Wedding Day: Set The Right Tone

More than anything, make sure you approach the big day with the right attitude.
Remember, you are marrying the one you love and believe the day you have planned will reflect all that you feel.

The bride's mood sets the tone for the whole day. Here are some tips for starting out right:

• Make preliminary plans for the morning. Allow enough time to start things off so that you
  embrace the day with a sense of harmony and peace.

• Do you want to get up early enough to take a relaxing bath? Make sure there is extra time to do your hair and makeup, or get to your hair and makeup appointments.

• Allow time to eat something delicious. This may be your last chance to eat anything until much later.

• This special day should be filled with affection and feeling. If you have time, read a favorite
  love letter from your bridegroom before you get out of bed. You may want to send him something special to read, too.

• Once you are at your wedding, remember to stop, sit back, take a deep breath and give yourself time to look around.

• Remember what it's all about. The two of you. Your marriage. A life together. A milestone
  occasion.

• Remind yourself that this is not a grand opera with dozens of stagehands scurrying around
  backstage to make sure everything is perfect.

• Allow for serendipity and unavoidable last-minute changes. Pay no attention to guests'
  expectations. A food-service problem? Mention it to your mother or one friend, only if you think it can be changed. Don't allow details to become important.

• Develop a sense of privacy about the two of you. Look into each other's eyes. Make a private toast. Declare your love. Kiss.

• Thank your parents for their help and love. Run down a mental checklist of appreciative words you want to say to them and others. Include your new parents-in-law in your feelings of happiness.

• If you need time away from the crowd, make sure there's a private spot where you can disappear for a moment and gather your wits. You may need an island of privacy within this very public occasion. Don't apologize, just make sure it's there if you need it.

• Keep a healthy sense of perspective. Tragedy is death or illness, not the wrong shade of peach flowers. Remember that something is bound to go wrong. Laugh it off.