For a full 48-hour period, pretend you’re the two people you were before you got engaged (and, in the meantime, remind yourselves of why you wanted to get married to each other in the first place). No wedding planning or fighting allowed! No talk of hors d’oeuvres, seating charts, or first dance songs. Hang out, laugh, have fun, and flirt with each other for a change.

“I know that it can be hard to see past the day itself, and you’re just doing whatever you can to craft a beautiful event, but there is often so much waste that goes into a wedding. It’s just one day in your life together, but the environmental toll can continue long after the day is done. Go simple, modern, vintage, or minimalist—any of these routes will help you reduce your impact on the environment and will likely save you money. So many people told us how blown away they were by our wedding, and yet, we spent less than $15k on the entire affair and managed to keep things very green.

Also, I highly encourage couples to ‘pay it forward’ and give away anything they created or bought for their wedding.  I plan to give away almost every single thing we made and thrifted for our wedding so that they can have a second (and hopefully, third, fourth, and fifth!) chance to make someone else’s dream day come true.” —Amber and Nate

Read more: Wedding Tips from Real Couples via Bridal Guide

No one likes a slacker, particularly if she comes back from vacation tanned and blissed-out. Avoid becoming the office pariah by tying up projects and other loose ends before you check out for your wedding. Discuss your workload with your boss and co-workers, and divvy up tasks that must be handled while you’re out for the wedding and honeymoon. Inform everyone who will be even a little bit impacted by your absence, and give them the name of the person they can turn to if necessary. Read more: 10 Wedding Planning Must-dos Before the I-dos via TLC

 

If the surge in cupcake shops and overall availability of the sweet treat are any indication, cupcakes would be a smash hit at any wedding reception. Wedding guests of all ages are sure to devour everything from traditional vanilla to more creative flavors and fillings.

Cupcake cakes can be served in tower form or as pull-apart cakes. The latter can be decorated like a traditional sheet cake, making it a great option for grooms’ cakes since many brides like to get creative with the design and theme on their secondary desserts. However, cupcake towers can be every bit as beautiful and nuptially-appropriate as a standard wedding cake in both appearance and formality. As an added bonus, cupcake cakes are a cinch to serve. Simply pick one up and put it on a plate — no pesky or messy cake cutter is necessary to enjoy this delectable dessert.

Read more: 10 Alternatives to Wedding Cake via TLC