How To Enjoy Your Wedding Day

Seven Simple Tips For The Best Day Ever!

Annie Zav Photo

Every to-be-wed wants to enjoy the wedding day and make memories celebrating with loved ones. How can you make the most of the big day while relishing all the little moments? Here are seven simple tips from the Abernethy Event Specialists to maximize your wedding experience and minimize unexpected snafus.

1. Set Yourself Up For Success

Plan to have all your DIY projects complete and beauty treatments done at least a week before the wedding. Don’t schedule anything more significant than a manicure for the wedding week. You’ll be busy enough with last-minute details and guest arrivals. Keeping the calendar clear lets you focus on your family, friends, and fiance, soaking in the excitement of your upcoming nuptials.

PRO TIP: Check out our wedding planning timeline HERE to make sure everything is on track.

2. Manage Expectations Early

Who is setting up your welcome table and other personal decors? Who will clean up your ceremony decor? Pack belongings out of the getting-ready suites? Create a list of all the logistical to-dos and assign a person to each task in the weeks before your wedding. Make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and exactly how you want them executed.

PRO TIP: If you have any questions about wedding day logistics, don’t hesitate to contact your Abernethy Event Specialist. We’re here to help!

3. Don’t Forget To Eat

Food is fuel, and you need it on the wedding day! Eat a good breakfast before coming to the venue, and plan for lunch while getting ready. Abernethy provides an array of mess-free snacks in the suites. Still, more is needed to sustain your crew until dinner, and outside food is welcome during pre-event hours. Consider having pizza delivered or plan for takeout from a favorite local restaurant.

During your reception, the Abernethy team will bring you and your new spouse dinner.  We highly recommend pausing to eat before circulating to greet guests so you don’t get distracted and miss the meal.

PRO TIP: Our chefs always send a to-go bag home with the newlyweds at the night’s end, including a sampling of all the food at your reception and a bottle of champagne to enjoy later.

4. Hydration is important too

Drink plenty of water all day, especially if it’s warm and you’re also drinking alcohol.

PRO TIP: If you forget to hydrate, ask a loving friend or family member to be your wedding hydration agent, reminding you to drink water or bring you sips throughout the day.

5. Schedule Private Time

It could be during a first look or after the ceremony; schedule ten minutes alone as a couple to breathe, embrace, smooch, chat, and celebrate the magnitude of the day. Talk to your Event Specialist and Coordinator about building this time-out into your wedding itinerary to ensure it happens.

PRO TIP: For a super romantic moment, consider writing each other love letters to exchange during your one-on-one time.

6. Focus On The Moment

The wedding day comes and goes quickly, but your memories will last forever. The best way to make memories is to enjoy every bit of your wedding day with friends, family, and your new spouse. Stay present and soak in all the love and joy surrounding you. That means going with the flow even if something goes wrong. Trust your vendor team, and don’t stress about things you cannot change or control, like the weather, guest attendance, etc.

PRO TIP: Remember, no wedding day goes exactly as planned, but it can still be perfect and all yours!

7. Don’t Go On Your Honeymoon Right After The Wedding

Give yourself a couple of days or weeks between the wedding and honeymoon. This allows you to unwind and connect with out-of-town guests after the wedding.  Everything happening on the big day means many couples don’t have time to connect deeply and catch up with loved ones at the celebration. And by the time the wedding’s over, most newlyweds are exhausted.  Packing for a trip and leaving immediately on a plane increases possible stress and complexity.

PRO TIP: Stay at a nice local hotel on the wedding night and plan something casual for the day after to spend time with loved ones you may not see often.

The Best Day Ever!

The wedding brings friends and family together to honor your love and witness your commitment. It may not be the biggest day of your life, but it is the most extravagant party you’ll ever have. And we want you to enjoy it to the absolute fullest! Abernethy offers a seamless experience with luxurious Oregon wedding venues and in-house amenities. Choose from three unique indoor and outdoor venues with scenic NW landscapes for photographs. Our couples have nothing to do but enjoy their wedding day!

About the author:

Sara O’Brien has been with Abernethy Center since 2017. She brings playful optimism and bottomless love of wedding celebrations to her role as Social Media Manager. Sara is a PNW native and nature lover who is passionate about spreading joy through honoring life’s big [and little] moments.

Smooch is the official blog of Abernethy Center, Oregon’s premier indoor and outdoor wedding venue.  Abernethy Center is truly one of a kind! A full-service wedding and reception venue just on the outskirts of Portland in the heart of historical Oregon City. Our property features two distinct gardens, a gorgeous chapel and a classic, elegant Grand ballroom spread out over 9 acres. With nearly twenty years in business, an expert culinary team, and a tremendous staff experienced in providing exceptional service, we have everything for the perfect, uniquely yours Oregon wedding.

Abigail’s Garden —– Veiled Garden—–Abernethy Chapel—–Grand Ballroom