The Best Advice on Weddings, Honeymoons, Sleep and Habits

In this post, you’ll find some useful, practical advice and excellent resources on having a better wedding (and honeymoon) experience, better sleep, and better habits.

How to Have a Better Wedding Experience

For some of the best advice on this topic, who better than a professional wedding planner?  This week, Handley McCrory (our wedding planner) was my guest on The SavvyCast. She shared valuable tips and advice on what to do from engagement day to wedding day. As you can see from the photo below, our daughter Ellie was all smiles on her wedding day, and Handley was a huge part in making it a dream come true. You can link here to the podcast with show notes or listen below. 

How to Have a Better Honeymoon

Mom’s know best, and especially in the area of honeymoon prep (because obviously all moms have been on a honeymoon lol). This honeymoon advice is practical and straight from some of my M.O.B. friends who shared their ideas for a “honeymoon kit” filled with items to help their daughters have a better honeymoon experience. The kit is ideally given a month or so prior to the wedding. Their suggestions are below. Note: these items are great for we women who have been married any length of time. I’ve read the book (excellent) and also carry most all the items with me when traveling with my hubs.

Mom Recommended Honeymoon Kit for Bride to Be Daughters

• Book: Dr. Kevin Leman’s Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage is a great book for any couple about to get married. Leman gives frank, detailed advice on married sex that can make for a more informed and enjoyable honeymoon.
• Lubricant. This high end lubricant is one of the best on the market, has only 4 ingredients, and is silky and luxurious.
• UTI prevention. Brides to be can take these AZO daily (start months before) to hopefully avoid a UTI.
• UTI Treatment. If a UTI happens, send an antibiotic and pain relief  (this AZO works well).
• Other Meds. Zofran (nausea) might come in handy. Ibuprofen is a no brainer. One of my friends even put tamiflu in her daughter’s kit just in case.

On Being a Mother of the Bride (M.O.B.)

I didn’t do this perfectly, but I shared what I learned in My Best Advice to Mothers of the Bride (To Be). There are so many things to navigate as a M.O.B. From dress shopping (for yourself and usually others in the family) to gift buying (for all hostesses and helpers) and more, there is a ton to learn, do, and navigate in this special role.

How to Have a Better Marriage

Marriage is wonderful, but it is one of the hardest things most of us will ever do (as is most everything worthwhile in life). Here are some helpful bits of advice from some of my favorite resources in marriage, family and personal growth.

• Work on yourself. Marriage works best when each person is emotionally healthy and personally growing in all aspects of life. Two great podcasts on this topic are How Practicing P.I.E.S. Can Make You More Attractive, and How to Be Emotionally Attractive in Relationships. 
• Understand and practice your spouse’s love language. There is a reason The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts is a classic that sells more copies every year than the year before. It could save a world of frustration in marriage if every couple would read this book (and discuss). 
• Protect your marriage. Being aware of how affairs can happen to good people is key to preventing one. The best advice I’ve heard on the topic comes from my favorite marriage expert, Dr. Joe Beam. He has been a guest on The SavvyCast several times, and my most popular podcast to date is How to Affair Proof Your Marriage. It is 30 minutes worth listening.
• Work on great sex. In the beginning, this is easy. But with time, age, and familiarity, good (great) sex takes more work. Dr. Joe Beam shares great advice in 8 Things That Take Married Sex From Good to Great. 
• Pick a chair, and ask the marriage. If this sounds confusing, it is, until my husband explains the concept on The SavvyCast episode,  The Chair and How to Ask the Marriage. It is deep, but it is good. 

Great resources on better habits.

You’ve probably heard of  and likely read Steven Covey’s classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book has been a game changer for many of us, and I recently bought the teen version for my 17-year-old daughter. Sean Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens has been updated for the digital age, and my daughter is reading (and talking about the concepts in) this book. She asked me to buy the companion workbook and also a copy for a friend. I highly recommend this book for any teen, and it would make a perfect graduation gift.

Great resources on better sleep.

A great mattress is key to good sleep; I am on a search for a new one. I want the most comfortable one money can buy, but finding this elusive treasure is more than a notion. I recently asked on my instagram story for folks to share their favorites. Here are a few mattresses that were recommended: Temperpedic, Beautyrest plush pillow top Bradford, Cariloha, Sleep Number, and Casper Wave. I would LOVE to hear from any of you if you have a mattress that you LOVE and RECOMMEND!!! If so, please leave details in the comments below. We would all love to know!

Good sleep habits can be life changing. My husband and I are making every effort to get in bed early and rise early. This is a trend at his firm and with many of our friends who are reading the wildly popular book Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. I am listening on audible. It is a powerful motivator to make sleep a priority.

I hope some of this advice that I gathered is helpful to you and yours in some way! If you have anything to add, share or ask, please do. I love hearing from you! As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you a joyful, blessed and savvy day!!!