You’ve heard it a million times before- weddings are chaotic! You don’t even have time to eat your cake! You’ll be so crazed you won’t remember anything that happened! Well I say… let’s change that. You’re getting married for one reason, and that’s because you’re madly in love with your fiancée! Of course you want to spend time together as much as possible on your wedding day! If you want to take a stand against the choas and put the focus back on your love where it belongs, here are 5 of my favorite ways to get more alone time with your spouse during your wedding.

Spending Time Together During the Ceremony

1. Have a First Look before the ceremony

A first look a great way to soothe your nerves and capture some incredible, genuine moments together. Tell your photographer you want your first look to be private, and ask them to whisk you away before the ceremony starts. You’ll be able to receive genuine reactions from each other- without the pressure of feeling like you’re performing in front of hundreds of guests.

Plan enough time before the ceremony so you guys can soak the moment in and spend some quality time together before you walk down the aisle. Right before the ceremony starts is when emotions start to spike and things start to feel real- this is when you want your partner’s support more than anything!

Bonus! This is also a great way to get more wedding photos of the two of you!

2. Take sunset photos after the ceremony

After the family formals and the ceremony are complete, you’ll hopefully be right in time to catch a gorgeous sunset before dinner begins. (Ask your photographer to help you plan your day around the best light!) Now’s a great time to not only get beautiful golden-hour photos together, it’s a great time to appreciate the commitment you just made to one another.

If my guess is correct, you guys probably won’t be able to keep the smiles off of your faces now. This time spent together on your wedding day is so meaningful, and you’ll both still be on cloud 9 so soon after the ceremony! Take a deep breath and get those sweet moments in, because it’s about to change gears into party time.

Spending Time Together During the Reception

3. Do a gift exchange during the reception

You’ve already eaten, and everyone else is getting down on the dance floor. Take a moment while the guests are all distracted to sneak away to a separate room and exchange gifts together. You could just write each other a sweet note, and read it out loud to the other person. Or you could have got a custom gift made to surprise your new spouse with! (Here’s some cute mugs that would make a great gift!)

You guys will be able to spend a quiet moment together, away from the chaos that’s going on in the other room. And those gifts (or notes!) you give each other will be extra meaningful because you went out of your way to make time for them on your wedding day.

4. Have a “Last Dance” while everyone preps for the exit

I was introduced to this tradition though a wedding recently and fell in love with the idea! Many couples will do sparkler exits or some kind of special tunnel exit at the end of the night. If you’re doing an exit like that, tell the DJ to dismiss everyone to go line up and get ready for you to leave. While they’re doing that, you and your new spouse have a last dance together. Just the two of you, alone on the dance floor.

If you have a meaningful song that you think defines your relationship well, you can let the DJ know about it beforehand and you’ll be able to end the night on a romantic note. Wrapped in each other’s arms, swaying, all alone in the middle of a huge dance floor…can you even imagine anything more romantic?! It’s the perfect way to get more meaningful alone time with your sweetie on your wedding day.

5. Hire a getaway car

Hiring a getaway car means you guys can spend time cuddling together in the backseat now that the party is over. Have your driver put on some calming music, and you can wind down all the way back to your honeymoon suite. (Here’s a NC company for your getaway car!)

Many couples will have an “exit” outfit that’s a little bit comfier than your wedding dress so you can really relax on the ride back. If you have your dress and all your things packed up in a special bag before you leave, a bridesmaid or family member can easily transport your things to the car when it arrives so you don’t leave anything behind!

Now you can spend more time together on your wedding day

Wedding days are chaotic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spend some alone time with your spouse during your wedding. The memories you create with your new husband or wife are going to be the most precious ones that you treasure throughout your life. I hope this article got you thinking about how to put the focus back on love during your wedding! Let me know in the comments below if you have any other great ideas I should add to the list!