5 Ways To Make Planning Manageable

How can you spend months planning a wedding and not burn out before the big day? With planning and perspective. Follow the key advice below, and you’ll ease your mind (and heart) during the potentially stressful weeks that lead to your wedding day.

Know Your Spending Limit
Choose a wedding reception (i.e. food, beverage, tax and gratuity) that represents 50% or less than your overall spending because there will be a lot more expenses to follow. You’ll be spending money on vendors who will provide the necessities like flowers, music, and photography, not to mention the clothes, gifts, jewelry, and other items that you will buy during the planning process. Know what to expect; be prepared for these expenses and you will save yourself a lot of anxiety at the beginning.

Choose Your Wedding Site Wisely
Find a location that is close to home or that you enjoy traveling to. A bride usually travels to a site several times throughout the planning process, so it is important to choose a location that works in that regard.

Delegate
There are plenty of people who are excited about your wedding; know which tasks they can either help you with, or take off of your hands completely. By doing so, you’ll allow them to feel involved and you’ll be giving them the gift of being able to give to you.

Don’t Forget Why You're Getting Married
Separate romantic time with your fiancé from your time as the “wedding organizer.” Set aside date nights and play time throughout the weeks and months that lead up to your big day. Go out with your fiancé and remind yourselves of why you chose to be together. As the wedding day approaches, you’ll naturally find yourselves more and more wrapped up in the event. Remember that the big event is only one day; the marriage is forever. Spend time as you did when you were dating: getting to know each other without talk of weddings, expenses, mortgages, work, etc. When you are more balanced you will have more creativity to plan your wedding, perform at work, and love those around you. And instead of being stressed when the wedding day arrives, you will feel happy.

Take Care of Yourself
Set aside time for a massage the night before your wedding. Indulge in having your hair and make-up artist come to your location and
pamper you. Have your wedding rehearsal two days before your wedding day so you have a little break between the rehearsal and the actual event. Finally, check into your honeymoon suite the night before your wedding day so you can wake up and have your friends and all those helping you on the day come directly to you -- avoid driving on your wedding day at all costs. All of these things will help keep your stress level under control, and a relaxed bride is a beautiful bride.

It’s a strange dichotomy that a wedding can at once be the sweetest, most meaningful day of your life and the most stressful. By planning well and still remembering to spend time separating yourself from the planning process, you can heighten the sweetness and decrease the stress.

Opening photograph by Christian Oth Studio