Bride

Venue of the Month

The Tythe Barn, Oxfordshire

The 14th Century Tythe Barn is full of original features and character, yet has been renovated with a rather contemporary twist.

Set in attractive landscaped gardens, the venue can be hired exclusively and the dedicated team of staff offer a personal service helping you with the planning of every aspect of your day.

Home » Wedding Roles » Bride » What to Expect on the Day

What to Expect on the Day

The biggest piece of advice is to never underestimate how long it will take to get ready. No matter how organised you are – you can never predict for interruptions and delays.

To find out more about what to expect on the day, take a look at a typical wedding day in the eyes of the bride.

Breakfast – no matter how nervous you are, try to eat something!
If you’re going to a hairdresser for your wedding hair – this will probably be the first thing you do after breakfast.
The bridesmaids will arrive to get ready with the bride at home or at the venue.
The wedding photographer and/or videographer will arrive if you want to record the bridal preparations.
The bride and bridesmaids will have their hair and make-up done (or do it themselves).
Bridal and bridesmaid bouquets and corsage/button holes for the mothers of the bride and groom will usually be delivered to where the bride is getting ready, unless agreed otherwise.
The bridesmaids and mother of the bride will leave for the venue first.
Your father or the person giving you away will escort you to the venue.
The official photographer will take photos as you arrive at the venue.
Before entering the church or venue, the minister or registrar will meet you to check that the details to be entered on the marriage certificate are correct and answer any last minute questions you might have.
Your father (or the person giving you away) will escort you down the aisle on his right arm as your bridesmaids follow. If the bridesmaids walk down the aisle first, allow a brief pause. This will allow guests to have a clear view of you.
As you arrive at the front of the venue you should be standing to the left of your groom. Your father will lift your veil and pass your left hand to the groom before stepping aside.
After the wedding, the bride and groom are asked to sign the register. Once this has been witnessed, guests will come forward to take photos.
You will be asked to briefly return to your position at the front to collect your marriage certificate. Traditionally this was given to the bride but the groom usually takes it because he has pockets.
You’ll then walk down the aisle on your husband’s left arm as the bridal party follow behind. If you are having a receiving line, you might greet your guests at this point.
For the next 1-1½ hours you’ll need to keep smiling for all your photos as you drink champagne to celebrate.
All the guests will be asked to be seated for the wedding breakfast. This is another point when you might do a receiving line.
Once all the guests are seated – the bride and groom make their grand entrance as ‘Mr and Mrs....’
The wedding speeches are usually done after the meal (unless you choose to have them first). You may decide you also want to speak – see bride’s speech for more advice.
The ‘cutting of the cake’ is usually done when the speeches have finished. Alternatively you might wait until the evening guests arrive. To find out how to ‘cut the cake’, see wedding cake considerations.
The bride and groom will then have the first dance of the evening.
Throwing the wedding bouquet to your unmarried female guests can be done at any point during the day. Most brides choose to do this before the evening celebrations get underway or as they leave at the end of the evening. Of course, you don’t need to throw the bouquet at all.
The bride and groom are given a big send off when the leave at the end of the evening. Guests usually form a tunnel for the bride and groom to walk through before being waved off at the end.

nofreetime tips

The day goes so quickly – make sure you enjoy every minute of it and try and set aside time with your groom every half hour or so to allow you time to reflect on your day.
Most brides will feel emotional during the week leading up to the wedding. It is also common for brides to be tearful and emotional after their big day. This happens as the build-up of stress from months of planning is finally released. You’ll also probably be sad that the day has come and gone. This is all perfectly normal.
Some brides prefer to avoid drinking red wine on their wedding day if they are wearing a white or ivory wedding dress. Red wine can also stain your lips and teeth – not a good look for those wedding photos.

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