*Collaborative post.

Your wedding morning is almost here – it’s the culmination of months of preparation, and you’re nervous about it. You have put together every detail meticulously, and have had a few almost-disasters with family or vendors. But have you thought through the last 24 hours leading up to the ceremony? How do you speed up the wedding prep process?

Many brides neglect to plan for their final day of spinsterhood. As a result, they end up frayed, behind-schedule, and panicky on what should be the best day of their lives.

Don’t be caught playing catchup by setting up a minute-by-minute final preparation schedule. Leave room for unexpected events, so you’ll have time to respond calmly and still get to the ceremony on schedule. Below are some tips to help you speed up the wedding prep process.

1. Don’t Leave for the Morning What Can Be Done In Advance

This is perhaps the most important tip, especially if you have an early wedding. Two days before D-day, you can get a wax job to allow the redness to subside. Then get a spray tan (after the wax!) after your final exfoliation (you should have been following a beauty regimen already).

Gel nails can be done as early as three days prior, so they’re in place for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon. For regular polish, do it the night before the wedding and make sure to put an extending topcoat to prevent chipping. Apply at-home gloss for extra sheen and have your eyelashes applied if you didn’t have a natural extension treatment.

2. Rest and Eat Well

Sleep on your back with your head and chest slightly elevated to keep the drainage flowing. Take a soothing bath with aromatic candles or essential oils, and have an early night. The bath can help you relax from all the excitement and put you in a sleeping frame. The alone-time doesn’t hurt amid all the buzz either.

If you do meditation or yoga, devote a half-hour in the morning to calm yourself before the preparations. Going in calm, rested, and relaxed will help everything to run faster. Have a layered breakfast that’s filling and minimize the drinking, because of pee breaks.

3. Plan Your Get-Ready Space

If you can, forego the parent’s home, because the house will be so full you won’t have much room for yourself. Instead, get a bridal suite or several adjoining hotel rooms, where you and your girls will have ample space to prepare. The last thing you want is to be fighting for the only bathroom with fifteen other people. 

Additionally, a hotel allows you to give ample space for the hair and makeup technicians to set up their tools. If you have multiple stylists, this works great. Just be sure to carry all the tools and accessories you need and ensure the hotel knows your schedule beforehand. Alternatively, you and the girls can rush to a salon for your beautification before coming home to get dressed. 

As you choose the space, ensure it has plenty of natural light, so that the getting-ready shots will be stunning. Assign all the maids time slots for hair and makeup the night before. If you have more girls, get more stylists. 

4. Lay Out the Clothes and Accessories before Sleeping

You’ll want everyone’s dresses to hang up in an airy place to allow them to breathe, especially the gown. Lay out your shoes, veil, earrings, necklace, bracelet, and underwear, as well as any lotions or oils you’ll apply. When you get up, all you need is to take a shower and start getting ready.  

Laying out is essential, especially if you’re not at home so that you’re sure you have everything you need. Additionally, once the photographer comes, he/she can quickly get through the detail shots and focus on you and your girls. Lay out the place cards, invitations, rings, bouquet along with your other things. Again, find the spots with the most natural light. 

5. Consider Your Timelines

Timelines are especially crucial if you don’t have a wedding planner to ensure everything is running on time.

You can designate someone to help you keep things moving, such as a close friend or relative who’s not in the party. If it’s shopping, you can save time by getting all your the necessary stuff from one place, such as  Azazie.

Typically, hair and makeup will take 30-45 minutes per activity and 60-90 minutes for the bride. A practice run with the stylists can help you figure out how best to use the tie slots. 

The bridesmaids should do much of their hair preps the day before the wedding, leaving only touch-ups for the morning. And don’t forget to plan for the mother of the bride too! 

Conclusion

Once you have everything in place, focus on making sure everyone in the party has everything they need. Create a playlist that will clam or relax you or help you have fun with your bridal prep routine. If you start running behind, a wedding coordinator can help you find ways to speed things along. These are the ways to speed up the wedding prep process.