Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life. However, it can also be hectic and chaotic, which may affect your lasting memories of the day! Many couples struggle to be able to remember different moments of the day, which is commonly known as wedding day amnesia.
Of course, you'll want to do everything you can to reduce this amnesia as much as possible! The good news is that this is not as difficult as you might think. You just need to prepare for the big day in the right way. Here is some advice to help you prevent a whirlwind wedding!
Consider a smaller wedding
Big weddings with everyone you know may seem like a good idea, but they can end up being daunting, rather than enjoyable and encourage wedding day amnesia. As the team at Manor By The Lake say:
"Quality over quantity, intimate weddings are the perfect way to truly celebrate with your nearest and dearest."
If you decide on a more intimate event, you are more likely to savour each moment and remember everything! For those with large extended families, if you still want to include everyone on your special day, just invite them to the reception where you can celebrate properly together, when the rush of the morning ceremony is over.
Create a narrative of the whole event
A great way of remembering everything about your wedding is to create a narrative; from the start of your planning to the big event itself. You can even include items such as your handwritten lists and records of the deposits you paid. Simple things like these can become precious memories in the future. And when you look back at these after the event, especially after adding photos or small items left from your wedding, the memories will come flooding back as well as the feelings surrounding the special day!
Grab some alone time
It's vital that some of your wedding day memories involve you and your partner alone. After all, the day is really all about the two of you! So, you need to make the effort to get some alone time on the day. This doesn't necessarily mean spending a great deal of time alone together, as this could prove difficult! Just being able to grab a few minutes of alone time is all that you need to combat wedding day amnesia. If you need to, ask the photographer for help. He can make an excuse that he wants to capture some images of just the two of you, so that you can escape from the crowd.
This will allow the both of you to take a step back, breath and take in the scene around you. Your loved ones all together, the beautiful set up you planned, the rings on your fingers. Having a quiet moment will give you a break from the hectic event to relax, which you’ll more likely remember over everything else.
Use images to create memories
Your photographer can help you avoid wedding day amnesia by providing you with some gorgeous shots of your big day. They are experienced in getting the right images that will spark your memory, even several years after the day.
You may also want to enlist the services of a videographer who can film the entire day for you. Do not forget to include the lead up to the ceremony, such as the bride getting her hair done and the groom making his way to the venue!
Remember that it's not just the photographer and videographer that can capture visual memories of your big day. Your guests can also help you with this! Most people will take pictures on the day, using their phone or a digital camera. Some couples provide their guests with discs that they can store the images on. You could also create a hashtag on social media so people can share their memories of the day.
Make sure that you take a breath
Taking a break during the day can make it a lot easier for you to remember. By giving yourself the opportunity to take in everything that has happened so far and commit it to your memories.
It also makes the day itself a lot more enjoyable as you get to spend some time actually appreciating the incredible experience you are having. As this is a very special occasion in your life, this appreciation is important.
You should never take wedding day memories for granted. You need to take steps to make sure that you remember just how special the day was. Of course, it's unlikely that you will remember every single detail of your big day, there is just too much going on! However, following these tips can make a real difference. You may still experience some wedding day amnesia but it should be limited. So, try to savour as many amazing wedding memories as possible!
Guest author: Ruby Clarkson
Ruby Clarkson is an emerging freelance writer who loves celebrating weddings, feeling inspired by the many brides she has been a bridesmaid for. When she isn't attending events or planning her own future wedding, she can be found either out in the garden, scrolling through Pinterest or curled up with a book.Â