Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, but with some good organization skills, you can get through your wedding planning with less stress and more fun. I’ve got a few tips for you here that should help make your planning more manageable and are great for navigating everyday life as well!
1) Break down your planning into manageable tasks and set realistic deadlines for each task. This is the first step to ensure you stay on track. A great tool for this is a checklist that can also help you keep track of your progress, stay organized and manage your time efficiently.
Let me give you an example of how to break off chunks from a larger goal. We can use booking a vendor as our example since that is something pretty much every couple has to do.
BIG GOAL: Book photographer.
Seems easy enough right?? Not so much… It can take quite a bit of time to get this done. To help yourself feel like you’re making progress and to show how much work you are actually doing, break this goal up into these bite-size tasks:
[ ] Research several wedding photographers in my area
[ ] Check instagram
[ ] Check facebook groups
[ ] Ask a few friends who recently got married
[ ] Select 2-3 (or less) I really like and want to reach out to
[ ] Email or fill out the contact form for each photographer with wedding day details
[ ] Get pricing from each photographer
[ ] (Possibly) Meet for a consultation with each photographer (or only those you really want to work with)
Some photographers will request a consultation prior to providing pricing - this can
be super helpful to find out right away if you all will be a good fit
[ ] Compare pricing and packages to find best fit
[ ] Take some time (if possible) to think through options
[ ] Email the photographer you’d like to go with
[ ] Follow booking process and confirm!
[ ] Pay booking fee
[ ] Sign contract
This is just an example of breaking down a larger goal into smaller tasks and can remind you that you’ve done a lot to complete each goal!
2) Don't be afraid to ask for help from friends, family, or even a professional wedding planner if you need it. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming to handle everything on your own and having someone to help you can make a big difference.
3) Figure out when you work best and set aside dedicated time each week to work on wedding planning tasks during that time. If you work better in the morning, for example, plan to have your wedding planning time during that time frame.
4) Check-in on your tasks and your emotions on a regular basis. A lot of unconscious anxiety can come from not knowing where you are in your planning process. Check in with yourself and make sure you’re not telling yourself any stories about how far you are in your planning.
If you feel behind, who is telling you you’re behind? Are you actually behind? If you are, evaluate what you need to work on right away and set up a time to work on those items when you can focus on them. If you aren’t, breathe in that reassurance that you’re on the right track and breathe out the overwhelm.
In the end, remember that planning a wedding should be an enjoyable experience. Don't stress too much about the details, and focus on what's really important - celebrating your love with your partner and your loved ones. With these tips, you can knock out your wedding planning with less work and enjoy the journey along the way.
warmly,
