Your Darwin wedding is fast approaching, and you are breathing a huge sigh of relief that the planning is done! You may have family and friends arriving in town taking up your time, so, naturally, a couple of things might slip one’s mind. Despite your best efforts to stay on top of everything leading up to your wedding, it’s common to feel like you have forgotten something. We’ve put together 10 wedding details couples forget to help you to make the most of your Darwin wedding day and ensure you will enjoy it right to the end.

Get a good night’s sleep before the wedding

We often overlook a couple of details, focusing on the apparent fun stuff like the ceremony, dress or reception. The excitement and nerves sometimes cause us to throw caution into the wind and our regular daily routines.

It is a big day both physically and mentally, so try to get to sleep as early as you can. We don’t encourage having a big boozy night. No one wants to nurse a hangover on one of the best days of your life! We recommend making this wedding detail a top priority.

If you’re finding it difficult to fall asleep, you can try some tips to help you fall asleep.

• Turn off your phone or turn it to ‘Do Not Disturb.’
• Limit screen time
• Block out external light and noise
• Make sure your room is mess-free
• Do something that helps you loosen up
• Check the room temperature is not too cold or hot

Eat and Drink

For our second Darwin wedding detail couples forget we talk about eating and drinking on your wedding day. Most couples have a late ceremony and it’s usually dinner time when reception rolls around. Darwin couples are commonly opting to have cocktail receptions replacing the traditional sit-down dinner. With this in mind, it is a long time to not eat or drink anything. I encourage couples to stick to their regular eating routine as much as possible. Don’t skip breakfast, and perhaps have a light lunch to keep your energy up – you definitely need it! 

Darwin’s dry season may have less humidity, but the temperatures are still high enough to cause dehydration and heat stroke. Our top tip for staying hydrated is to have a water bottle close by to keep your fluids up. It also means that when the celebrations start, you aren’t loading your dehydrated body with alcohol (cue nightmare hangover) because you have been sipping on water.

Before your big day, plan to have breakfast or at least organise for catering to be provided for you and your support people. This could also be an excellent opportunity for a friend or family member to support you on your big day by preparing a meal in the morning.

Water for guests

A common Darwin wedding detail often overlooked is to have water available before, during and after the ceremony. Share a thought for your guests who may be sitting in the full sun during your ceremony or perhaps have travelled from interstate and are not used to Darwin weather. The heat can quickly get to people, especially our precious elderly folk. It’s essential to always have water available at your ceremony for your guests as they wait for your arrival.

Tubs with ice and bottled water are essential and greatly appreciated by your family and friends. You know your guests better than anyone else, so you could provide 1 bottle per guest or at least one bottle for 80% of guests. Even after the ceremony, guests will reach for something to drink and having more water is better than less in this situation!

Cake cutting set

A cake-cutting set is often overlooked if couples have a cake. When the picture-perfect moment comes to cut the cake… there’s nothing to cut it with, sometimes causing people a bit of fluster. 

Speak with your caterer to confirm when the cake will come out and check if there will be a knife to cut it. You could also assign this task to a friend if you wanted to.

Taking in the moment

Your entire day might be planned out from the morning to the first dance, and couples forget to take a step back and really soak it all in. I love photographers who whisk couples away for a sneaky night portrait, all the while knowing this might be the first time they have been on their own the entire day. 

Try to find a few quiet moments with each other throughout the day to pause and reflect, sharing the moments that made you laugh and cry. Seeing your guests enjoy themselves while staring at them from a distance is an incredible feeling you’ll treasure for many years.

Here are a few moments you could share together as a couple during your wedding day;

• A first look
• Reading your vows in private before the ceremony
• Travelling to or from bridal portraits
• During dinner time (if you’re having a sit-down style wedding)
• After formalities – sneak away from your guests and bask in your feelings.

Getting ready attire

Trends like bridal robes and pyjama gift sets help with this overlooked detail. But if you don’t have these things, remember to pack loose and comfy attire to get ready. Wear strapless tops or no bra to avoid rubbing off your make-up or tan. Whatever you decide, avoid wearing bra straps unless your dress will cover this area.

Speeches

MANY speeches have been forgotten and left in a car or a hotel room by the couple, parents, best man, and maid. It’s a great idea to have electronic copies saved. You could give a copy of any speeches to your wedding coordinator (like me). Or a trusted family member or friend who can safely hold on to them for the day and hand them out at the appropriate time. Doing this will save disappointment and ensure everyone has the opportunity to share their speech which they have spent a lot of time and effort preparing.

Spare Shoes

You may not feel comfortable wearing heels all day in the heat for a Darwin wedding, so pack a spare pair of shoes. You may not wear the extra pair, but it is better to be prepared if you feel like giving your toes a rest!

Overnight bag

Pack all of your usual toiletries. Sleeping attire is also often forgotten when packing your overnight bag. Having make-up wipes is also handy because you’ll be too tired to do your regular nighttime face wash routine.

Rescue kit

There’s no escaping it; emergencies happen – ripped hems, broken nails, bug bites, chapped lips and more. Create an emergency wedding kit (or ask one of your bridesmaids to help you) that includes a few essential details for a Darwin wedding. Include lip balm, stain stick, sewing kit, double-sided tape, band-aids, tissues, dental floss and insect repellant, which are all essential.

We often see some or all of these things forgotten, and most of them are quickly taken care of, but they’re also things you will notice if you forget. You will have plenty to manage on your wedding day. You won’t want to be the one fielding questions from vendors, managing the timeline or dealing with minor emergencies. Having a wedding planner (even just someone the day of) is a smart decision and an excellent investment.