Happy Friday! We hope your upcoming weekend is filled with sunshine and adventure, and we especially hope that all of you brides and grooms out there are enjoying every moment of wedding planning. Wedding planning can take up a lot of time and mental energy, and after years and years of capturing beautiful weddings, we hope to help make your process a little easier. That’s why this week are starting our first installment in our “Getting Ready Mini Series.”

This week we are focusing on “How to Create a Relaxing Getting Ready Experience.” The getting ready portion of the day, is where many couple’s wedding day schedule can go “off course” and sometimes lead to unwanted stress on their Best Day Ever. It’s important to create a plan for a calm and joyful morning, so that ultimately you set your whole wedding day up for success.

We have all experienced this in real life outside of a wedding day scenario. Think about times when your morning routine has been “on point.” Imagine those days were you have had time and space to sit down sip a cup of coffee, eat a healthy breakfast, and laugh with family all while having time to do your hair and make-up perfectly. On day’s like these you probably walk out the door feeling like a million bucks, ready to conquer anything.

Now think about the times that your morning has been nothing like that. You maybe rushed out of the house with a bite of food in hand. These types of morning are not bad, however think about what generally result in those types of mornings. You may have found yourself snapping at someone you loved, feeling overwhelmed, and wishing you had more time to fix your hair and drink your coffee.

When thinking about your wedding, you are probably hoping that it will be more like that first morning we talked about. That’s why today we are sharing a few tips for how you can plan for a relaxing and beautiful getting ready experience.

• BE INTENTIONAL

Think about how you want to feel as you get ready. Do you hope for a quiet and calm environment with just a few people? Or do you love a more joyful and celebratory environment where you’re surrounded by lots of excited friends and family? Know yourself and craft a morning that makes sense for you specifically. Know ahead of time exactly who you would like to be there while you are slipping into your wedding dress, and create a plan for them to be ready and present.

• DELEGATE

While you are getting ready, you’ll want to be fully present in the moment. Delegate important responsibilities to others who won’t need to be getting ready at the same time as you, so that you can full embrace all of the sweet memories that surround you. Assign someone to refill your coffee cup, bring you tasty treats, keep you hydrated, and make sure your perfect soundtrack is playing.

• THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO “FILL” YOUR MORNING

Having hair and make-up done and putting on the wedding dress are some of the major parts of the getting ready portion of a wedding day, however you may want to consider any other moments you want to fill your morning. Are you hoping to do a father-daughter first look? Do you plan on exchanging a gift with your groom? Or how about giving all of your bridesmaids a special present? If you are thinking of incorporating any of these elements in to your morning make sure you create a plan for them, and also leave plenty of time for them to occur without needing to rush through them.

• PLAN LOTS OF CUSHION TIME

This is probably one of the most important things you could do for yourself, bridal party members, and family on your wedding day. Life has a way of not going as planned and you’ll want to create a getting-ready schedule that leaves LOTS of cushion time. Hair and make-up often take longer then anticipated, and by building in lots of cushion in your timeline, you’ll ensure you are covered no matter what happens. Don’t forget it’s better to have a little extra time then to be rushing around.