Tackling Wedding Planning: Wedding Planning Tips to Reduce Stress
Congratulations! You’re engaged! Enjoy this beautiful time in your life, and start thinking about the big day. Often times, planning a wedding can be overwhelming at first, but have no fear! We’re here with a few tips to get you started, keep you sane and ensure your big day is one of the best days of your life.
- Budgeting- The first thing you should do once the initial engagement celebrations are over is sit down and have a serious conversation about creating a budget for your big day. Ask all of the hard questions up front to avoid running into disagreements later on. From who exactly will be paying to guest lists, wedding party size and other expectations, get it all out on the table. Come up with a total amount that is logically doable, and then create a list of priorities to determine where that money should be allocated. Have you always dreamed of having an eight person band at your wedding? Or is booking the best venue in town more important? Setting a budget doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have both, but knowing the overall number you can work with will help in making these tough decisions. Don’t forget about the budget once you’ve made it, either. Keep it involved in every conversation you have with vendors and planners, and make the expectation known that you need to stick to it. If something does come up that you decide is worth spending more than planned on, readjust other areas of your budget to compensate for this unforeseen expense.
Tab McCausland Photography
- Hire Reliable Vendors- Pay attention to overall reputation, online reviews, and personal endorsements from friends and colleagues. Personal examples and experience with a business is valuable information, and can help you make the difficult decision between two (or more) potential partners. Ask yourself the question of if you want one person to handle everything for you, or multiple different people that you manage yourself? Some couples prefer the ease of hiring an event planner, while others like to relish in the planning process and control every aspect themselves. Both are great options, and in both cases having an idea of overall look before booking vendors will be beneficial. Showing up prepared and with a general theme or feel will make the planning easier for all parties involved.
- Choose the Right Event Management- You are putting your event in someone else’s hands, so make sure it is someone you can trust with a solid reputation. A Chair Affair founder Ann Taylor has been using Eventbrite for years, finding the service easy and efficient to use. Not only is it quick and easy to register to attend meetings and events, but Eventbrite also makes hosting events and managing attendees a smooth process.
- Give yourself enough time- There’s nothing quite as overwhelming as throwing things together in the final hour before a big event. To help prevent this stress, give yourself plenty of time to pull everything together by starting the planning process early. Help yourself out by creating a to-do list in timeline format to ensure the right tasks are done at the appropriate times. A lot of expert planners suggest starting the process at one year out, which is when you should choose a venue and set a date, along with completing your budget. From there, start choosing bridal party members, look for a dress and book other vendors such as event planners, entertainers, photographers, florists and an officiant. These things should be completed by six months out from the big day, in order to have plenty of time to get the details straightened out. The next things to get in order are smaller details, like deciding on favors, menu items, rehearsal time and hair and makeup trials to make sure you will be happy when the time comes to walk down the aisle. Other things to consider along the way include sending save the date cards and invitations so your guests have enough time to RSVP and you can plan accordingly from there.
- Make sure you feel involved
Concept Photography
- Decorations- Even if your wedding has a certain theme, don’t be scared to add touches of personality to the decorations. You can incorporate small details such as featuring the bride’s favorite flowers, or do something more noticeable like taking a moment to light candles mid-ceremony in memory of important family members no longer with us.
- Registry- A lot of modern couples have already blended their homes by living together before the wedding, which often makes the need for a traditional registry unnecessary. Consider skipping the toaster and create a unique registry for things and experiences you actually want. From tool kits and updated lighting for your home to a honeymoon fund and supporting a nonprofit event that you feel close to, get creative!
- Couple-themed additions – Add a bit of personality to the refreshments by serving a favorite cocktail of both the bride and groom, along with a clever name to call it. Get creative and name it after the couple’s pet, favorite place, alma mater or something they simply love! Also consider jazzing up your event on social media by creating a unique hashtag, Snapchat filter, and Facebook group to collect photos from everyone in attendance. Encourage your guests to connect with others through these channels to fully utilize their benefits.
And most importantly: enjoy minute ounce of it! Remember to start early and fully consider every detail that needs to be fleshed out for the big day, and you’ll be set. While planning an event can be stressful, especially for those who don’t do it all the time, don’t shy away from the challenge! And if you are overwhelmed, there’s always someone out there willing to help you along the way but we hope these tips help you get started!
