Essential Wedding Planning Tips for a Stress Free Wedding
Top Ten Stress Free Wedding Tips
Before you jump right into the planning your special day, review
the following list. It provides important wedding tips and suggestions
that can be used throughout your wedding planning process.
1. Do Your Research: Would you buy a car without doing any research
(did you know most weddings cost more than a new car)? Know what
you are doing and dealing with before you begin. Take some time
to research trends in all aspects of wedding planning. This information
is readily available in wedding books, magazines, and on the Internet.
You might also call up a few wedding planners and pick their brains.
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2. Get and Stay Organized: Save your sanity and set up an organizational
system that you and your fiancé will use. A computer software
program, expandable file folder, or 3-ring binder are Wedding Organizers can be a bride's best friend! We have found that some of the best prices on these essential items can be found at auction on Ebay. For your convenience we have included the latest auction for these items below: |
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3. Be Realistic: Think about the formality, style, and look you want, and if that fits your personality, lifestyle, and budget. Remember - there is life (lots of it!) after the nuptuals - plan ahead. 4. Be Smart: There are many brilliant people who fall prey to high-pressure sales tactics for “too good to be true offers” when they get involved in the wonderful craziness of wedding planning. If something sounds too good to be true, check it out carefully. |
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5. Be Dollar Wise: Determine your priorities up front: What do you want? What does your fiancé want? What can you afford? What are you willing to do without? Where is money coming from? Put the budget down in writing and track it. If you MUST have 8 dozen red roses adorning the head table - you might allow more for that important item, and less for some not-so-important item.
6. Seek Advice and/or Help: Learn from the mistakes and triumphs of friends, family, and workers. Ask them what they did right and what they would do differently. You may want to hire a professional wedding coordinator (even if it is only for an hourly consultation) for sound and reliable guidance, as well as to help you through some of the planning challenges. A good wedding coordinator has performed many many weddings. They have been around the block and seen what happens...wedding after wedding. Use this knowledge! Finally, select the members of your wedding party carefully. Choose people you can rely on and trust. This will make your life, the lives of your family members - and - especially the life of your Maid of Honor so much easier!
7. Get Everything in Writing: Unfortunately a handshake doesn’t cut it anymore. A written contract outlining all the details (times, names, products, services, special requests, payments and deposits) is always in order. All finalized details should be in writing and signed by you and the vendor. This is extremely important. There are SO many details involved in a single wedding. Get all of it in writing. If you want the person you met with to actually be the one at the wedding - make sure that is in the contract. You might get another photographer or DJ than the one you met with.
8. Ask Questions, Read the Fine Print, and Follow the Rules: Don’t be surprised or disappointed; gather all of the information you can. A vendor or site should welcome and respond to intelligent, sensible inquiries in a timely manner. If they don't, or worse, get annoyed - that's a red flag. You might want to move on.
9. Personalize Your Wedding: The best weddings have personal touches and are a reflection of the bride and groom. Use your creativity, interests, hobbies, etc, to add personal touches to everything from your Save the Date cards to the ceremony to the first dance. “Break the mold"—have fun, do the unexpected and enjoy yourself, and the guests will too. Show a photo montage video of your and your betrothed immediately before you walk down the aisle. It is a great way to introduce the two of you and your love story right before you exchange vows.
10. Take Time for Yourself: If you get frazzled or stressed during the planning, take a break and regroup. On the wedding day go with the flow and “let go”. If something should happen to be different than you expected, chances are very good only a handful of people will ever know. People are not there to judge your wedding, but to share this wonderful occasion with you. In the end, you'll want to look back and think - 'I am so glad I let myself have such a great time with my new spouse!'