What you need to know about wedding week

We are here with part 3 of all the wedding insights and today is all about what you need to know about wedding week. 

We already talked about the whole planning process and last week I shared all the vendors and details about the wedding.

This week is about wedding week and it could not be more fitting because today exactly 6 months ago we got married. 

There were a few things which were important to us for the wedding. We wanted it to be uncomplicated, relaxed, safe and comfortable for our guests especially during this pandemic.

For wedding week I had planned to have no major to do’s during that week. The plan was to be finished one week before the wedding so I could enjoy myself, be in the moment and focus on getting ready for the wedding.

We kicked off wedding week with my bachelorette party which I did not expect to have at all. I know some people plan major outings and weekends and the likes but I really did not want any of that not only because it was not possible to just freely travel but also I did not want that pressure on my maids of honor and my bridesmaids. They already invested so much of their time and energy into this day and I will be forever grateful to them for that. Instead they planned what for me was the most perfect bachelorette party. We went out for dinner, just my closest friends and sat on the patio talking for hours, eating and enjoying this time together.

I really hope that today’s post helps you in getting ready for the wedding and enjoy wedding week, the night before and the day of.

Here is my list of things I did during wedding week.

Stay active, hydrate and sleep

All my workouts during wedding week were focused on high intensity or being on the treadmill doing intervals. It was super helpful to sweat, clear my mind and get all the energy out. I always drink a lot of water (at least 3 liters/1gallon a day) but for wedding week I made extra sure to always have water around. I also tried to get as much sleep as possible especially the night before the wedding I tried to get at least 8 hours of sleep.

Finalize the last details

Although I finished all my tasks a week ahead of time there were a few things that I had to during wedding week

• I finalized all the playlists I shared with you last week
• I made a list of all the things we were bringing to the venue and gave that list to one of my bridesmaids so she could make sure everything would go back to its proper place after the wedding
• For the day of the wedding I asked one of my maids of honor to be the day of coordinator. I officially gave her all the programs, details and everything she had to know during wedding week and from there on out I did not have to think about it anymore.
• We gifted all of our out of town guests a little welcome package which I packed and had put in their rooms for arrival.
• The day before the wedding I picked up my bouquet and the bridesmaids bouquets. I also picked up my wedding cake the day before the wedding.
• I tied up loose ends at work and made sure the apartment was clean and as organized as it gets right before the wedding.
• I wrote my vows and wrote a letter to Timo

Be in the moment

We had several parties during wedding week on top of our wedding and I wanted to make sure that I was fully present for all of it.

• Our civil wedding. The civil wedding in and of itself was not as important to us but it is an important part of cutting the marriage covenant as it was the moment I took on Timo’s name. We made it a family gathering with the closest of them there. Timo and I rode to the town hall in a tractor and had my dad organize a traditional challenge my parents did when they got married. We had to saw through a piece of wood together and feed each other salty bread with butter. It was so much fun. We finished the night in a restaurant gathered around a big table. It was the perfect family gathering and we enjoyed every second of it.
• The bridal tea. Two days before the wedding I hosted a bridal tea at my apartment where I prepared an english tea party together with one of my bridesmaids. Some might have thought me a little crazy for hosting so shortly before the wedding but hosting is what I love and I wanted to honor my bridesmaids, the flower girls and the moms. They all got their gifts during the bridal tea and we just enjoyed being together. It was the best.
• Set-up, rehearsal and bbq
  A rehearsal dinner is not a German tradition and I did not want anything formal but wanted to get the family that already arrived early together for a fun evening in the backyard of my parents in law. During the day we set everything up at the venue and made the final decision to have the wedding outside. After everything was set up we rehearsed the ceremony, something I would recommend to everyone. It just helps everybody know where they need to be. After that we had a little barbecue which I only attended for a couple of hours because I wanted to make sure to get enough sleep. But I loved seeing my cousins together and my uncle and dad spend time together. That was all that was needed for me.

The night before the wedding

The night before the wedding was all about making sure that I looked and felt my absolute best the next day. That included doing my nails, doing a facial and body peeling and doing a hydrating mask. I washed my hair and went to bed as early as I could. I had one of the bridesmaids stay with me and she definitely kept me in check. And even though I went to bed timely I was so excited that I did not sleep too deep and woke up way way early. 

The morning of the wedding

We all know how much I love to plan so it comes as no surprise that I had scheduled out my morning to make sure I have plenty of time for everything and could enjoy the day and relax.

I woke up pretty early which gave me time to journal, pray and do skincare. While that was all sinking in we prepared breakfast, made coffee and then the bridesmaids arrived including two of my flower girls and the ring bearer. We all got ready together and just had a ton of fun. The flower girls helped prepare the baskets of flowers and when I left to have my first look with Timo they graciously cleaned everything up. We also prayed together before I left. 

The day of the wedding

Like I mentioned it was important for us to have a relaxed wedding day where we could enjoy every second. What I loved most is how my bridesmaids were just the most fun and relaxed and there is no rivalry or jealousy or anything. We just genuinely had a good time.

Timo and I decided to do a first look and have all the pictures with the bridal party taken before the ceremony to have that out of the way. And I am so glad we did that.

We did the ceremony and the reception at the same place which made everything extra laid back. People were hanging out on the property, went for walks, and snacked on food. I have been to German weddings where there was so much time between the ceremony and the reception that we sometimes would go to a cafe or go home to kill the time. I did not want that at all so we planned accordingly. The ceremony was at 3pm and dinner started at 5:30pm with amuse bouche, bread and everybody already got their glasses filled. The first course was at 6:30pm. The reception was 1 hour. One of my favorite moments was washing each other’s feet as a symbol to serve each other in our marriage. The ceremony was followed by cocktail hour and family pictures. We had a lot of guests only come to the ceremony and cocktail hour so there was also plenty of time to spend time with those guests. Between 5:30pm and 6:30pm we kindly asked guests to slowly start entering the reception hall. They could then take poloardoids and place them in our guest book where they wrote a few lines. 

We did not want a big program but make sure that people enjoy each other’s company, gather around food, catch up and relax. 2020 was a crazy year and for many this wedding was the only big party or gathering they attended. We wanted that to be special and have people soak up every moment. I think we all needed it.

We had asked a few people to do a  toast and Timo and I had a second portrait session during sunset. After dinner and eating cake we danced the night away and Timo and I left at midnight

Friends, I know this is kind of a very long post but I it was important to me to share some of the behind the scenes and more details. I wanted to give you an overview not only of what you need to know about wedding week but also about our timeline. I hope this helps you in planning any event really. 

Make sure to check out part 1 and part 2 of this series as well.

Much love

Ramona