Hello, lovelies! I’m quite excited about today’s blog post. Joie and Doug’s Palm Desert wedding was the epitome of luxury. So glamourous, a killer vendor team, headed up by the one and only Michelle of Chic Productions.

Michelle is sharing her top SEVEN (yes! Not 1, not 2 or 3, but 7!) tips for a successful and stress free wedding day. Read on, ladies and gents, read on!

1. Give yourself extra time. We call this “padding the timeline” particularly early in the day. Most often couples don’t realize how much time it takes just in prep time. Getting into gowns can take up to 20 minutes. And it doesn’t hurt to have a spare 30 minutes built in just in case hair and make-up are running behind.

2. Give your wedding pros time to do their best. We make a habit if asking the wedding pros we work with how much time they need to “work their magic” as some people work faster than others. When you know you are up against tight time constraints, let the team know ahead of time so they can plan accordingly.

3. Minimize drama. Wedding days perpetuate drama and more than just “Bridezillas” exist. In our world, every wedding has a “zilla” whether they are a guest, family member, wedding party member or wedding pro. Spotting who these people are and working around their ability to create drama is always a necessity. If someone surprises you with creating drama on the wedding day, assign someone from the wedding party, family or your wedding planner to neutralize it so you don’t have to deal with it.

4. Don’t micro-manage…unless you have to. Couples can create a lot of stress for themselves by over managing the details or the performance of the people they hire. Wedding pros are specialists at what they do. When they are limited on what they can do, you are limiting the potential for greatness. If you find you’ve made the mistake of hiring someone that isn’t up to par, then legitimately, they may need some extra help. You’ll find a better result from allowing people to do what they do best.

5. Hire a team. If you sense that someone you are about to hire is not a team player, don’t book them. You need a cohesive team that will pull their own weight and work well with others. If you sense a big ego or someone that doesn’t see your wedding as a production they play a role in, move on to a team player.

 6. Eat. You’ll be very busy throughout the wedding day and may forget to eat food. There is no need to be “hangry” on your wedding day. Eat some food so you feel your best.

 7. Stay hydrated. In the desert moisture evaporates from your system very quickly even on a cool day. Be sure you keep drinking water so you don’t feel tired later on in the evening.

Joie and Doug – it was a pleasure to photograph your big day! Many thanks to all of the vendors who made this day a huge success. Also, a huge thanks to the Wedding Chicks for featuring the wedding!