my top 10 wedding lessons, by cassie

I was up until nearly 2am doing last-minute wedding things when I should have been in bed. Trust me, when you get down to the wire, you will want to hanging out with your out-of-town guests and not putting the finishing touches on your wedding programs.Photo by Sarah Maren.9. Eat something. And not just on the wedding day.The old "make sure you eat something!" advice is pretty tried and true for brides. But, in my experience, this is super important for the days leading up to the wedding, as well. A few days before my wedding,Wedding Gloves, I was so nervous and excited that I lost my appetite completely. And I am a chick who ALWAYS has a big appetite. So have a plan, keep some easy-to-prepare meals at home, enlist friends or your FH to ensure you've had something to eat, or do whatever it takes to make sure you don't go without.8. Leave time for sleep — work out a sleep schedule, and come up with relaxation techniques so you can sleep when it counts.Two weeks before my wedding, I couldn't go to sleep at all because I had so many details running through my head. Then,Wedding Shoes, in the last nights before my wedding, I was exhausted enough to sleep but couldn't because I had so much to do! So map out a sleep schedule and stick to it! I almost had a panic attack the night before my wedding. So, If you have any history of anxiety, even if you think you're fine now, it may surface before your wedding. I am just a wee bit of a control freak, and back when I started planning,Flower Girl Dresses, I was under the royally screwed up impression that I could do it all. This is typical of almost every wedding. When you go to a big wedding, it's not as noticeable, but with such a small grouping of guests, having half of them take off seems like a big deal. Just keep this in mind and be excited to spend time with those who are still there!Photo by Blue Photo.4. You won't get to spend quality time with each and every guest.If this was true for me at a wedding of 55 people, I can't imagine what it's like at a wedding of 200. I still feel guilty about not really having the time to chat with some out-of-town family members or even some in-town friends who came. Sadly, I just don't think there's much you can do about this. You'll be excited and nervous and tons of people will be trying to talk to you. You just won't have time to have a meaningful conversation with everyone.3. If at all possible, have sex that night.This isn't always realistic, and there's nothing less hot than forcing yourself to do it when you're not in the mood. But I do suggest trying to save a bit of energy at the end of the night for this. I honestly thought I'd be too stressed and tired for some post-wedding marital nooky, but I was wrong. And thank goodness because it was awesome and I was glad to end the night/start the marriage that way!