The night before your wedding feels like that moment when your roller coaster car reaches the top of the hill and you’re just waiting there with thrill, excitement, and a dash of anxiety. The most important thing you can do for yourself on the eve of your wedding is take care of your body physically, mentally and emotionally. Follow these do’s and don’ts and you’ll be ready for the BIG DAY!
DO Follow Your Skin Routine
One of the worst feelings is waking up in the morning with greasy and puffy skin after you fell asleep with your makeup on. Be consistent with your nightly beauty routine and refresh your skin before bed. Remove all makeup, cleanse your skin, exfoliate, and moisturize. Your skin will thank you the next morning when you wake up with that fresh bridal glow.
DO Go To Bed Early
The quickest way to wake up cranky and with dark circles around your eyes is to stay up too late. Beauty sleep is a real thing, folks! Of course you want to mingle with family and friends as late as possible, but the more important thing is to be refreshed for the big day. Set a time that you plan to go to bed, turn your lights off, relax and do some deep breathing exercises. You will wake up refreshed and present as you interact with all your loved ones the next day.
DO Write Yourself a Note
This is the one time in your life that you will be a bride. The sweet and exciting bridal jitters you experience the night before the big day cannot be matched. Write a note to your soon to be husband, or to yourself to read in the future. Years down the road you will be able to look back on those sweet memories and remember what it felt like to be a bride the night before her wedding. It is such a special time that it should be documented.
DON’T Drink a Lot of Alcohol
While a couple drinks at the rehearsal dinner are perfectly fine, you don’t want to overdo it the night before the biggest day of your life. Unfortunately, I’ve heard of many brides drinking so much at the rehearsal dinner that they are hung over on their wedding day. Ugh, sounds terrible, doesn’t it! Celebrate and enjoy your rehearsal dinner but remember that that doesn’t require you to get trashed. Avoiding that third drink will most likely keep you from being dehydrated and bloated the next day.
DON’T Start to Stress about Wedding Details
I fell fast asleep the night before my wedding, and I credit that to the fact that I didn’t allow myself to stress about the next day. I could have lied awake and worried that the photographer would get lost on her long drive across the state, it could be rainy, or the groom could forget his shirt (and he did) BUT I did not allow myself to think of those details. I just relaxed and focused on getting by beauty rest. By the time I woke up, it was the wedding day and I didn’t even feel the need to stress because I was just so excited.
DON’T Over-eat
Wedding celebrations are often paired with delicious food but tread carefully at the rehearsal dinner. If you overeat you may feel bloated, uncomfortable, or sick the next day. Stress eating can accidentally happen so if you’re worried about it, ask a bridesmaid or friend to keep you in check so that you’re being healthy. Of course, you don’t want to starve, but pace yourself and give your body the nutrients it needs for the days ahead.
There is nothing more exciting than being a bride the night before her wedding. It’s so special being surrounded by all your loved ones and thinking about marrying your best friend the next day. With so many emotions and thoughts, it’s important that a bride feels physically, mentally, and emotionally ready for the wedding day…after all, you are the bride!
Style Me Pretty Contributor – Kylie Thompson is a freelance writer, blogger and marketing professional from Grand Rapids Michigan, where she resides with her husband. When she isn’t working, you will find her exploring Grand Rapids’ newest culinary establishments with her husband, or traveling up and down Lake Michigan’s coast.