The final week before your wedding day can be a stressful time filled with many details that need to be confirmed.  Some of the last minutes details that need to be completed in the week before your wedding include confirming the details of your honeymoon, packing for your honeymoon, giving the caterer a final count for the number of guests, confirm details with the photographer, florist, DJ or band and the limousine driver.  If the couple is hosting the rehearsal dinner, now is also the time to confirm these arrangements.  It’s important to attend to all of these tasks but it is also important to take some time to get some rest and relaxation as well.  If you have friends and family members who are willing to help out, you can delegate many of these tasks to reduce the stress of the final week before your wedding. 

As your wedding day approaches it is important to begin making preparations for your honeymoon.  Early in the week before your wedding you will want to confirm all of your honeymoon arrangements such as transportation, hotels and any other special plans you have made for your honeymoon destination such as excursions, dinner reservations or lessons.  You may also want to pack for your honeymoon during this time to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and trying to pack the day before or even the day of your wedding.  Getting the packing out of the way early will help to alleviate any concerns you have over being prepared for the honeymoon and gives you something to look forward to.  If you procrastinate with your packing you may find yourself dreading even talking about your honeymoon because doing so makes you realize that you are not yet prepared for the honeymoon. 

Most caterers also require a final count for the number of guest in the week preceding your wedding.  If all of your guests have not yet responded to your invitation, you might want to consider calling them instead of assuming that they will not be coming to the wedding.  These phone calls can save you the embarrassment of not being prepared for additional guests.  Having a confirmed response from all of your invited guests will ensure that you give the caterer an accurate number of guests. 

Now is also the time to confirm the final details with all of your service providers such as your photographer, florist, DJ or band and transportation provider.  It’s important to confirm details such as times and expectations to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and that you will have all of the services that you are expecting at your wedding.  You might also want to make arrangements to pay your balances with each of these providers if you have previously only left a deposit.  While you may be hesitant to provide payment in full before the service is rendered and most of these services providers don’t require you to do so, you could make arrangements to leave the balance with a responsible friend or family member who will ensure that they are all paid on the wedding day.  Many of these agencies will only accept cash or certified checks so you will have to provide the balance in either of these forms in individual envelopes to your trusted friend. 

The rehearsal dinner is usually held the night before the wedding so it is important to confirm the details of the rehearsal dinner in the final week before the wedding.  Whether the couple themselves is hosting the dinner or another person is taking on the responsibilities of the event, it is still necessary to confirm all of the details such as time, location and number of guests.  Also, since the couple typically uses the rehearsal dinner to thank their parents, the wedding party and anyone else who has supported them in the wedding planning, now would be the time to plan out exactly what you plan to say during this offering of thanks.  While it is important to speak from the heart, it’s also important to make sure that no one who has really gone out of their way to assist the couple is left out of the thank you speech. 

Finally, while there are many details that require your attention in the final week before your wedding it is also important to take some time for yourself and do something that you consider relaxing.  Whether you go to a spa to get a massage or spend an evening at the movies, it’s important to take some time to just relax before your wedding day to ensure that you are not completely frazzled by the time your wedding day arrives. 

The final week before a wedding can be extremely harried and filled with last minute details but it is important to take some time to relax during this week.  It’s important to ensure that everything is in place for the wedding and that nothing is overlooked but it’s also important to remain calm and not get caught up in the details of the wedding.  Allowing yourself some relaxation time will ensure that you are well prepared for your wedding and that you have fully enjoyed the planning process.

Feelings of anxiety and concern are completely normal prior to a wedding.  One or both members of the couple may experience the cold feet phenomenon that overshadows them and causes them to become concerned over their upcoming wedding.  Usually this feeling is not a cause for concern and it passes naturally on its own as your realize that you are more excited than anxious but the following are a few tips for helping to work through your cold feet issues.

The first tip for dealing with cold feet is simply to relax and realize that this happens to a lot of people in your situation.  This is important because many people will get caught up in believing that these feelings mean that they shouldn’t go through with their wedding.  Realizing that your feelings are completely naturally will help to waylay these fears.

After you calm down, get out a piece of paper and pen and just start listing all of your anxiety.  This is particular helpful because you may have a great deal of trouble doing this which is significant because it helps you to realize that you don’t really have anything to worry about.  The other scenario is that you may find that you have a long list of fears and may be amused to find that none of them are really logical.  Sometimes seeing your concerns listed on paper helps to alleviate them.

Another tip for dealing with cold feet is to talk to your partner about your feelings.  Many people are hesitant to this because they are embarrassed about their feelings but talking to your loved one can really help in this situation.  Chances are that they know you better than anyone and can assist you working through these things.  They may even confess similar feelings which helps you to realize that cold feet are completely natural.

If you feel that talking to your partner will further exacerbate the problem consider talking to a close friend instead.  Just talking about your anxiety can help to relieve the tension.  Once you verbalize your fears you are likely to find that they begin to dissipate and you start to relax and look forward to your upcoming wedding.

Another tip for dealing with cold feet is to talk to a friend who has recently married to get their perspective on married life.  They will be able to tell you how well things are going for them which should ease your fears about the transition to married life.  They will also be able to assure you that they had similar feelings of anxiety and that there is no cause for concern. 

Making two lists; one of your fears and one of your reasons for marrying your partner, can help to alleviate cold feet.  Once you make this list you will most likely see that the reasons that you want to get married far outweigh your fears.  Sometimes just seeing this on paper is very beneficial to eliminating cold feet. 

Writing a love letter to your partner can be another way to combat the feelings of cold feet.  This process gives you a chance to ponder all the reasons why you love your partner.  Expressing your feelings in a love letter can refocus your attention on what you love most about your partner and make you realize that the small things you are worrying about are really inconsequential. 

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Children can make a wonderful addition to any wedding but they also have the potential for livening up the wedding with unexpected antics.  It is important to consider the age, maturity level and predictability of the child before deciding to include them in the wedding.  If you wish to include children in your wedding as either a ring bearer, a flower girl or by assigning them a task that helps them to feel included, take care to follow these tips to help things run as smooth as possible and to make participating in your wedding a pleasurable experience for the child. 

One tip for including children in your wedding is to understand that children under a certain age may not be capable of performing a role in the wedding ceremony and that even if the child is old enough to understand what is required of them; there are no guarantees that they will complete their task on the wedding day.  Try to choose a ring bearer and flower girl who are over the age of four and while the adult participants may only need to run through their part once, allow extra time for the child to practice their part several times.  If you choose a very young child or a child that is particularly shy you may want to consider having their parent accompany them down the aisle so that they are not overwhelmed on the day of the wedding.  Also, be prepared for the child to completely forget what they are supposed to do and don’t allow their mistakes to put a damper on your wedding day.  The odds are that if the child does not perform well, the other guests will simply laugh so feel free to laugh along with them and enjoy the pleasure that comes with including a child in your wedding. 

Another tip for including children in your wedding is to try to really make it an experience that the child is looking forward to.  One way to do this is to ask the child to participate in your wedding a few weeks in advance so that the child has time to really get excited about the idea and has a chance to tell their friends about how they are going to be in a wedding and wear a special outfit.  Another way to get the child excited is to take them shopping for their wedding attire instead of choosing an outfit for them without their input.  This helps to make the child feel as though their opinions are valued plus it lets them choose an outfit that they like and will look forward to wearing. 

Still another tip for including children in your wedding is to have the photographer take any pictures that will include the children early in the photography session.  While it is true that many children enjoy having their picture taking, they may grow impatient and irritable if they have to wait a long time to have their photos taken.  Additionally, children are not used to standing still for a long time and will probably want to run and play which may result in rips or wrinkles in their wedding attire. 

If the parents of the child are not in the wedding party you may want to ask one of the bridesmaids to assume responsibility for the child before the wedding, during the wedding and during the photography session so that the parents do not have to stay nearby and can enjoy the wedding and the cocktail hour.  You might want to supply the bridesmaid with a small bag containing snacks and toys that will be useful in keeping the child occupied during times that may seem boring to them. 

If you have a number of children in your family and want to include many of them one useful tip is to give each child a specific job.  You may not be able to include all of your young friends or relatives as ring bearers or flower girls but you can give them each a task such as handing out wedding programs or bags of birdseed or placing the favors on the table at the reception.  The children will feel important and you get to include them without adding length to the ceremony. 

When including children in a wedding, it is important to understand that they may not do everything perfectly but you shouldn’t get upset with them and should instead enjoy the fun that they bring to the wedding with their spirit and enthusiasm.  Including children in your wedding can be a lot of fun but there are some precautions that should be taken.  Following the tips in this article will help to ensure that the children are excited to participate in your wedding and are well prepared to do so.