You put a LOT of time and effort into your wedding day, so wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy it?  Here’s a few tips from pros that have been to a ton of weddings (us!) that can make your wedding day smoother, giving you the chance to enjoy it.

Book early, and book quality.

A level of trust can go a long way toward relaxing and enjoying your wedding day.  If you have confidence in the DJ you’ve chosen, or have seen them in action, it’s easier to sit back and let them do their thing—and do it well.  Same goes for your caterer, photographer, and any other vendors.  Use friends’ recommendations, online reviews, and questions to choose the right vendors for your big day, and don’t procrastinate.  The best of the best book quickly.  Contact them early to make sure you get the best so you can relax on your big day.

Appoint ‘helpers’ and give them jobs.

Don’t be a bridezilla.  Ask friends and family for their assistance throughout the day.  If they accept, give them a specific task they are responsible for. This is the perfect job for a take-charge friend or family member that you want to be involved in your wedding.  Don’t feel like you need to be in charge of it all, and that you need to put out every fire. Ask friends or family you trust to help getting family members to photos, assisting with babysitting (if needed) during the festivities, passing out payments to vendors and performers (make sure you choose a trusted friend or family member for this task) and any other small details that need to be done that day.

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Get as much wedding planning accomplished as early as possible (here’s a helpful checklist for the wedding planning process) or hire a wedding planner that can organize all your details.  If you still owe vendors payment, or have ‘thank you’ gifts for soloists and other people who are part of your big day, pay in advance over the phone or online, or put the money in envelopes a week before the wedding day. A few steps of preparation during wedding planning can limit the amount of ‘to-do’s’ on your special day—making it even more relaxed and special.

Schedule and keep meetings with all the important wedding day players.

To make sure that all your wishes are known and make sure your vendors are coordinated, keep your scheduled meetings with your vendors so you can tell them what you want and what you don’t want.  For example, for your DJ meeting, make a playlist of songs you want played…and don’t want played.

Don’t schedule too tight.

As great as preparing for your big day is, make sure you have down time to enjoy it.  Don’t schedule your time so tight that you’re rushing from place to place.  We know a couple that wanted to get pictures at a scenic park that her family had taken pictures at it in the past.  However, when the schedule didn’t allow, they scrapped the idea to ensure that the day went smoothly and wasn’t hectic.

Listen to the voice of experience.

Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from your vendors; after all, you hired them for their experience.  Now, rely on it.  Make your preferences known but don’t be afraid to put important items (i.e. play list for the evening, photo stances) in their capable hands.

Communicate with EVERYONE.

Don’t rely on texts and other people to spread the word about all the details and specifics.  Take special care to communicate with your guests by creating a wedding website and putting together comprehensive invitations.  For your wedding party and family, send out emails or messages to EVERYONE with a full schedule.  This allows everyone involved to plan ahead and anticipate where they need to be to make the day run smoothly, and cuts down on the amount of individual communications you need to send out.

Have an emergency kit for ANYTHING that could come up.

Pack extra cosmetics, a sewing kit, umbrellas—anything you think could come up on your wedding day. Go through your day in your mind, and picture all the worst case scenarios and what you can do to fix the problem.  In the same way, hire vendors with the same mind set, such as photographers and DJs, with back-up equipment and personnel for those “just in case” situations.

Be flexible.

Even with all the planning in the world, things are bound to go wrong.  The internet is full of stories that go wrong, so be flexible and go with the flow as much as possible.  Even with all the planning in the world, those “just in case” scenarios always seem to arrive.  Keep everything in perspective and try not to let them ruin your special day.

Have fun!

Dance, circulate, have fun with your friends…this is your special day, so make the most of it—and enjoy it!