Advice From a Seasoned Wedding Professional
Every couple wants to plan a stress-free wedding but all too often wedding planning becomes exactly the opposite. It quickly becomes stressful and overwhelming.
And it is understandable. There are so many details to think about when wedding planning and it can be hard to know where to start, what to do, and how to do it.
Here are my top 12 tips for planning a stress-free wedding, allowing you to enjoy the process, and the day, more.
12 Tips for a Stress-Free Wedding
1 – Start Early
The absolute most stressful thing you can do when planning a wedding is to procrastinate on important details. The key is to make a plan early — and stick to it. This will help you to make decisions easier and keep everything more organized. This will, in the long run, help reduce stress and anxiety when it comes to the little details.
The key is to not make a lot of deviations from your plan or start too early. Sometimes starting too early will only give you more opportunity to change your mind, adding to more frustrations and stress.
2 – Hire a Planner
One of the biggest things you can do to help move the planning process along and avoid that dreaded wedding-induced anxiety is to hire a planner. A planner is invaluable to the wedding process. After all, planning a wedding is exactly what a planner does — so why not utilize their expertise to the fullest?
Let a seasoned wedding planner guide you and direct you through the process. They will make sure you don’t miss anything and that all of the little details are taken care of.
And what if you are having a small wedding or even an elopement? I think you should still consider hiring a planner. Regardless of how big or small your wedding is, it is still a highly special day and you want to make sure everything is as perfect as possible.
3 – Hire Local Vendors
This one is especially true if you are planning a destination wedding — make sure you hire vendors with knowledge of your area. They don’t have to live in your area but make sure they know the area well. Hiring local vendors ensures that you are getting the best of the best. They will know the area, the best places to go, and, most likely, the other vendors.
4 – Delegate tasks for a stress-free wedding
Even if you hire a wedding planner, you will still have a lot to take care of. Don’t try to do everything yourself! If you can delegate it, delegate it! This frees up your time so that you can focus on the things that are most important to you.
5 – Be Flexible
Even the most well-planned weddings will probably have a hiccup or two. It happens at every wedding, even those with planners. The key is to be flexible, listen to the experts, and don’t be so set in your ways that you can’t see other options when necessary.
Be prepared to make changes to your plans and always keep focus on the main reason for the day, your commitment to each other.
6 – Take Planning Breaks
To have the most stress-free wedding possible, you need to make sure you aren’t always thinking about the planning. It’s important to take breaks from planning. Schedule some time for yourself to relax and do something not wedding related.
And in the same vein, make sure you take time for you and your partner. Have date nights where you don’t talk about your wedding and where you spend time deeply connecting. It will help you keep focus on what is really important.
7 – Keep Perspective
It’s super easy to get caught up in all of the small details but what is really important to remember is the reason behind the day — your commitment, your marriage.
When you are able to keep perspective, it doesn’t become as important when little details don’t go as planned or when something is overlooked.
Focus on the big picture and you will find the whole process much more seamless and that you are able to have a stress-free wedding.
8 – Trust Yourself
It’s completely understandable to doubt yourself in the wedding planning process – after all, you probably aren’t a professional wedding planner and this is most likely something you have never done before.
The key is to trust yourself. Listen to yourself when it comes to your instincts, especially when hiring vendors, planning your guest list, and other important details.
Stick to your instincts and don’t let anyone else tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. This will remove any doubt and help your wedding planning become more confident and seamless.
9 – Do What Makes Sense For You
One of the biggest sources of stress in a wedding is when you try to plan a wedding that is like everyone else’s wedding. You and your partner are two unique people with a completely unique relationship. This is what you are celebrating and your wedding should be a reflection of that.
Don’t feel like you have to do what everyone else does just because it is tradition or someone says it brings good luck. Ditch traditions that don’t make sense for you and embrace details and events that bring you the most joy.
10 – Decide Beforehand What Matters
Before you even think about starting the wedding planning process, sit down with your partner and decide what is important to you both at the wedding. Is it an amazing band or a great photographer? Or maybe you are both chefs and want the best of the best when it comes to food.
Also, ask yourself what you want to feel at your wedding. For example, do you want a crazy, fun party or do you want to feel refined and elegant?
By deciding this before the planning begins, you will be able to guide your decisions much easier, making for a more stress-free process.
11 – Choose a Location That is Special
Whether you are having a local wedding or a destination one, pick a place that is special to you both. Once you have this foundation, it will make the rest of the planning more special and more exciting.
12 – Hire Vendors You Like for a Stress-Free wedding
Of course, I must add this to the list. Hire fantastic vendors — especially those that you have a lot of interaction with like photographers and the DJ. You want to make sure that you hire vendors with whom you connect and whose work stands out to you.
This is so important. You want to hire vendors that you are comfortable with, people that set you at ease.
Planning a wedding can be a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. Make sure to enjoy the process and celebrate your love with your family and friends.
Following these tips will help you to plan a stress-free wedding that you will love. So relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy the journey!
I’d love to chat with you about joining your wedding vendor team. As a fine-art photographer, I pride myself in deeply connecting with clients and creating images that really speak to whom they are as individuals and as a couple.
