Getting ready to tie the knot? While weddings themselves might be the most fun you’ve had in years, the months or even years, of preparation that go into them can really put a strain on your nerves – and on your relationship. The following are some tips that will allow you to get through your wedding preparations with ease.
Give Yourself Plenty Of Time
Too many couples are so eager to get married right after they get engaged, that they schedule their wedding for a date far too close, not leaving themselves enough time to get everything ready. This means that they have to sacrifice a lot of things during that short preparation process to get everything together. A good rule of thumb is to leave a year for the wedding preparations. It might seem like forever, but you will see how time flies when you’re on a schedule. In fact, you don’t have to set the date at all before you start planning. You can think about the outfits, décor, theme, catering and so much more before you even set the date and give yourself a deadline. Your joined life is happening before you’re married and there’s no need to rush!
Don’t Do It Alone
While one person on the about-to-be-married team might be more interested in the planning and organization, that doesn’t mean that they are the only ones responsible. They have every right to ask their partner for help, because, at the end of the day, it’s both of their wedding, and they should share the responsibility. It’s also important not to take it to the other extreme, where one partner takes over all of the planning and dismisses the ideas of the other one. Marriage is a team effort, and the wedding is the first test of the partnership! And of course, you are allowed to let others help you as well. If you want someone to lead you through the maze of venues, cakes, and gowns, you can hire a professional wedding planner, but you can also ask your friends and family to help you with the process.
Get Creative
Wedding planning should not be all budget breakdowns and strict schedules. You’re allowed to have fun while you’re doing it, and it’s a great chance to express your creative side. Bring home a bunch of flowers, tulle, and wire, and have fun planning the centerpieces. Buy a pair of plain white shoes and then jazz them up yourself with rhinestones and paint. Get your groove on and choreograph your first dance to your favorite song. Take an afternoon, open up a bottle of wine and think of the perfect text to go on your ideal wedding invitations. Give yourself permission to have fun while planning this big day because, otherwise, the entire event loses its purpose.
Get The Most Out Of The Process
Most companies that offer wedding services – everything from catering to venues – understand how much newlyweds are going through, and they want you to have a good experience and let them be a part of your wedding. This means that most of them will offer some services for free as you choose which ones you want to go with. If you are looking at hotels that will be the venue, but also accommodation, they might offer you to stay with them for a night for free to see what it’s like, or gift you with a spa day. Catering companies will offer you free tasting to show you everything they’ve got, and bakeries will do the same. These are the perfect little gifts that you get during the planning process that makes it all easier to handle.
Less Hiring, The Better
One of the things that makes weddings so difficult to plan is having to constantly communicate and arrange so many different people, companies, and events. To make your life a whole lot easier, you should always look for companies that offer multiple services, for example, a catering service that will also take care of the cake, a photography studio that will also handle the video, or a makeup artist that brings along their own hair stylist. Not only will this make it easier for you because you’ll need to communicate with fewer people, but it will also assure you that everyone you hire knows how to work with each other, and won’t be getting in each other’s way.
There’s always going to be stress and problems with planning any event, especially one as big as a wedding, but, in the end, you will see that it is all worth it when you are walking down the aisle.
Written By: Diana Smith