Growing up, I’ve always dreamed about planning my dream wedding — a beautiful dress, the big cake, all my friends and family — you know how it goes! Now that I’m finally doing it, it’s like a dream come true! HOWEVER, I’ve got to admit that it is not the blissful, smooth experience that I once upon a time believed that it would be.
I mean, I knew it was going to be stressful planning a wedding, but holy cow can it be stressful! That’s not to say that I’m not enjoying it, because I am enjoying planning our dream wedding, and I am SO excited for that day to come, but there are in fact times that I feel pretty overwhelmed.
Through my experience, there have been times that I’ve looked back and thought “wow, that could have gone a lot smoother had I don’t x, y and z.” So, if you’re getting ready to plan a wedding this 2019 year, here are a few tips to help you have a great, (almost) stress free experience!
1. Keep Organized
This one may seem obvious, but it’s easy to become unorganized and scatterbrained which ultimately will lead to stress. The best way to stay organized is to have a binder or folder for any paperwork you may have, and organize it by vendor (venue, DJ, photographer, bridal boutique, etc.). If you have all this on your computer, keep your digital folders organized. It’s also a good idea to scan any papers you may receive onto your computer just incase you misplace your hard copies. One thing that I have found to be my lifesaver during the wedding planning process has been The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner & Organizer. It’s less than $30 and has just about everything you need to stay organized and make sure you’re getting things done! It has a list of what you should be doing each month leading up to your wedding, as well as details for each step of the planning process and a place to jot down notes for all of it!
2. Take Breaks & Enjoy Engagement
Wedding planning can at times become very overwhelming and almost consume most of your time. It’s best to learn to take breaks from planning. Take a step back from it all and actually take the time to enjoy your engagement. Spend time with your fiancé and just enjoy each others company and think about how you get to spend the rest of your lives together! Engagement is a beautiful thing, make the most of it!
3. Don’t Try To Please Everyone
It’s important to remember that this wedding that you’re planning is YOUR wedding. So, plan it the way you want to! If you want your reception to be in the middle of a theme park, then by all means do it! It may be costly, but if that’s what your dream wedding looks like than go for it! It’s easy to feel like you need to please tons of people when it comes to the wedding, or like you have to invite people just for the sake of not hurting feelings, but that’s simply not the case. At the end of the day, the purpose of your wedding day is to marry the one you love and start your lives together… and no one is going to be standing on that altar besides you and your significant other, so do it how you please!
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Always remember, you don’t have to do this alone! You know what they say… it takes a village! Don’t forget that you have not just your fiancé, but your family, your soon-to-be family, and your bridal party there to help you out! I mean… that’s what Maid of Honors are for, right? I promise you that your family and friends will be more than willing and happy to be able to help you out!
5. Stay Positive
Don’t lose sight of the end result of your wedding… the fact that you’ll be married to the love of your life! Your ultimate happiness in life will not depend on your wedding alone. Getting married is just the start to your happily ever after, you’re building a family and getting ready to grow old together! The best thing you can do throughout this experience is stay positive, only good things will come out of this wedding, so learn to not sweat the small stuff. I promise 20 years down the road, you’re not going to care about what color the linens on the tables were, but you’ll care about the person you fall asleep next to each night. So, stay positive and enjoy every second your experience!