You may have heard that wedding planning is stressful but – spoiler alert! – it doesn’t have to be. Of course, if you want to spend your time with a furrowed brow, mapping things out last minute, feeling anxious and tossing and turning at night – by all means.
If you don’t (we didn’t think so!) we’re here to set you up for success by revealing 5 big tips on how to plan the perfect stress-free wedding.
After all, your wedding day is a joyous occasion, right? It’s a chance to come together with friends and family to celebrate one of the best things in life: the love shared between you and your partner. Therefore, why not enjoy all of it? Planning included.
1. Create a Budget
Ok, we’re going to be real here, listen up. You can still have a gorgeous wedding on a smaller budget. You can still wow your guests. Your bridesmaids can still wear gorgeous dresses in that exact shade of sage green. What you lack in budget, you can make up for with creativity.
No matter what size your budget is, be realistic. As you and your partner brainstorm and map out your big day, make note of what’s important.
Once you’ve established the budget, it helps shape the rest of the planning.
2. Make a List & Prioritize
Next up, planning and making the to-do list. Here are some things you need to consider:
- Date
- Venue
- Guest list & approximate size
- Wedding party
- Wedding attire
- Fittings
- Officiant
- Catering
- Floral & decorations
- Music
- Rings
- Transportation
Get it all on paper – multiple pieces if needed. Once it’s written down, reorder everything according to priority.
Each item on your list may include its own subcategory, for example a list of caterers you’d like to meet with before making your final selection.
3. Delegate
One of the easiest ways to invite stress into wedding planning is forging out solo, attempting to do it all on your own.
Stop.
You do not have to do everything yourself. That’s right, you’ve got a team of people here to help. Your bridal party for example: Chrissy’s apartment looks like something fresh off Pinterest, perhaps she can help with the aesthetic and décor. Amy loves fashion, and would be more than happy to help pick out the dress.
Your partner – they’re super into music, they can find the band or DJ – after you give them the final okay, of course.
Just make sure that:
- Whoever’s helping has a deadline on when this needs to be taken care of, and
- They agree to you signing off on it before the final decision is made
It always helps to provide some direction and additional information, such as your budget for this specific item or service, and the “vibe” you’re going for. As you know, Pinterest is ideal for sourcing vibes…
4. Take Advantage of Wedding Planning Tools
Technology continues to evolve in the best way possible – working to smooth out the rumples in various processes – and (yay!) wedding planning is included in these advances. Now, it’s simple to create a wedding website, a place where your guests can RSVP, peruse your registry, and get additional information about your big day.
There are heaps of online wedding planning lists as well as ways to create eye-catching save the date and invites…everything.
When it comes to the tools that help streamline the wedding planning process, they’re worth their weight in gold – and some of them are free.
Of course. There’s always an app for that, it applies to wedding planning too.
5. Things Will Go Wrong… and That’s OK
Seriously. If you’re prone to sweating the small stuff, take note. Things will go wrong. But, so what? More will go according to plan. Focus on that. Focus on this rare and very special opportunity to have all your loved ones together in one place. How cool, right? When else is Grandma Florence going to be on the dance floor with you and your bridesmaids, laughing and grooving to “Love Shack?”
By making a conscious decision to focus on the bigger picture – the meaning behind this once in a lifetime occasion – you’re making a point to not let tiny inconveniences or malfunctions hijack or “ruin” the day.
The best you can do is be as prepared as possible, have a contingency plan, and above all have fun!
Conclusion:
If stress does show up, try not to give it too much attention. Breathe, remain present, and know that through preparation and focusing on the big picture, it’s way less likely to crash your wedding.