First thing’s first, if you do find yourself feeling a little stressed at the beginning of or during your wedding planning, it’s okay, those feelings are completely normal.
However, it’s so important to recognise when things are getting a little too much. If you’re starting to feel like you are drowning in wedding plans, it’s all you can think about and you’ve stopped doing things that you love and that make you happy, it’s time to take back control.
Here’s some pearls of wisdom, from us to you!
You are incredibly important
When you’re feeling your best, your wedding planning will be much more productive and enjoyable. Make time for your hobbies, your loved ones and your friends. You should also keep up the date nights and time spent as a couple, it’s easy to let this slip down the list of priorities. Always remember that wedding planning needs to fit into your life short-team and not the other way around.
P.s. avoid getting stuck in what we like to call ‘scroll holes’ this includes endlessly scrolling through Pinterest. Take a break from social media, your mind and body will thank you for it!
Keep talking
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed or you simply need to talk about anything else but the wedding planning, reach out to your friends and family. You might be surprised to hear how thrilled they’d be to take some of the stress away from you, handling some of the tasks for you or alongside you. They might be able to provide an outsiders opinion on something that has been bothering you, or you’ve been worrying about. A problem shared is a problem halved.
Anticipate your anxiety
This will be especially helpful if you’re prone to anxiety. Anticipate the elements when you’re most likely to have anxiety and skip them altogether, or find ways to make them more manageable for yourself.
Set your intensions
Are there elements of the wedding that are most important to you and your partner? Are you both willing to compromise on anything at all? Are you tackling the organising together or is one of you naturally better at taking the lead? Addressing these kind of questions will help you to prioritise and devise a killer to-do-list that you can keep on top of (our blood pressure will definitely thank you for this).
Lay everything out
When your mind has got a million tabs open and you feel as though you could burst, write it all down! Once it is written down, you can clear your mind and it may not seem so overwhelming.
Divide and conquer
If you don’t have a wedding planner, that’s perfect fine, but don’t put pressure on yourself to fill every role possible. This is a recipe for disaster. Hopefully, you’re able to rely on the help of your trustee bride tribe, family and friends.
Alternatively, focus only on the things that excite you the most about planning your big day and delegate or hire the help of a professional to manage the rest - you won’t regret it!
Set your planning time
You may prefer doing a little something every day or blocking out an evening or two… whatever you decide, create yourself smaller to-do-lists that you can work on and tick off. We highly recommend tackling the elements that you are dreading, sooner rather than later!
Keep it local (wherever possible)
If you follow us on social media, you’ll know that we have so much love for local suppliers, with a trusted network of them! We truly believe that selecting suppliers local to you is not only an awesome thing to do, but it can mean smoother sailing in the run up and even on the day.
P.s. try to always have backup plans where possible, know your refund policies, lead times etc so there are no little surprises on your wedding planning journey.
Budgeting
Set an overall budget and an idea of how it will be spent, early on. Continue to track your spending closely from there on. This will help you to feel fully in control. Accept that there may be a few ‘treat yourself’ moments along the way! Remind yourself that at the end of the day, what’s most important is that you are marrying each other, with this in mind you will always have the right wedding planned for you!
Your day, your way
It can be so easy to get bogged down with guests lists, invites, seating plans and (let’s be honest here) trying to please everyone. Keep reminding yourself that you simply can’t please everyone and all that matters is your happiness on the day.
For situations that are well and truly out of your control, remember that there is no point in worrying yourself over something that you can’t control or change. It’s not worth the headspace!
Stop comparing ~ comparison is the thief of joy!
With Pinterest boards and social media feeds bursting and the seams with images of luxury weddings and extravagant celebrations, it’s easy to find yourself comparing your wedding to somebody else’s. Please remember that your wedding day authentic to you and your partner. It is both of your individualities that you fell in love with and your wedding day should be a big celebration of that. Instead of comparing, get excited about planning a truly unique wedding.
Wave goodbye to unrealistic expectations
It’s hard to accept that things won’t go perfectly from beginning to end, but, that is life. Nothing is perfect, including your wedding planning! There will be bumps, twists and turns, this is only natural. Aim for amazing, not perfect.
It’s okay to have a meltdown!
It happens to us professionals too, it’s all part of being a human being! It’s never pleasant, but as the saying goes, it’s better out than in. Keep talking, acknowledge your feelings and cry if you need to. If something has frustrated you, perhaps leave it and deal with it the next day… you might feel a little brighter about it.
Above all, make the decision that you are going to enjoy the planning process. Okay, we know that sounds silly, but sometimes, you’ll feel as though you should be stressed about your wedding planning. Sometimes you’ll just need to decide on relishing the moment, your day and the lead up to it will be all the better for it.