5 Ways to Create a Calm & Peaceful Wedding Morning
If there’s one thing I want to be guaranteed on my wedding day, it is for my peace to be protected throughout the day and for my morning to be calm and collective. I am proud to say that all the above were checked off, as we married on August 30th, in beautiful Santa Barbara. The universe graced us with the perfect amount of sunshine and overall temperature, and the day honestly was so perfect that I’m still in disbelief that we got so lucky.
For my future brides-to-be, this is your day and nothing should get in the way of your happiness! However, I know not everything can be controlled, but there are at least 5 ways you can create a calm and peaceful wedding morning for you and your crew.
Energy is everything so choose carefully who you’re allowing to be around you on the morning of. Limiting who was with me while I got ready was key to having a stress-free morning. Only my MOH, officiant (who is also my close friend), hair stylist (who is also another close friend), and our photographer (again, another close friend) were allowed in my room. Everyone had something to do and knew exactly what to do, so it was such a seamless morning of preparation. Note: we did not have a court so no bridesmaids.
Prepare whatever you can the night before so you don’t forget anything. Having a list of things I needed to get ready helped immensely as well. I had my dress out, ready to get steamed in the morning. Shoes and jewelry were nearby and in plain sight. I had my coffee order sent ahead of time to my officiant to grab in the AM (because your girl needs caffeine), and everyone was on-time, which allowed us extra time to capture some more photos.
Select where you’re staying with the intention of enjoying it after your wedding too. Getting ready on our wedding morning with ocean views, a calm vibe, and a spacious room was a perfect way to kick off our wedding day. Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara was the ideal space for before and after our micro wedding. Taking a much-needed nap after our wedding and before dinner on their comfy king-sized bed was everything! We had booked my husband’s family at an Air B&B, in which he stayed with them the night before, and I got to enjoy the hotel room with my MOH. After the ceremony, my husband then moved his things to the hotel room as we were staying the night there and we just loved everything about Hotel Californian. From the interior to the exterior design, to the excellent service, and we got a couple’s massage the day before the wedding that was divine. Majorelle spa is also beautiful and a must for everyone staying! We took advantage of the rooftop pool and enjoyed the private balcony of our room too. Even if you’re not in Santa Barbara for a special occasion, checking into this hotel will make you feel extra special. You’re already worrying about the wedding so let Hotel Californian be one less thing you need to think about.
Create a shared itinerary for those involved with Notion. I had an hour-by-hour itinerary for the day of, and because we had a micro wedding, there was no need for a planner because the Capricorn in me got it! The itinerary basically included what the bride and groom sides were doing, who was responsible for what including ride accommodations, picking up food, what food is to be expected, and details for our dinner. I sent this to everyone a week before the wedding so any questions and concerns were handled beforehand, and no one had any issues on the day of. Our MOH and Best Man handled everything else on our wedding day and the execution was flawless. So important to choose people for your wedding that know you and how you think because they literally did everything we wanted, without us having to ask.
Obviously, all of the above is tailored to a micro wedding and elopement set-up, where it’s easier to manage all the details. We personally never wanted a huge wedding so having just 17 people with us for our ceremony, and 35 of our closest friends who supported us for the last decade, was really all we wanted and needed. However, everyone is different so if you want a big wedding then by all means, please do it! Do whatever makes you happy and take what you think can work, refine it to fit into your wedding day, and I am sending you all the good vibes for a stress-free and beautiful big day! There is honestly no right or wrong way to do anything.
