Happy New Year brides! Most of you are probably back to work and ready to get back to your everyday regime. Whether you’re newly engaged over the holiday period – congratulations by the way – or heading closer to your wedding date, the new year is as good a time as any to assess (or reassess) your wedding planning strategy, prepare for the big day, and make some bridal new year’s resolutions specifically tailored to you as a bride-to-be. We may all be well used to the ‘exercise more’ and ‘eat less sugary foods’ new year resolutions, but having an actual target in sight and a more tangible purpose will make you stick to these resolutions.
Develop your health plan
We don’t just mean ‘exercise more’ and ‘eat less sugary foods’. Like we said, we’ve been through those before. We’re talking about developing an actual plan in the new year to get you to where you want to be for your big day. Whether it’s a target weight, a dress size, or a beauty goal, like clearer skin or longer hair, you need to figure out the best way to go about this, develop a realistic plan to get you there for your wedding, and stick to it. This includes a healthier diet for more energy and better skin as well as dropping a dress size.
Plan your budget
Depending on how far along you are in the wedding planning process, you may already have your budget done. The new year is a good time to re-evaluate your budget to make sure you’re still on track and change it up or reign it in if you need to. It’s all well and good to set out your budget at the start but halfway into the planning process you may feel the need to readjust some of your figures and expectations. If you just got engaged, the budget is one of the absolute first things you should figure out before anything else, so get to it.
Get organised in the new year
Get your to do list going before anything else in the new year. Lists are the best way to get your head around what needs to get done. If you’re newly engaged, you’ll most likely need several of these, starting with a master list of what you need to do to get your perfect wedding. Start with your budget, figure out how big your guest list will be and then start scouting for vendors, starting with the venue. Once you get your head around the bare minimum you need and work your way up from there, you should stay on top of your wedding plans. If you’re not newly engaged, re-evaluate your to do lists and see what’s left on them.
Reduce your stress levels
Don’t turn into a bridezilla. We’ve all felt the pressure from time to time, and we can all get stressed and that’s without a wedding to plan. The important thing is to not let your stress levels get the better of you. Wedding planning is supposed to be fun so it’s important to not let your stress levels get the better of you. You should practice mindfulness in the lead up to your day so your stress doesn’t get the better of you or take its toll on your health, skin or body.
Enjoy your engagement
Like we said, don’t let your stress get the better of you. It’s important to remember that you’re not just planning and organising a wedding, you’re also engaged. Wedding planning is supposed to be fun and being engaged is definitely supposed to be fun, so don’t be counting down the days and to-do lists until all this planning and extra stress is over, live in the now. Enjoy your engagement and live in the present. Your engagement in comparison to the rest of your life will be a very short amount of time and you’ll only be engaged once so take every opportunity to enjoy it and make sure you don’t neglect your groom-to-be in the process. Keep at least one night together wedding free and don’t sacrifice date nights for wedding plans.
Don’t go it alone
Don’t be afraid to delegate and ask for help when you need it. Make a resolution with yourself that you’re not going to try and plan your wedding alone and that counts for brides at all stages of the planning process. Brides should seek help from their grooms for a start but they should also promise themselves not be afraid to ask for help from their bridal party or parents if they need it. Wedding planning doesn’t have to be stressful but it can be if you try and handle everything alone.
Learn to compromise
It’s important to remember it’s not all about you. It’s about marrying the love of your life, and they should be involved in the wedding too. Take their feelings into account, consider what they would want included in their special day, something that’s important to them. If your opinions differ, this is one of the most important New Year’s resolutions you should make as a bride-to-be. Learn to compromise on what’s important to you as a couple for your wedding.
Image credits: Fireworks: Jess Barfield | Flowers: Weddings by Scot & Dana | Bridesmaids: Wedd Book | Champagne: One of a Kind Party