The excitement of getting engaged shouldn’t end when wedding planning begins. After all, your wedding shouldn’t be a stressful day, and neither should the wedding planning leading up to it. After you’re done making New Year’s resolutions about your health and finances, make a resolution to enjoy your wedding planning—that’s right, enjoy (gasp!)—and go through the planning process without all the stress and drama traditionally associated with wedding planning.
We will not go all “bride-zilla.”
It’s okay to be excited about getting married (especially if you’re excited about who you are marrying!), but try not to go over the top. Gushing to friends and family ALL the time, either in person or on social media, can get to be too much.
Then there’s the other side of the bride-zilla coin: the transformation into a bossy, this is my day, do what I say bride or groom (yes, this can happen to grooms as well). Try to keep it in check. Yes, this is your day. Yes, everyone knows that you want it to be perfect. The key is to remember that you still need friends and family members to like you after your wedding day is over.
We will not procrastinate.
The best vendors’ calendars fill up quickly: caterers, venues, DJ’s, entertainers, photographers, videographers. You don’t have to frequent every bridal fair (though it’s not a bad idea to get ideas and make contacts!), but you should make it a point to start making calls, sending emails or contacting vendors via social media. Try to confirm as many of the major details you need as soon as possible, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute and settling for mediocre vendors.
We will take breaks from wedding planning.
It’s easy to get caught up in wedding planning, and even easier to get overwhelmed by the long list of to-do’s that need to be done before your big day. Try to schedule time away from wedding planning so you can tackle your wedding planning checklist with a fresh and new perspective.
We will keep the lines of communication open.
Even though one of you may have been planning every detail of your wedding day since you were five, remember that your wedding day is about who you are as a couple. Have a discussion about each of your ‘must haves’ before you confirm your wedding venue, or start any of your wedding planning. Set your budget, date (could be just month and year), and location (in the city you live, destination wedding, or a hometown); these factors dictate nearly every wedding detail for your big day.
Keep your lines of communication open—with your fiance, family and friends—by sharing schedules and discussing your wishes with everyone. Don’t rely on social media or hearsay to spread the word. Those two tactics can backfire, leaving you with a beautiful wedding day and unhappy guests to ruin the occasion.
We will listen to our friends and family.
This doesn’t mean you have to listen to your crazy aunt and buy that really, REALLY ugly wedding dress. And you don’t have to stock stogies at your wedding because your dad wants it. What this resolution does mean is that you listen to valuable advice, such as testimonials about caterers they really liked or a DJ who did an excellent job at a wedding they attended. You can even take the latter advice a step farther, and ask for their input about a song they want to hear at the reception. All you have to do is add a line to the wedding invitations that asks for their song requests. A good DJ (note, a good DJ) can honor many of those requests when they ask for your input, and personalizes the play list for your wedding. (Find out how to craft the perfect playlist here.) The result is a memorable wedding night, and—hopefully—a great time putting all the pieces of your wedding day together.