How To Stay Present On Your Wedding Day

What does it mean to stay present on your wedding day? Is this even a thing?

Weddings are a total out of body experience. There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into them. When you’re at your actual wedding, it’s easy to focus on the execution of plans, being ready for the next thing to come. It can be tricky to actually stay in the moment. To appreciate what’s happening, and let go of all the preparation and planning. To stay present on your wedding day is no easy feat.

The thing is, if you’re in the right mindset, you can stay present on your wedding day. Doing so will help you enjoy your day more. It will allow you to take it in, and carry the right kind of memories with you as your wedding ends and you move into the next chapter of life. It’s all about being prepared to let go, and bring in, the right things at the right time.

This post is going to let you know all the ways to stay present on your wedding day. For some of the tips you may need to practice mindfulness, or being present, ahead of the wedding. In others, you may just need to hold yourself accountable. It may help to recruit others to help you as well. It’s your wedding, your way, right?

Let’s get into it!

PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY

Honestly, no one wants to go to a wedding and see the couple with their phones out the whole time.

Phones take away from being present, big time. They are a distraction. And they are a focus that is not part of what is around you. While having your phone nearby on your wedding day may be tempting, try to fight against that. I promise other people will take your photos for you. And, you can definitely trust your photographer to capture the big moments. Everything else that your phone offers can wait until later.

MEDITATE THE MORNING OF YOUR WEDDING

Have you started a meditation practice? If not, you should!

Taking time to meditate in the morning can help set intentions for the day. It allows you to focus on one thing, or nothing, and allow thoughts to pass with your breath. While you don’t have to start meditating before your wedding, you may want to so you’re prepared on your wedding day. You’ll be confident and intentional with your meditation on the big day if you know what works for you.

It’s not difficult to start a meditation practice. Just set aside time to do so. It helps to have a timer, or timed music, so you can know when to stop without checking a clock. A simple way to meditate is to sit comfortably, and focus on your breath, or sounds, for a set amount of time. You may or may not want to repeat a mantra to yourself. Or, you can just let thoughts come and go as they please.

I promise, if you make time to sit and meditate the morning of your wedding, it will allow you to stay present on your wedding day much easier.

DELEGATE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO OTHER PEOPLE

One surefire way to stay present on your wedding day? Remove as many tasks from your to-do list as you can.

While you can’t delegate absolutely everything, you should plan ahead to determine what can be given to others to take care of. For example, have someone be in charge of your gown until it’s time for you to put it on. Ask another person to meet the hair and makeup crew for you. Direct all questions about the wedding to yet another person. You get the picture.

Drilling down the things you need to accomplish or worry about on your wedding day to the least amount is crucial for your mindset. The less you need to do, the more you can just enjoy the moment.

TRUST YOUR DAY OF COORDINATOR

In the spirit of delegation, let’s talk about day of coordinators.

I’ve written about day of coordinators before, and I believe that they are a crucial part of any wedding. No, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on them. And, they don’t even have to be a professional. What a day of coordinator needs to be, though, is competent, informed, and available. Having them take care of the big coordination on your wedding day will let you be present in the moment, confident that the day will flow as planned.

TAKE MOMENTS TO BREATH AND TAKE IT IN

Even if you meditate the morning of your wedding, you should still find opportunities to pause, breath, and take in what is happening.

These moments can be very subtle. Or, they can be obvious. For example, you may have your maid of honor remind you to pause when she find a good moment for you to do so. Or, you may ask a friend to cue you to take in the moments. All it takes is a couple seconds, and then you can move on to the next thing.

FOCUS ON YOUR SENSES

Some people find it difficult to stay present, in general. Let me help you stay present on your wedding day with some prompts.

One of the easiest ways to get “in the moment” is to focus on your senses. Start by asking yourself questions, when you get the chance. What do you see? Can you smell anything? What do you hear? Is there anything that you can touch? When you eat, what do you taste?

Taking the time to hone into your senses will immediately bring you to the present.

HAVE YOUR OFFICIANT REMIND YOU TO PAUSE (OR WORK IT INTO YOUR VOWS)

This can be a very overt direction at your wedding, or incredibly subtle.

When you arrive at the end of the aisle during your ceremony, have your officiant remind you to pause and look around. They can remind you quietly, where only you can hear them, or they can make it very public. However it works for you, this is a wonderful way to have a prompt to be present on your wedding day. And, you won’t regret doing so.

ACCEPT THAT THINGS WILL GO WRONG

When there are mishaps, it can take us out of the moment. We immediately go to the past or the future, and it can rob us of the joy we should be feeling.

On your wedding day, things will go wrong. I promise that there isn’t a single wedding in history that went totally to plan. It happens. And when it does, be prepared, mentally, for it. Tell yourself it is okay, no matter how bad it is, and find something to be grateful for. Will being grateful and present help solve the issue? No. But it will help your wedding day be more enjoyable, which is the real goal.

ENJOY THE MOMENTS LEADING UP TO YOUR WEDDING

Weddings go by fast, but there is a ton that goes into planning and preparing for them. And, those things can take a lot of time and provide ample opportunity to be present.

When you plan your wedding, pause to take in what you’re doing. From trying on dresses, to going to tastings, to touring venues, and all the pre-wedding events, know that it’s okay to pause and enjoy them, too. The more you take in what’s happening, the more you’ll be prepared to stay present on your wedding day.

FOCUS ON YOUR PARTNER

When in doubt, focus on your partner.

At your wedding, if you feel thoughts of the past, future, or any uncomfortable anxieties coming up, stop and think of your partner. Or, look at them if they are physically with you. This will remind you of why you’re there. Why you’ve put so much work and effort into the day. Weddings are not about having a party, or about taking on a ton of work and stress. They are about unifying ourselves with the one we love.

So, if you need to, look at your partner’s eyes on your wedding day. I promise you’ll relax into the moment more.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Friends, it’s not easy to stay present on your wedding day. Be sure to get rid of distractions, delegate what you need to, and create reminders for yourself. Try and prepare to be mindful ahead of the wedding, and enjoy the journey you took to get there. When in doubt, look for your partner. You’ve got this! Happy wedding planning!