• Have a list of pictures you want your photographer to take so no one is missed (thanks Lorraine! You guys did a great job catching everyone!)
• Make sure you designate a "go to" person the day of your wedding. Someone who will handle all the minutia and details needing to be addressed that day. Make sure you let all the major players (caterers, flower people, cake people) know who that person is! Try not to use a family member or relative since you want them to be able to enjoy the festivities of the day as well. It's worth the extra bucks to hire a planner. But make sure they are there from start to finish!!!
• Write out checks for vendors in advance if you can so you don't have to worry about it the day of! If vendors won't make arrangements, then make sure your "go to" person has all of that prior to the day's events starting.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. It's true when they say "only you know what went wrong". Unless it is blatantly appalling, no one is going to know that the napkins were supposed to be ecru vs. off-white. And don't beat yourself up over it after the fact!
• Laugh. Don't forget to enjoy the day as much as humanly possible. That's why it's important to try to take care of as many details as possible before the big day.
• If you are getting hair and make-up done the day of your wedding - be sure to do a trial run beforehand! Don't trust that a person will know what you want - make them show you so you feel confident that they will do a good job the day of.
• Ask the tuxedo rental place to have your tuxes ready a day early for a pre-fitting. Get your groom in there to ensure a good fit - you don't want to have to deal with it the day of! Also ask for an extra tie just in case (we ended up with a kiddie tie for one of our groomsmen who wasn't a kid).
• Make sure your "go to" person is prepared with the following:
• Snacks (crackers and soda for possible nausea; breath mints; bottled water)
• Aspirin
• A sewing kit complete with scissors and a seam ripper
• Waterproof mascara and other possible make-up needs
• Wet ones for wiping stuff up (possibly even those Shout it Out wipes just in case)
• A hand mirror so you can see the back of your hair and dress if the facility you are in doesn't have a 3 way mirror.
• Blank checks and/or cash just in case a vendor needs payment or you need to make an emergency trip to the drugstore.
• A box or bag to make sure all the bride's belongings are kept in one place and nothing is forgotten or left behind if you are using multiple facilities.

• Finally, I can't express enough how important it is for you to try to work out the details prior to the wedding. Create a blow-by-blow agenda for all your vendors and for your coordinator. Try to visualize what you want and when and if someone else is doing the planning for you, make sure they walk you through it all prior to the day so you feel comfortable knowing the sequence of events!
• Enjoy it.

Enjoy this wonderful period in your life and good luck!