pack we had ready to go! And of course, a glass of wine didn’t go astray either.
What else can you do to look after yourself on your wedding day? My top tips:
Organise a hamper of course!
Make sure you eat breakfast (ok, food is clearly a theme here!)
Ensure you drink water
Take time for yourselves as a couple to stop and actually enjoy the moment together - perhaps even sneak off in the garden or wherever you are for a moment alone!
Don’t worry about whether your guests are having fun or having a good time or whatever you might worry about - just take the time to enjoy YOURSELVES!
I always come back to this, but take a moment to remember why you’re doing all this, remember that it’s about celebrating your love for each other, and that everyone else is having a great time so ya don’t need to worry about them!
Wedding photos: Scott Gelston / @scottgelston