There’s no denying that planning a wedding is an exciting experience! In the early stages, you’ll be writing and sending your beautiful photo save the dates while daydreaming about the big day. With so much to do before you can tie the knot and celebrate married life, it makes sense to consider ways in which you can comfortably tweak and simplify the wedding planning process, so that you’re not overwhelmed or stressed.
1. Get Yourself Organised
The wedding planning countdown really kicks in once your stylish photo save the dates have been written and mailed out to your VIP guests. As pre-wedding planning time is precious, it’s important to get organised.
Using a wedding planner notebook will hep you keep track of everything that you need to do before your wedding can take place. Choose a luxury 12-month journal style notebook that features a to-do checklist, tabs, and plenty of handy compartments where you can store receipts, so that they are easy to find when you’re checking your wedding budget spend.
If you’re comfortable with tech, you can alternatively get yourself organised with a wedding planner app that can also double as your social media wedding hub.
2. Prioritise
Not everything that you need to do to plan the fairytale wedding of your dreams is of the same level of high priority. Some tasks, like booking the wedding venue, composing a VIP guest list and sending out photo save the dates and follow on official wedding invitations, definitely deserve to be top priorities on your checklist. Updating your wedding website and pinning wedding related images on Pinterest should be at the bottom of any lengthy wedding planning list.
Make a list of all of the tasks that require your urgent attention, and focus on no more than three at a time. Working in this way will give you more clarity of mind to deal with the remaining items on your to-do-list.
3. Follow A Single Checklist
The easiest way to get yourself into a wedding planning muddle is to have multiple checklists on the go. To streamline the wedding planning process, commit to following a single checklist that includes a simplified order of tasks that you can tick off as and when completed.
Allow your future spouse, and anyone who is helping you plan your big day, to have access to the checklist, especially if you have delegated tasks. A single checklist allows you to quickly identify what requires attention, and everything that has been arranged, booked and paid for.
4. Manage Your Guest List
The most effective way to simplify your wedding planning is to have a wedding that is small and intimate. The more people you invite, the more you need to plan, organise, coordinate and spend. You’ll also have to consider things like wedding etiquette, managing clashing personalities and unnecessary drama, and wedding venue seating arrangements for a large party.
If you have loads of friends and extended family to invite, but dream of getting hitched in an intimate affair, there’s no reason why you can’t have your cake and eat it too, in a modern style. You can marry your partner in a small wedding with close family and friends in attendance, and host a large reception for everyone else at a later date.
5. Trust Your Vendors
You’ve hired the best professional vendors who earn a living providing goods and services for the wedding industry. They therefore know a lot about weddings! Trust that the caterer, wedding cake maker, hair and makeup artist, DJ etc have everything in hand to ensure that you and your partner, and guests, enjoy your wedding day.
It’s perfectly OK to check that each vendor has a genuine understanding of your wedding vision, style and requirements. But it’s not acceptable to micromanage everything they do. By all means, keep your vendors up to date with any changes to your wedding plans or schedule, but otherwise it’s crucial that you have the confidence to trust that they will provide a stellar service on the day.
6. Quit Asking For Advice
An easy way to get yourself stressed over the wedding planning process is to ask your mum, best friends, and all and sundry for wedding related advice. Trust your own judgment when choosing a wedding stationery style and design, your fairytale wedding dress and accessories, venue décor and other items that complete your perfect day.
Every bride is allowed to have one wedding advice guru. If you need a second opinion, ask your beloved for their help, ideas and suggestions (although perhaps not about the wedding dress!), or go to a trusted friend or family member whose views you value highly. Of course, if you can afford to budget for the services of a professional wedding planner, this person will have al of the answers that you seek.
7. Hire A Professional Wedding Planner
If you’re overwhelmed by planning the happiest day of your life, and your budget can accommodate the fees of an experienced wedding planner, hiring a pro is the way to go, to simplify the entire wedding planning process.
An experienced wedding planner can help you refine your wedding vision, source and connect you with vendors, and keep you within your budget. You won’t need to stress over getting things done on time, as your wedding planner will have everything sorted and completed in a timely fashion.
The added expense is worth it, if it means that you can enjoy writing your photo save the dates, and luxury personalised wedding invites, and leave everything else to a professional wedding planner.
Krishan Jangir