#weddingday

Chat to us about weddings at Emdoneni! Contact us on office@emdonenilodge.com | +27 (0)35 562-7000 / 7001 8 Tips for feeling your best on your wedding Day You’ve put all your time and energy into making sure every detail is perfect and everyone involved is happy, so now it’s time to make sure you’re feeling your best for your wedding day! With the rush of decisions and coordination, self-care might have dropped down on your to-do list, so let this be the reminder you need to put it back on top. Planning ahead for things you can do in the days/weeks leading up to your wedding and scheduling time for things that make you feel good on your actual wedding day is key. These are our favorite bridal self-care tips to help keep your energy up and keep your mental and physical stress down so you can enjoy your wedding day to the fullest! 1. TRY ON YOUR FULL LOOK AHEAD OF TIME You will have enough details to think about the morning of your wedding, but wondering whether your bridal look is everything you’ve dreamed of shouldn’t be one of them! That’s why you should try on your full look — dress, hair, makeup, and accessories — well before the wedding day. Take it from women who have been there, you’ll feel so much better knowing that all the accessories you bought coordinate perfectly, the hairstyle you saw on Pinterest really is that pretty in real life, and your makeup flawlessly ties everything together. If you’re getting bridal portraits done, you have the perfect reason to try on your full look (and the added bonus of seeing it on camera). If you’re not getting bridal portraits done, schedule a girls’ dinner for that evening so you can wear the makeup and/or hairstyle out at least once! 2. GET ENOUGH SLEEP THE ENTIRE WEEK A lot of people tell brides to make sure they get enough sleep the night before their wedding, but we all know one night of good sleep isn’t enough to make you feel your absolute best. Most of us take at least two days to recover from one night of poor sleep, so make it a goal to get 8 hours of sleep every night for the entire week before your wedding. Yes, that’s much easier said than done, but it’s important for your nervous system to have adequate time to rest, especially with the added stress of wedding planning. If you’re having trouble shutting off your brain, spritz some essential oils, like lavender or chamomile, on your pillow or do some pre-sleep yoga. You’ll have plenty of time to not sleep on your honeymoon, so indulge in some quality beauty rest as much as possible before the wedding. 3. STAY HYDRATED The general rule is that you should drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day. It helps keep your energy up and gives your skin a gorgeous glow. Plus, it keeps your metabolism firing all day and decreases bloating, so you’ll feel as good on the inside as you look on the outside. If you’re dehydrated, your body has to fight both the physical stress of dehydration and any emotional stress you might feel on your wedding day, which will make it harder to be fully present. So, keep a water bottle handy and ask your MOH to check that it is full all day long. If you want some stylish motivation to drink up, grab one of these super cute bottles for yourself — and maybe for your bridesmaids, too! 4. GET MOVING WITH A QUICK YOGA SESSION Before you pop the bubbly with your girls, head to a local yoga studio for a quick sweat sesh! You’ll get the double benefit of relieving any last-minute stress and releasing endorphins so you’ll be feeling (and looking) happy all day long. We recommend going for a gentle flow class that to get a good stretch and get the blood moving and leaving the cardio-heavy, power-style yoga for another time. You just want to sweat, you don’t want to be exhausted or sore! If you can’t find a class time that works for you, there are tons of free yoga videos on YouTube that you can do in the privacy of your getting ready space. 5. STICK TO YOUR NORMAL BEAUTY ROUTINE The night before or the morning of your wedding is not the time to try out a new beauty routine, such as a face mask you saw on Instagram or a new shape for your eyebrows. If you want to experiment with new products, buy and try them at least two weeks before the wedding so you’ll have plenty of time to see how your skin reacts. We are all in favor of getting your skin to look its best for your wedding, but there would be nothing worse than trying something new the night before and waking up with undesirable results. So, give yourself time to find what makes your skin look best and stick to that all the way up through the wedding day. 6. EAT PROTEIN FOR BREAKFAST You’re going to need a ton of energy to make it all the way to your send-off moment, so set yourself up for success with breakfast that includes lean protein, healthy carbs, fruits, and veggies. Protein, especially, will keep you full and energized and will help keep your blood sugar from crashing if you want to indulge in champagne and sweet treats while you’re getting ready. For a super quick and simple breakfast option, blend up protein smoothies with frozen fruits, greens, milk, and protein powder for you and your girls. Or, opt for a heartier meal like an egg scramble with sauteed veggies and a side of yogurt with fruit. No matter how busy your morning gets, do not skip breakfast and do not leave your options up to chance. Your mom wasn’t joking when she said that breakfast is the