Tips for Brides: How to Stay Stress Free During Wedding Planning

 

 

I can't believe how quickly our wedding has approached. It feels like yesterday when we got engaged (October 2011) and now this Saturday we will finally be husband and wife. We took on a lot of the planning, organizing, crafting, etc. for our wedding and it became almost like another full time job for us both! Luckily I have Jay, who has been very involved since the beginning and it's really helped a lot with all of the tasks that we need to get done. I have tried very hard to stay as stress free as possible during this time and I think I've been pretty successful! I know we still have a few more days to freak out, but I know we're all set with all of our plans and things will be just fine.

 

Here are some tips that have helped me stay a stress free bride for my upcoming wedding day:

1. Ask for help: I'm so lucky that I have an amazing groom, friends and family who all wanted to help with wedding planning. Chances are though, they will never know what you need help with unless you just ask them! I've found that people LOVE to help and it makes  them feel special that you ask them to be involved. Don't feel bad! The worst they can say is no!

 

2. Start early: Although we had a really long engagement, we got started on things right away. It made the entire planning process much smoother and stress free. Getting stuff done little by little over time was much easier than waiting until the last minute and doing it all at once. If you've got the time, start now!

 

3. Simplify: I found so much amazing inspiration on Pinterest but slowly became overwhelmed at all the stuff I wanted to do. Take a step back and ask yourself what is necessary and what is extra. Cross those necessary things off of your list and if there is still time for some things on the extras list then great! If not, they are just extras and won't make or break your day. Keep in mind, no one will notice if you didn't get to X,Y, or Z but you! They are there to celebrate you and your love and that's all that matters.

 

4. Take a break: Take some time away for yourself and your groom to do non-wedding related things. Plan fun date nights or mini trips to get away from all of the planning craziness. You'll come back recharged and ready to tackle your to do list. I also found that keeping with a consistent workout schedule (even when I didn't think I had the time) kept me grounded. The boost of endorphins didn't hurt either!

 

5. Remember what this day is really about: It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you're stressed. Remember, all that matters is that you're going to soon be married to the love of your life. All that other stuff is just an added bonus. This will probably go wrong but at the end of the day, if you're married to your sweet, that's all that matters! All of your guests are there to celebrate your love and will have a great time even if the cake is wrong or the flowers don't turn out as your imagined.

 

Fellow brides out there: what are some tips you have to keep stress free?

 

 

Quick Tips to Keep Organized While Planning a Wedding (or any event for that matter)

Staying organized while planning a wedding (or any event for that matter) is crucial. Not only for your sanity and stress level, but for the safety of those around you. I've always been an organized person, but planning one of the biggest events of my life has caused me to be a little more organized than usual. Here are some quick tips I've found to be useful along the way that can be applied to many more life events than just weddings.

1.  Make a planning binder. This will ensure all of your vendor contracts, contact lists, lists of lists, etc. will be easily accessible in one place. Separate each section with a new tab and keep everything clearly labeled. Yes, it will be a lot of work upfront but once you get organized you'll be able to rest easy. I've divided mine by vendor (including vendor contacts, our contracts and other important info), a to-do list that I keep updated every time a task is complete, budget (very important), guest list, and family and friend contact sheets. Organize it in a way that make sense to you (and whoever else has to use it) and you'll be amazed how much your stress level will plummet once you know you've got it all in one place. 

2. Put everything in Google Docs. Yes, seriously. You know that binder I just talked about? What if you leave it somewhere? What if you update a document and forget to reprint the new copy? All of your  planning documents will be available anywhere and you can access them from any device and share them with anyone. The documents will be updated automatically (by you and anyone you share them with) so you'll always have access to the latest copy without having to carry around a flash drive. 

3. Create a inspiration board in Pinterest. This will be the easiest way to organize all your ideas in one place. You can find ideas from others and re-pin these to your boards. You can also create pins from blogs, websites and other sources of inspiration so you can easily access these all in one place. When I started planning the wedding I just had one general wedding board on my Pinterest page. That quickly changed and I now have different pages for the cake, flowers, wedding makeup, reception decor, etc. It is an easy way to check back at what inspired me to keep me on track with all of the planning. 

4. Over communicate. NEVER and I mean never assume that you're on the same page with anyone (including the bridal party) when planning. You'd hate to think you told someone one thing and in reality they heard something different. Is something really important to you? Make sure everyone helping out knows! I'd rather get 500 reminders about something than hear it once and forget it. I know other people that want to help feel the same! Don't feel bad about being clear about what you want, it's your day and it should go how you want it to.

5. Hire a planner. Or in my case find an amazing family friend (with tons of party planning experience) to keep you totally organized and stress-free on your big day. Luckily for me one of my mom's close friends organizes several events year round and has generously offered her time and expertise to keep the event coordinated and on schedule. I can't wait to hand these documents, binders, boards, etc. over to her on the big day so she can handle all issues that come up. I can't tell you how much better I feel knowing someone I trust is looking after things so I don't have to worry about it. 

Bonus: Just remember it's just one day! The wedding and your life together is the most important thing. Will things go wrong even with amazing organization and coordination? Unfortunately, yes. But before you freak out -- just remember, at the end of the day you get to marry the love of your life and that's ALL that matters. No one will notice the little mishaps anyways and they will just be funny stories to share later on. No go, get organized and enjoy this time with the one you love! 

Do you have any good organizational tips? Share them with us in the comments!