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Congratulations!!! Being engaged is such a fun and exciting time in your life. Planning the wedding of your dreams can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. The key to a stress-free wedding is smart planning. Spare yourself the multiple headaches by making a plan and sticking to it. Here are some helpful wedding planning tips for staying organized.
Get Excited and Enjoy the Moment
Right when you get engaged family members, friends, and coworkers are going to want to know all of the pretty little details (you know, the ones you haven’t made yet), but don’t be afraid to tell them that you are just enjoying engaged life and you will let them know the details once you have planned them!
Start your Personalized Checklist
Once you have settled into engaged life and are ready to start planning the wedding, start with making a personalized check list. Make this check list of a couple tasks you have to do every month. This will keep you from being overwhelmed with a lot of tasks. Just make sure not to stress yourself out in the beginning by setting deadlines that might be unrealistic. It may seem a little scary to try and get a lot of the planning done in the first few months, but that way, the last few months won’t be as hectic. You will thank yourself later!
Set Aside Weekly Time to Plan
When planning a wedding it is a good idea to choose a day or two during the week to set aside time to focus on the details. It is always a good idea to sit down together to eliminate confusion and you can divide and conquer tasks. Make a list of details that need to be taken care of. Your fiancé may not be concerned about what flowers you carry and they could be more interested in planning the food and what is served at the bar. Even though you may have two separate check lists, is always good to over communicate and let the other know your thoughts.
Be Flexible
You and your fiancé are not going to agree on everything. You may decide on that delicious strawberry cake, but he is just not a fan. And maybe your partner wants to hire a DJ and you have always wanted a swing band. Each of you is going to want things the other doesn’t care for, but flexibility is a must, so be willing to do so. If you really object to something, let your partner know and have a good reason for it.
Contract and Negotiations
When dealing with wedding professionals (venues, caterers, florists and so on), be sure to clarify your expectations right away. When you receive a contract make sure it specifically states dates, times and locations. This will make sure you are paying for a receiving exactly what you want to make your big day spectacular. Always make sure to read the fine print on every contract before you sign it, and make sure you are aware of any cancellation policies and fees. It’s always a good idea to ask if there’s a grace period to cancel just in case you change your mind about the vendor.
Relax
Make sure you are taking time to really enjoy this moment in your life. Even after all the crazy stressful wedding planning has started, don’t forget to relax. Plan a date night weekend with some much needed non-wedding planning. Sip some wine. Read a book. Do whatever you must to just spend some time relaxing.
Happy Planning!