Contrary to popular belief, your wedding is not just about you. I know! It’s a shocker. But in the future when you look back at your big day, you’ll find that some of your best memories are of your friends and your family. Of course, you and your groom are the top priority, but if you look around at your friends and family and figure out what would make their part of your wedding even better, you’ll discover that not only will they be delighted, but you’ll enjoy yourself even more too.
First of all, remember that even though you love your wedding party dearly and you know they’ll always be there for you, they won’t be at your beck and call for the entire run up to your wedding. You and your husband are the only people whose lives are centering around your wedding so make sure you aren’t a bridezilla! But your friends will love to come dress shopping with you at least once. Take them to a beautiful bridal shop so you can try on a couple of gowns, they can inspect the bridesmaids’ dresses, and you can all indulge in a sparkling glass of champagne. Take them out for dinner or to a bar afterwards so you can have a girly chat about what’s going on in their lives – use your wedding as a chance to spend time with your favorite people instead of just focusing on yourself.
Some people have very bad relationships with their partner’s family, which is a pretty sad turn of events. But if you start off on the right foot, you’ll be able to build a positive and loving relationship. When you get married, you aren’t just marrying your partner – you’re also marrying into their family and becoming part of it. Half of your Thanksgivings and Christmases will likely be spent with his family so it’s vital that you have a good relationship with them. Invite your future mother in law to a dress fitting, include her in your plans, and make sure that she feels that she’s playing a vital role in your wedding and that she’s supporting you. Make sure you have boundaries and make it clear if she’s overstepping them. If you have kids, you want them to have supportive and loving grandparents, and the best way for you to live an easy life is to get along with them well. The run up to your wedding is an ideal time to lay those foundations.
Make sure you thank them and show your appreciation for all their hard work and how they’ve supported you and your big day. Even if you aren’t usually a big fan of expressing your feelings, now is the perfect time to start doing it. Write your parents letters - read more for an example - and hand them over on the morning of your wedding to show that even though you’re extending your family by becoming part of your new husband’s, you appreciate everything they’ve done for you and will remain close to them forever. Likewise, giving notes and gifts to your bridesmaids will absolutely make their day. Look online for gifts that can be personalized to add an extra touch of love.
You might want to spend your whole day with your brand new husband, but let’s face it – the whole point of your wedding is that you’re about to spend your entire lives together! Make sure that you move around and that you say hi to the friends and family who have traveled from far and wide to see you get married. They’ll love having a little special attention each and getting the chance to congratulate you. Likewise, spending time dancing with your father and grandfather will produce photographs and memories that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life.
The Party Isn’t Just For You!
You might want to slow dance with your brand new husband all night, but chances are, your friends won’t want to do that. Make sure that you play some fast, fun music that everyone will appreciate. Throw in a little vintage Beatles and Rolling Stones for the older generation before making a move into some of the music that you and your friends loved when you were younger. You’ll be sure to find that All The Small Things and Teenage Dirtbag get a much more rapturous response than the fifth sappy love song in a row!