Are you worried about having your period on your wedding day? Are you concerned that your period might ruin your wedding dress? Are you wondering if there are any expert insider tips for managing your monthly cycle on your wedding day?
This week's wedding advice post deals with a personal topic, but it is one that our Lovella brides ask us about all the time. We are talking all things period related when it comes to planning your wedding festivities and how to manage your cycle. It may be your worst nightmare to have your period on your wedding day and it's a stressful situation for any bride to deal with when wedding planning is stressful enough on its own.
We know that it is definitely not an ideal circumstance to have your period on your wedding day, but of course, as women, we are so used to being in unforeseen circumstances and having to deal with our cycle, cramps, discomfort, and moving through life as if nothing is happening. We are almost trained to make it through, but there are times when our "time of the month" can knock us on our feet and we would hate for that to be any bride on her wedding day.
In addition to not feeling your best when you have your period, our brides are also worried about damage to their wedding dress when they're on their period. Naturally, a big concern if you are wearing white, especially in your wedding gown, you want to make sure that you're fully protected throughout the day and events leading up to it, including the night before and getting ready on wedding day.
We are here with our best advice and tips to help you manage if your cycle falls on wedding week and if your period comes on your wedding day. We have the do's and don'ts for how to manage your period leading up to your wedding day and how to be prepared to confidently enjoy your wedding, even if you happen to be on your cycle. We want you to feel your best and most confident self in your wedding dress on your wedding day no matter what time of the month it is!
VIDEO: Period Tips for Wedding Day
Before we get into all the details on how to manage your cycle leading up to wedding day and how to deal with your period in your wedding dress, be sure to check out this week's advice video for all the period tips for wedding day from our Wedding Fashion Expert.
Get a Period Tracker
Our first tip to help manage your cycle and deal with your period on your wedding day is to get a period tracker app or a journal, if you do not already use one. You can even just make a notation on your monthly calendar or planner. You'll want to mark the date your period begins and the day it ends. Over time, this will help you calculate if your body is regular or irregular in your monthly cycles and help you predict how your body will behave leading up to your wedding. You can also make a note of how you're feeling and if you've experienced any bloat on certain days leading up to and during your period.
If you are someone who has more regular cycles, this will be easy to predict if your period will fall on your wedding day or even your honeymoon. For those who are more irregular, it can be a bit harder to predict when your period will land. Whichever category you fall into, our next tips and advice will be helpful for you.
In short, with a period tracker or a written journal, the more information that you can gather, the better in helping you predict how you'll feel on your wedding day when it comes to your period.
Chat With Your Doctor
Our next piece of advice when it comes to managing your cycle during wedding month is to have a conversation with your doctor. This can be an important step to take whether you are regular or irregular in your cycle.
If you are regular in your cycle and you predict that your period will fall on your wedding day or your honeymoon, your doctor may be able to give you some options to help you postpone or skip a period, or even to get your period ahead of time so it will be out of the way for your wedding festivities. There may be solutions for those of you who have irregular cycles as well to help you project when your cycle might land during wedding month or ways to ensure you don't get your period at that time.
No matter what group you fall into, you just need to have an open conversation with your doctor. This will vary, of course, with everyone's own body and needs, but it's always best to get advice from a medical professional.
A quick note for those who experience really bad cramps. You may want to think about taking some medication early in the day so that you will hopefully prevent the cramps from even hitting you so you can go throughout your day with ease and pain-free. Medicine is a great thing to discuss with your doctor before your wedding day.
Communicate With Your People
If you do end up having your period on your wedding day there are things that you can do to feel more comfortable and to be prepared.
Our next tip is for those who do have their period on the wedding day and how you can help manage this throughout the day. We know that it is not an ideal situation to have your period on your wedding day, but we're here to help make sure you are well equipped to manage. If you know that you will be on your cycle on your wedding day, we highly recommend letting those who will be close to you on your wedding day know the situation. Whether this is your mom, your maid of honor, your wedding planner, bridesmaids, or whoever will be with you throughout the wedding day, let them know that you'll be on your period so they can help you prepare and ensure you have all the proper supplies you will need to get through the day.
We've talked before about how to use the bathroom while wearing your wedding dress. You and your wedding day support friends will need to know how to zip and unzip your wedding dress so that you can use the bathroom in your wedding dress quickly and safely and get back to the dance floor.
Avoid The Bloat
When it comes to your period, we know that bloating, retaining water, and just feeling bloated is normal among women. This next tip when it comes to having your period and your wedding day is especially true for any bride who will be on their cycle on their wedding day and it is a good rule of thumb for all brides ahead of wedding day.
We know that you might be feeling bloated in general because of your period, so consider not making it worse with the foods and drinks that you consume. Leading up to your wedding day, we highly recommend avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and any types of food or drinks that are really high in salt and sugars. All of those things can make you bloat and can make you feel worse if you are on your period.
Some of these items can even make cramps more painful if you experience those symptoms while on your cycle. We know some of those items can be hard to avoid during all the fun festivities leading up to wedding day, but we want you to feel the best you can on the big day.
Alterations Schedule
Our last tip when it comes to being on your cycle and preparing for your wedding day is in regards to wedding dress alterations. We always suggest your first alterations appointment be two months before the wedding day. Then you should have a follow-up appointment one month before the wedding day, and your final fitting appointment two weeks before wedding day.
For more, be sure to read our post on what to expect during the wedding dress alterations process.
This wedding alternations schedule may seem arbitrary, but there is logic and strategy behind the alterations schedule that is set by many bridal dress shops. It is important to stick to the alternations schedule recommended by your dress shop because your body will be in similar places each month. Whether you are bloated, ovulating, or on your period, wherever you are in your cycle at the time of your bridal gown alterations appointment, your body will be in a similar place at the next fitting. This schedule can be slightly off if you have irregular cycles, of course, but for those people with regular period monthly cycles, you can expect your body to be in a similar stage at each bridal dress alterations appointment and having it at pre-determined times will help ensure your dress fits properly on the wedding day.
Now you know that the wedding dress alteration process is done strategically to keep your cycle and fluctuating weight in mind as we are preparing to send you down the aisle for your wedding.
In the end, no matter how your cycle falls and if you're regular or irregular, we want you to feel your best, most beautiful self in your wedding dress. We encourage you to take precautions and start calculating and keeping track of your period and how you're feeling so that you can project what is going to make the most sense for you leading up to your wedding.
You want to be prepared on your wedding day. Don’t be surprised and leave your period and time of the month to the last minute or morning of your wedding to deal with. Take action early on and that way you don't have to worry about it - you can just relax and be at ease on your wedding day wearing your gorgeous wedding dress.
More Wedding Planning Advice
For more wedding preparation help, be sure to check out these past advice posts:
- How To Use The Restroom In A Wedding Dress
- What Happens When Your Wedding Dress Arrives
- How To Overcome The Most Common Bridal Insecurities
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
