Getting the family ready to attend a wedding

Weddings are fantastic affairs. The kids can play with their friends and distant cousins and you get to catch up with everyone. Plus, of course, you usually end up with some wonderful family photos. But, getting everyone for that great family occasion can be a bit stressful. There is a lot to do and think about, but provided you are organised and start early you can relieve some of the stress.

Start with yourself

This sounds odd, but sorting yourself out first is a really good idea. Your outfit is probably going to be the most complicated and time-consuming to put together. So, the earlier you start the better. Buy yourself a nice dress or suit and take a look at this range of shapewear from Simply Be. The garments in this collection are ideal for smoothing out the bumps a bit. Finish your outfit off with some nice accessories and a stylish but comfortable pair of shoes.

Sort out the kids

Next, pull together the kid’s outfits. If they are in the middle of a growth spurt, be sure to do this about a month before the wedding. That way everything should still fit. As much as possible, keep things simple, suits for the boys and something appropriate for the girls. Ideally, you want them to be able to wear some or all of those clothes after the wedding. So, bear this in mind when choosing what they will wear.

Let your partner sort out their outfit

Try to get your partner to sort out their own outfit. This takes the pressure off of you a bit.

Have a dry run

At least two weeks before the wedding have a bit of a dry run. Get everyone to try on their entire outfits. This will allow you to spot anything that is missing and make a few adjustments if necessary.

Prepare the little ones

If you have very young children, spend a bit of time getting them prepared for the big day. For them, it is all new. They have no idea they need to be quiet during the ceremony and should not try to rush up to their Aunty as she walks down the aisle. So, you need to give them a quick lesson in wedding etiquette. It is a good idea to sit down and watch the relevant bits of one or two wedding videos with them. This article suggests more way to prepare very young children for important occasions including some tips to keep them happy and occupied.

Be prepared for a few misadventures

Unfortunately, sometimes things just don’t go smoothly. Accidents happen, so it is all too easy for someone’s outfit to get juice or ketchup on it. Try your best to stop these things from happening. Packing a towel to throw over your young child’s entire outfit, while they have a snack or drink in the car, is a good tip. Just using a bib, as normal, is asking for trouble.

Make sure that you have some wet wipes to hand and a few plasters to deal with any bumps and scrapes. That sort of thing, but if everything does not go to plan try not to let it ruin the day.

If you are looking for some wedding outfit inspiration for yourself, take a look at this article. I wrote it a little while back with a spring wedding in mind, but while re-reading it I realised that the advice in it was actually still very relevant and useful for any season.