12 Things New Brides Should Avoid Doing
Every bride wants her wedding day to be perfect. From her makeup to the gown and order of events, the day should be flawless. After all, a flawless wedding is one that the guests are going to reminisce with fond memories. Weddings are such a regular occurrence, with over two million weddings happening in 2019 alone. Did you know that apart from following the etiquette of new brides, there are some things you must not do on her wedding day? Well, to make sure your wedding is memorable for all the right reasons, here are some things you should avoid doing on your big day.
- Never whine or complain to guests
If the food or drinks were terrible or did not turn out as expected, remember you chose the caterer and the menu. Don’t make the mistake of feeling embarrassed or disappointed if menu arrangements didn’t work out as planned. If the quality did not meet your standards, speak directly to the chef (in private) or ask your maid of honour to do so discreetly. A professional chef worth their salt will know how to turn things around within the shortest possible time. You do not want to be known as the hyper bride who went all ballistic on her caterers or wedding planner.
2. Don’t be rude
Indeed, you are the bride, and all attention focuses on you. However, that does not give you the right to talk down on family, in-laws, friends, and any of your guests. Allowing that to happen, will make this incident the central viewpoint of your wedding and will turn out to be a terrible memory to erase. It will also be an embarrassment to your groom, who may choose to be silent to avoid further humiliation.
3. Avoid being in-charge of everything
Understandably, you would be quite nervous and jittery on your big day. Usually, in response to fears of something going wrong, you may tend to take up every aspect of the wedding. Unfortunately, this builds up tension and leaves you frustrated and even more nervous. The reason behind delegating tasks to the wedding planner is to rely on their expertise and experience to make your day a memorable one. As a new bride, your only concern on the wedding day should be how you feel and the new life ahead of you.
4. Never be late for the wedding
There is an old wives’ tale that a bride can afford to arrive late to her wedding because it is her special day. Unfortunately, this is a wildly warped notion that you should not entertain. Many past brides attributed their late arrivals to traffic jams but never let that become your excuse. Keeping the officiator and everyone else waiting shows a total lack of respect for them. Although the wedding cannot proceed without you, do not get into your head.
5. Forgetting to acknowledge your guests
If your wedding is a big one, it may be quite tiring to greet all your guests. In many cases, the couple will position themselves at a receiving line when the ceremony is over. That enables them to greet attendants. However, if this is a little too overwhelming for you, you could express your appreciation for their presence and making your day extra special through
All it takes is to grab a microphone and express appreciation for their presence and for making your day extra special. It is especially important for out-of-town guests who made a long trip to be at the wedding. Fortunately, if public speaking is not your strength, your groom can conveniently do that for you.
6. Do not stay glued to your phone
It is bad etiquette for a new bride to whip out her phone, taking selfies during the wedding reception- even if you must answer calls or texts. This is why your wedding planner, maid of honour, or groom’s best man is there for you. They can take care of your phone for the day. You can also hand over your phone to a trusted friend or family to take all your calls. It is also the wrong etiquette to keep staring at your ring all the time during the service. Perhaps, you received your dream ring from the Sylvie Collection of oval-shaped engagement rings, indeed they are stunning, but don’t let your beautiful rings steal your attention away from your guests.
7. Not sending ‘Thank you’ notes
It is crucial to send out ‘Thank you’ notes to those who presented gifts on your wedding day. Here is how you can ensure you have information to send them a note. At the gift table, have each person fill a form indicating their names, emails, or phone numbers for guests. If you have a long list of those, select a few you and your spouse would like to respond to personally. You can have your wedding planner take care of the rest or call in a favour from siblings or trusted friends. If you have a gift registry, remember to take a few moments to thank persons who gave something not on your list.
8. Do not try new makeup
Out of excitement and the thrill of looking beautiful on your wedding day, there is an allure to use a new product- one you are unfamiliar with. You should stick to the makeup brands and shades you use any other day. Instead, if you intend to try out something new, what you could do is to book an appointment with your makeup artist weeks before the wedding.
That gives you ample time to settle on the look you want and to test out various brands. Remember that some skin types react to specific makeup brands, and you do not want a reaction on your special day.
9. Do not wear new shoes
Apart from trying out new makeup on your wedding day, another thing to avoid is to wear new shoes without testing it first. Wedding stylists always advise brides-to-be to purchase their shoes in advance and try them out a few days before the wedding. Wear them around the house for a couple of hours to check if you will develop blisters or feel uncomfortable in them. You do not want to wobble while walking down the aisle or paste a fake smile on your face to hide the pain during the event. Did you know that blowing your shoes with a hairdryer (for about 2 minutes) before wearing them makes them blister proof and more comfortable? Low heat is preferable as you do not want to melt your shoes.
10. Avoid crash diets and extreme workout routine
If this is your regular exercising routine, it is fair to stick with it, but if it is not, do not try this out a few weeks before your wedding. Extreme dieting and workout sessions tend to make you lose a considerable amount of body weight. It becomes even more worrying when you have already purchased your gown, and your body goes down a few sizes- meaning you will have to go out to look for another wedding dress. Extreme exercises may make you bulk up with muscles; you do not need that if you want to project a feminine and demure bridal look.
Now let us talk about dieting; the solution is to eat healthy, balanced meals and drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Adequate intake of water will make your skin look supple and healthy. Do not forget to get a healthy meal in your stomach on the wedding day to avoid getting dizzy due to hunger.
11. Do not wear complicated lingerie
Now, nobody is asking you not to feel sexy as a new bride on your wedding day but save that for the honeymoon. Remember, that piece of intricate underwear or lingerie may turn out to be a curse when you need a bathroom break at the reception. Unless you need all your bridesmaids to help you get out of that tricky fabric, stick to a nice but standard set that offers you some privacy in the bathroom. You can never go wrong with simple.
12. Do not get drunk
If your body can handle it, a maximum of two glasses of champagne is allowed. However, if you doubt your capacity, stick to one during the reception. To fight off the craving for more champagne, respectfully ask your maid of honour to bring you a glass of flavoured water (lime optional) and some cubes. As you continually sip on that, your brain resists the urge to drink anything with alcohol. Remember, this will save you from looking like a drunk bride in photos, save face before your new in-laws and guests.
It would be nice if new brides followed the strict rules they dish out to their wedding planners. That would help quell many mishaps on that special day. However, it is not why you should go all out handling every aspect on your own. Also, keep in mind not to try out a few things such as facials or waxing a few days before the special occasion. Your best bet is to try them out weeks before to curtail any misfortune.