Weddings are magical occasions but they’re also stressful. S&P Weddings will be with you every step of the way to help you pull off your perfect day, starting with stress-free planning.
Decide what you want
Sit down with your partner at the start of the planning process and decide together what you want for your wedding and what is the most important thing to you both. This will cause less stress later on, especially when it comes to the budget. Deciding where the budget goes is the cause of a lot of wedding stress so if you get your head straight about where you want your budget to go, this will save on panic later.
Delegate jobs
You can’t do everything yourself, or at least, if you can then you must be super woman. If you’re decide against wedding planner, then you will need all the help you can get, so delegate some of the work to your bridesmaids and some to your parents. Trust us, you’ll have plenty to do yourself to keep you busy so delegating some jobs to others will lighten the load and relieve stress. Just don’t overload them. You want them to be happy to help, not regretting the offer.
Choose your venue first
The best thing to look into first is your venue. It’s easier to make your decisions once you have a venue chosen. This will eliminate a lot of the stress of trying to juggle several vendors at once trying to figure out which combination would be best. Aside from having a secure location for your vendors to know, your venue will most likely eat up the majority of your budget so it’s easier to divide up the rest once you have your location. You need somewhere to start for planning after all.
Stick to your budget
We cannot reiterate this enough. It’s essential to stick to your budget to avoid not having enough money left for key elements as the day gets nearer. When you’re making up your budget, think about all the extras and possible hidden costs that might be included at each juncture and try to stay as close to your original budget as possible. It can be stressful and difficult having to pull extra money that you hadn’t factored in for the flowers because you blew your photographer budget out of the water. If you change your idea half way through, review your budget and see where the money can come from. This will minimise financial stress.
Keep the details to yourself
We know your wedding is very exciting and you’ll put a lot of work and thought into every little detail. And of course you will naturally want to share this excitement with everyone, but hang on a minute. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”? You would be surprised how much stress comes from well-meaning friends and family who love sharing their opinions about the ins and outs of your details. Rehashing your own choices of colour, cake and flowers with everyone else will leave your head wrecked so best to keep the finer details to yourself – it is your wedding and you don’t need the extra stress.
Be realistic
When you’re making plans for your wedding it’s important to be realistic. It can be stressful when you working towards a wedding that is beyond your means. It’ll only cause stress and disappointment down the line, if you’re dream locations for your ceremony and reception are at opposite ends of the country, or your ideal photographer is three times the intended photography budget. Being realistic throughout the planning process will help keep the stress levels down.
Don’t leave things until the last minute
This one is major for the stress levels. There are plenty of situations throughout the planning process where you will leave things on the backburner and then forget about them. Particularly in the few weeks leading up to the actual day. The longer you leave things, the more stressful it will be to sort it and last minute preparations does not a happy bride make. Make sure you plan to have everything done by the week of the wedding so it’s just plain sailing and relaxation.
Plan your holidays well
If you have the luxury of holidays saved up in work then make sure you spend them wisely. Before you go booking the week of your actual wedding off and then your honeymoon, think about other, more helpful days you might want off. Maybe the day before, the day after, and of course the day of your wedding, but consider taking a day off the week before to get any last minute bits done. You also might want to simply save them all up for a really long honeymoon.
Stress is contagious
This may seem obvious, but it’s important to surround yourself with calm people in the run up to your wedding to relieve your stress. Sometimes, the people closest to you and have your best interests at heart may not always be the calmest influences. Stress is contagious, and if certain family members or friends are stressing out around you, you’re bound to get stressed. Give your bridesmaids a special task of being your beacon of calmness and peace, especially on the morning of your wedding, you don’t need stress.
Wedding-free time
Throughout the planning process, it’s essential to have some designated wedding-free time for yourself and your partner. Your wedding is important, but your marriage is more important, and so is your happiness. Don’t be bogged down with planning your wedding 24/7. Take time out at least once a week for you and your partner. The same goes for quality time with your bridesmaids and your family. It’s your wedding, it’s supposed to make you happy, not give you stress.
- Jenny Darmody
Image credits: Couple: Tessa Barton | Bridesmaids: Dawn Charles Photography | Stationery: Pingle Pie | Bride and groom: Andrew Jade Photography