Seven wedding tricks to make the big day easier

Think about a day coordinator. Couples who cannot afford a wedding planner to handle all of the details often find that a day-of-service provider is within their budget. This person can handle all of the details of the wedding day so brides and grooms can fully immerse themselves in the festivities.

Bring extra cash. Unexpected expenses may pop up. Couples may have to feed an extra member of the band or a guest who was able to get a babysitter at the last minute. Brides and grooms may want to offer a bigger tip than anticipated to the wait staff or deejay who went above and beyond.

Learn how to bustle. Walking around with a free-flowing train all day can become tiring for brides. Brides should make sure that one person practices how to bustle the train and will step in to do so for the reception. Also, it may not be the height of fashion, but having a garbage bag on hand can keep the train clean during inclement weather or if the bride has to trek across grass or soil for photo opportunities.

Give an outgoing person a job. Enlist a boisterous friend or family member to wrangle guests for photo opportunities. They can be the photographer’s helper and give the happy couple one less thing to do.

Stock the bathroom. Some venues will have courtesy items for their guests, but couples also should bring their own necessities, such as breath mints, toothpaste, extra pantyhose, hairspray, lip gloss or sanitary pads.

Be all smiles. Couples can’t predict everything that will happen on their wedding day, but they can help create the mood. Smiling couples can make things better for everyone, even when zippers break or someone gets the chicken instead of the salmon.