7 Tips for Less-Stress Wedding Planning

busy woman reading through wedding paperwork‘Stress’ and ‘wedding planning’ should not go hand in hand—and yet somehow it always seems to go that way. With a million details to coordinate and a budget to balance, wedding planning can start to feel like work—stressful work! Your wedding day—and the time leading up to it—should be an enjoyable experience. It can be IF you take these tips for less stressful wedding planning.

Be organized.

Organizing and using a wedding planning checklist is more than an option; it’s a necessity for low-stress wedding planning. Create a binder (or electronic file) where you can easily find the names of your wedding vendors, such as your DJ, caterer, baker, and venue. Use a wedding planning checklist to track your progress. Work ahead on your wedding checklist as much as possible so you can feel on top of things and ready for the next step.

Screen your vendors carefully.

Quality vendors equates to quality execution. Choose your wedding vendors carefully; don’t hire a DJ who raises red flags—even if they are the friend of a friend of a friend. Ask your vendors questions to weed out the sub-par and read over the contract fine print carefully to ensure you get quality service on your big day.

Lean on the experts.

Hopefully, you’ve hired a team of pros because they know their stuff. Lean on their expertise and use it. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know. What do you recommend?” Contact them for ideas and to coordinate all the details; remember that the lines of communication need to flow both ways. Make sure you leave every meeting or contact with a clear list of deadlines and expectations.

Take a break.

Step away from wedding planning every once in a while—and not just half-heartedly, but step away physically and mentally. Go on a road trip. Head to the spa with friends. Go hiking. Attend a concert with friends.

Make it a team effort.

Just like you lean on your vendors for recommendation, lean on trusted friends and family members for assistance. Ask your fiancé and trusted friends and family to help with certain wedding planning tasks. If your wedding planning task needs to be done by a certain deadline, be clear about when you need it completed.

Don’t take on more DIY than you can handle.

Too many “I can do that” can add up to an incredibly stressful experience—even when you’re incredibly capable! (We won’t even mention DIY fails.) Be realistic about the amount of time you have available for do-it-yourself projects, especially when you have to make many of them. Putting together a DIY play list for the reception seems easy UNTIL you’re up night after night after night trying to get the perfect play list ready. Decorating cupcakes may appear to be easy and simple until the frosting isn’t coming out right or you’re pressed for time. Be smart with your time and stress level; even if it seems easy, you only have so much time to get it done before your big day.

Take a break.

Did we mention taking a break from all the crazy of wedding planning? It’s okay to step away every now and then. Head up north to the cabin. Take a jog. Go swimming. Head to the gym. Take in a movie. A short break can make you feel refreshed, less stressed, and ready to take on the next step of wedding planning.

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