As a bride, it is one thing to be ‘traditionally late’ in your arrival at your wedding venue where the groom is waiting but another altogether to find that you’re so behind that the guests have started a football or cricket match to keep themselves entertained in the meantime.
It couldn’t happen to you?
Well, you might be surprised at just how many brides are seriously late for the wedding service and in some cases, so much so that they put the wedding itself in jeopardy due to the loss of the venue etc.
In almost all such situations, the problems caused by a tardy arrival are due to a late departure from their home or their base for the day, before the service itself.
So, Here are a few tips as to how you can avoid catastrophe on your big day.
- Plan your itinerary for your pre-departure activities so that you are fully ready to go considerably in advance of the ‘last point’ at which you can leave and still have a chance of making your venue on time.
- Many brides in a traditional gown prefer to get dressed at the very last moment in order to reduce the risks of creasing and marking etc. Understandable as that is, don’t give in to that temptation. As per the first point above, make sure you are fully dressed and virtually ready to go well in advance. That will mean that any issues are discovered early and that will give you the chance to deal with them without putting your departure time at risk.
- If you are using luxury car hire services for your transport, discuss with them well in advance your timetable for the day. Let them tell you what time you need to leave your departure point by in order to make your arrival at the service comfortable.
- Plan your journey so that you actually arrive at the wedding venue or very close to it, considerably in advance of your planned entry time. Do your waiting in order to meet those ‘traditionally late’ requirements once you are in the vicinity and around the corner in your luxury limousine rather than at your departure point.
- Keep one eye on the progress towards getting ready of those you are travelling with. Custom is changing here and today sometimes brides will ride not just with their father (or other male ‘giver away’) but rather both parents and sometimes bridesmaids too. There won’t be a lot of point making sure you are ready well in advance if people that will be travelling with you aren’t!
- Have a final check list pinned to the front door you will depart from en route to the ceremony. Prepare that in advance, at the latest the night before and make sure it contains everything you and anyone travelling with you will need for the service and reception. A quick glance at it before leaving should avoid grinding your teeth and requesting that your chauffeur turns around desperately quickly and goes back when you discover you have forgotten something on the way!
A few basic tips but they may eliminate some of the more common causes of arriving unfashionably late at that all-important wedding service.
