The Day Before the Wedding Aha -- Wedding Eve is finally here! By now, you're probably a bundle of nerves -- and who wouldn't be? A wedding is a complex event, and the mind naturally tends to dwell on those things that might go wrong. Like, what if your dress looks horrible? What if you get a zit on the end of your nose? What if the weather's bad? What if the best man gets tipsy at the reception (like that's not traditional anyway)? What if you stutter during the ceremony? All the guests might laugh when you say, "I d-d-d-d-do," and your groom might think you've suddenly developed cold feet. It's almost enough to make you wish they had arranged marriages here like they do in the Far East, or wonder why the heck you didn't just elope to Vegas one weekend. But don't worry -- just keep in mind all the neat gifts coming your way; you can always use an extra toaster or crock-pot. Then there's the fact that if you can get through the wedding, there's always the honeymoon to look forward to. But seriously, folks: whether you've hired a wedding planner or decided to brave it on your own, the day before the wedding is a day for making last minute preparations, putting the finishing touches on all the details, and making sure everything's organized just right. There are specific items that are traditionally done the day before, for reasons varying from strict necessity to plain tradition. While the day-before events will vary from couple to couple, depending upon family tradition and other factors, some wedding eve items are more or less universal. We'll list the important ones here, and discuss them as we go. Of course, if you have a wedding planner, some of these items will be taken care of by them; otherwise, it's all up to you and your fiance. No bones about it: all these things can make for a hectic, tiring day -- but if you can, set aside at least a few hours' worth of relaxation. Take it easy, have some iced tea, and keep reminding yourself that by this time tomorrow, you'll be off to Hawaii (or Paris, or London, or Kokomo). - Meet with your wedding planner, if you have one, so that you can iron out any last minute details. - Decorate both the wedding and reception locations; you can probably get others to help you with this. It's best to get it done early, so you can take care of other things. - Confirm the delivery or appearance times for various items, including the cake, dinner, rental attire, flowers, minister, photographer, and band. This is exactly the sort of thing your wedding organizer should do, if you've got one. - Visit your manicurist for a manicure for sure, and a pedicure as well if you're planning to wear open-toed bridal shoes.  - Treat yourself to a facial. This will ensure that your skin looks its absolute best for the Big Day. - Get your hair done. You'll want your hair to look perfect, of course, and getting it done the day before ensures that it doesn't have time to grow out of whatever style you've chosen, and it still looks beauty-shop fresh.  - Attend the rehearsals of both your wedding ceremony and your wedding dinner. You should be the first one there, if only to greet the other participants. While traditions differ, this would be a good time to give gifts of appreciation to your bridesmaids, Maid/Matron of Honor, Best Man, and other attendants. At this time, you can also give the minister's fee to the Best Man to delivery after the ceremony.  - Eat well. The rehearsal dinner should take care of this one. - Pack for the honeymoon, if you haven't already. - Avoid the groom. According to all the old wives' tales, it's bad luck for bride and groom to see each other the day before the wedding. You can, of course, ignore all those old superstitions if you like. - Get plenty of rest that night. Okay, so maybe that's why you're supposed to avoid the groom the day before. You don't want to look haggard the day of your wedding, just because you partied all night. No doubt you'll come up with a few items of your own before the wedding, and in fact you might be able to trim a few items off this list if you've got expert assistance. The point of this list is to provide a general outline that you can use to plan out your penultimate day as a single individual. It's been a long, busy road getting this far. These are your last few tasks before it's all over at last, and you want to get everything right before you step out onto that wide and wonderful yellow brick road to the future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are a business owner get listed at Best Wedding Site, part of Localwin Network.