Top 4 Tips for Your Wedding Day

You’ve waited your entire life to find that perfect person that completes you, and it happens! They pop the question, you say yes, and now you’ve spent months planning a gorgeous affair to celebrate your vows. It is days before the wedding, nerves kick in (very normal), and you start thinking…what have I forgotten to do, or what else do I need to prepare? Here are some of my favorite tips:

Tip 1: The Bustle! - Make a Video!

Photography by The Marshalls

Bustling a brides dress for any maid of honor or bridesmaid can be a chore! Some are easy, but others are like finding multiple needles in a haystack. Depending on the dress and where the pieces are, you can color code - but if you have tons of lace, this may not be the case. Regardless, here is one way to make everyone’s life easier. During your last dress fitting ask the tailor to show your guests how to bustle the dress, have them do it with the tailor, and while they do this, have someone else take a video on their phone. This is your version of “YouTube How to Bustle Your Wedding Dress.” Take it one step farther and send it to your wedding planner. They will study it in the case that they need to jump in and help. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Tip 2: Your Vows - Practice them at the Rehearsal

Let’s face it, your wedding day is filled with emotions. It should be! The ceremony for a lot of people is where the emotions start to show. Why? If you choose not to do a first look, then this is when you are seeing your partner for the first time in your fancy attire, you are also in the spotlight and, you’re asked to speak your vows in front of everyone. Honestly it is all quite beautiful, but for some, it can be a struggle to get those words out as all your emotions are flowing. One way to try to get in front of this is to actually practice saying your vows at the rehearsal the night before. This not only helps you get through the ceremony the following day, but it also allows your body to release any anxiety that has built up.

Photography by The Marshalls

Tip 3: Hydrate and Sleep!

This may seem obvious, but it is also super important. Our bodies need water and sleep! The night before the big day try to get some sleep. When you wake up, get a large glass of water into you before anything else. You are going to be doing a lot of talking from the moment festivities start until you get to your grand exit and into your exit car. If you are not drinking water your body will start reminding you.

Tip 4: Remember to take a moment and enjoy your day!

Again, this may seem like an obvious one, but truly the day goes by so fast! Take a moment after your ceremony to get a sneak peak of the reception, or even a few minutes before the Big Entrance to just breathe. Sunset portraits is also another way to just take it all in. Once you are outside just stop and take a moment to breathe it all in. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Photography by D Selbak Photography

There are tons of other tips I have learned that help on the day-of, but these are the main ones I would like to pass along. Remember this is just the start of an amazing life you are about to build. Try to enjoy every moment of it!

Leftbank Annex Wedding - Portland, Oregon - R+J

Roshan and Josh’s destination wedding was nothing short of perfection or as the bride remarked, “Everything I dreamed it would be.” The couple truly wanted this to be a party, and that it was. The wedding was set in a warehouse-style venue. The light poured through the large windows of The Annex, giving an elegant backlit aura to the couple as they stood hand-in-hand and said their “I do’s.” The perfect backdrop to the late night dance party.

The celebration started with a lovely ceremony lead by Roshan’s aunt. The room was brought to a mixture of laughter and tears as Roshan and Josh read the vows that they wrote themselves. In a truly unique and beautiful fashion, the couple dipped their fingers in honey to signify their sweet beginning.

Roshan and Josh saying their vows at Leftbank Annex.

The honey that the bride and groom used to seal their love in sweetness.

As a destination wedding, Roshan and Josh incorporated a special nod to Portland. They used the silhouette of the Portland-Oregon sign in several ways – on the guest’s place setting card, as a stencil for a gobo light that projected ‘Roshan & Josh’ on the dance floor, and on the top of their wedding cake.

Roshan and Josh pre ceremony photos in Portland, Oregon.

Roshan, Josh, and their bridal party at Leftbank Annex.

The couples logo showing on the televisions at Leftbank Annex.

The couples logo used for the escort cards

The simple and elegant centerpieces by Vibrant Flowers

The couple choose a lovely cake design made by Papa Hayden and topped with their logo by Letters & Dust

The color palette for this wedding was a romanic hue. Navy for the bridesmaids’ dresses and the groomsmen’s ties, maroon for the groom’s boutonnière, and a mixture of maroon, dusty rose and white were arranged in the bride’s bouquet. An exquisite white orchid floated in a glass flute was an elegant centerpiece that complimented the many white flowers throughout the special day.

Roshan and Josh dancing their first dance at Leftbank Annex.

Sparkler sendoff in Portland, Oregon!

Laughter, cheers, excitement, and sparklers concluded the reception and signified the beginning of the after party, which lasted until the early morning hours.

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Coordination: Danielle, Danielle Caldwell Events; Venue: Leftbank Annex; Photographer: The Marshalls (formerly Wayfarer Studio); Videographer: Goodco Studios; Photo Booth: Aprils Photography; Table Numbers and Cake Topper: Letters & Dust; Catering: Vibrant Table; DJ & MC: DJ Aaron Harris; Floral: Vibrant Flowers; Cake and Desserts: Papa Haydn; Donuts: Voodoo Donuts; Rentals: The Party Place & West Coast Drape; Hair and Makeup: Portland Makeup and Hair