Don't Procrastinate on These Tasks When Planning Your Wedding

Ignoring your to-do list won't make it go away!

The to-do lists associated with wedding planning are so long that it is understandable that couples will find themselves delaying certain parts until the end.

By Emily Lasnier

em-ceremony
Photo: Elizabeth Messina

Some people just can’t help procrastinating – whether it’s because they work better under pressure or the stress of potentially failing leads to putting off necessary tasks until it’s too late. The to-do lists associated with wedding planning are so long that it is understandable that couples will find themselves delaying certain parts until the end – especially if there is a lot of focus and chaos around the major vendors.

wedding planning tasks not to leave until the last minute

Photo by The Day by Ira Lippke

In a few cases, there are aspects of wedding planning you not only can put off until the last minute, but you probably should. For example, you can’t really create your perfect seating chart until you actually have your final head count. It’s also perfectly reasonable to not sort out tips until right before the celebration (and even then, you may have to adjust on the fly if a vendor performs above and beyond). 

However, in some cases you and your future spouse could really wind up kicking yourself if you wait too long in regards to certain decisions. Planning the ceremony, especially if you are writing your own vows, is something that should be taken care of at least one month ahead of time. You will want to iron out any kinks with your officiant in order to make sure the day goes just as you always imagined. After all, the ceremony is the real reason for the celebration, right? If you choose to write your own vows, you will probably need to compose a couple of drafts until you get them just right – not to mention, you'll need time to practice so you don’t stumble on your words in the moment it matters most. Putting off writing your vows can lead to you scrambling to write something meaningful on the big day itself!

Another part of the ceremony that needs to be planned in advance is the music, especially if you have hired live musicians for the proceedings. They deserve the opportunity to rehearse so everything goes smoothly. Even if a recording is used, preparing the song choices ahead of time allows for the pacing to be sorted out.

With everything going on for the wedding itself, the honeymoon is often left to the wayside. Unless you and your beloved are purposefully planning to postpone the trip, it’s important to plan your honeymoon in advance – as you would for most big vacations – in order to make sure you end up with the optimal itinerary. This is supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime, so you don’t want it to be poorly organized. 

Find out what wedding advice you shouldn't follow and what unique touches you should add to the big day. 

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