Weddings have become highly synonymous with stress. There is pressure to spend money you may not have; it is one of the most important days of your life and you want everything to be perfect. And, there are oh-so-many decisions to be made. People will typically ask the bride-to-be if she has gone absolutely crazy yet, and it doesn’t have to be this way. Yeah, it may not be all roses and unicorns, but planning the happiest day of your life doesn’t have to mean living through some of the unhappiest months filled with the angst of planning the big day. Here are just a few tips to help keep things under control.
Determine Your Priorities
This is one of the most important things you can do to keep your stress and budget under control. When planning a wedding, it is easy to feel like everything is a priority; you may feel a lot of pressure to craft your wedding in a way that most other people in your area tend to do. You want to make sure you create a nice experience for your guests, and this can lead you to doing all sorts of things you may not really want to do, or stressing about things that really aren’t that important.
So, you and your beloved need to sit down and determine your priorities. For some people, getting an awesome photographer may take precedence over a super-fancy venue. Some people have their heart set on a particular type of locale, but may not be as concerned with décor or as an extensive of a menu. If you don’t want to spend days visiting stationary stores and poring over invitations, there are lots of great websites, such as Paperstyle.com that offer a huge variety of quality, professionally designed wedding invitations that you can browse from the comfort of our own home.
By figuring out your priorities, you will focus your time, energy and money more efficiently.Think about what is important to you, and what kind of wedding you want. You’d be surprised at how truly answering this question will transform the whole planning process.
Stick to Your Guns
The opinions, suggestions and preferences of others can really add to the stress. Withstanding some of the pressure may be a source of stress within itself, but usually it is much less intense than that of the stress we feel when we find ourselves bending to the will of others when planning the wedding. If parents offer to contribute to the wedding, make sure it is very clear if that money gives them a say in how the event is planned. If so, decide on whether you are okay with that or not.
If you are footing the entire bill, and are set on a small ceremony with only people with whom you are close and are an actual part of your life, stand firm when your mom wants to invite a slew of people you never met, from co-workers to members of her book club. While she may think inviting second cousins whom you haven’t seen since you were five is an absolute must, but you don’t, explain your stance.
This is your wedding and you have the right to plan it as you wish. Don’t be afraid to get a little selfish here.
Get Organized
Organization is key to minimizing wedding stress. Make sure you write down appointments in some sort of calendar, whether electronic or old-fashioned. If you do a lot of browsing on the web, create folders for the various bookmarks so you can easily reference information at a later date. Many sites offer great free wedding checklists and organizing tips—take advantage of them. Whatever you can do to create more order in your mind is a good thing.