24 hour countdown tips

I know there are a lot of brides to be and i found these simple tips on what not to do the night before the wedding.

1. Bloat-proof your belly. Don't spoil the perfect fit of your dress! Avoid anything salty -- from pickles and fast food to Chinese takeout -- for at least 24 hours before saying "I do." Limit carbonated beverages too, which can be salty and gassy. You don't want to be bloated and burping!  That makes for an attractive bride and embarrasing vows.

2. Get lots of sleep. Forget all-night gabfests with your bridesmaids the night before. Instead, have a nice warm bath and, if possible, a gentle massage. Kinda hungry? Have some chamomile tea (mildly sedating) with a drizzle of honey (makes you less alert) and a banana (two sleep inducers and a muscle relaxant).   No one wants bags under their eyes on the big day.

3. Create a caffeine-free zone. If you need wake-up coffee in the morning, fine. But then stop. Stock up on iced herbal teas, fruit juices, and bottled water. If you've got jitters, caffeine will make them worse, plus it's a diuretic so it'll make you pee a lot (no easy feat in a wedding dress) and could lead to dehydration -- a serious energy sapper.

4. Space out the alcohol. Weddings often mean a nonstop flow of celebratory champagne, wine, and cocktails. But you need to be dazzling, not dim (and definitely not dehydrated, sleepless, or hung over -- all risks of an open bar). So.The night before: Give yourself a two-drink limit. Or stick with wine spritzers (ask for more club soda than wine).
The wedding breakfast: Skip the mimosas and sparkle up your OJ with seltzer.
The reception toasts: Sip your champagne, don't empty the glass. Pace yourself through to the cake cutting and bouquet tossing.  Drunk brides are just plain sloppy and trashy.

5. Eat something! There may be tons of food, but it's easy for busy brides not to get a bite. To keep your energy up, hunger down, and tummy flat, go for the fish, chicken, and salads -- but have a plan B: Ask your maid of honor to stash an energy bar or some Brazil nuts in her purse. Just six nuts give you four grams of protein and some healthy fat, a combo that will keep you going far longer than you'd think. Not for your whole life, of course, but that's what the rest of the day is about!

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R & J
08-02-08
Expecting baby on 12-30-09

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"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton

Date: 7/6/2007 10:17:01 AM
Author: ephemery1
I agree with all those rules... and I think it's definitely worth thinking about in advance! A lot of our friends joined us at the restaurant after our rehearsal dinner, so it turned into a LATE night... but my best friend and her sister were sleeping over (in a spare room, to ensure a good night's sleep!) so they made sure to get me home by midnight and I ended up with about 7 hours sleep, fortunately. I'm prone to stomach problems, so the next day I stuck with bagels and other mild food, and drank LOTS of water... when I get dehydrated, I get all tired and dizzy and irritable.

Also, this is probably TMI, but right before the ceremony I had to pee like 3 times... so I started just shoving a cup under all my layers of dress, rather than trying to squeeze into a tiny bathroom stall. Kind of gross, but it worked!! Don't knock it 'til you've tried it...

At the reception, I nursed one glass of champagne all night and ate about 1/3rd of my meal... but I was running on adrenaline anyway. I was STARVING by about 3am though, when we finally went to bed... I would have killed for some pizza or something. So if possible, have a snack put in your hotel room!

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R & J
08-02-08
Expecting baby on 12-30-09

Date: 7/6/2007 12:12:16 PM
Author: So_happy
Great tips! Thank you!!

At my shower last week, I totally learned the no-more-than-two-drinks-per-night rule

Now, the cup thing.............may I ask how nervous you were that...uh...you'd miss? (I know........euuuuuuuuuu!!!!......but it sounds so convieient if not for that one teensey worry )

-~-~-
"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton

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Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Date: 7/6/2007 5:24:07 PM
Author: zoebartlett

Date: 7/6/2007 5:11:40 PM
Author: ephemery1

Date: 7/6/2007 12:12:16 PM
Author: So_happy
Great tips! Thank you!!

At my shower last week, I totally learned the no-more-than-two-drinks-per-night rule

Now, the cup thing.............may I ask how nervous you were that...uh...you'd miss? (I know........euuuuuuuuuu!!!!......but it sounds so convieient if not for that one teensey worry )

Hehe... well it started because DH and his guys were waiting in the hallway where the bathroom was, so I was trapped in my little waiting room in the church. So I dug around in the closet and found a bunch of styrofoam cups (I'm pretty resourceful when desperate!), which were soft enough to um, conform. So (very TMI to follow... be warned!!!) I stepped into the closet, reached under all the front layers of my dress, pulled aside my nice something-blue undies, squatted a bit... and no mess at all!!

My bridesmaids were APPALLED, until they realized how well it worked... then several decided to steal that trick for themselves at their upcoming weddings!!

And uh, the cup went where, afterwards? I'm assuming there was a sink somewhere in the waiting room...

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"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton