Planning a wedding can be a lot of work. Depending on the wedding, you may have to prepare a guest list, invite all your friends and family, book a venue, organize the seating charts, and find someone to marry (I've done all but the last step). Given all the work that goes into a wedding, it's not hard to believe that someone would find planning a wedding to be challenging. The good news is that if you are in this situation, I spoke with experts to get some tips to make wedding planning less stressful. After all, it can be an extremely important day for you, and you deserve to be relaxed and happy the entire time!
I love attending weddings, and I'm always happy to share in the couple's love. Still, I understand it can be a nerve-wracking process — beyond my extremely rational fear that a carnivorous plant will rip the dress day-of, there's also the whole planning process beforehand. I've never been married, but I'm a generally anxious person (even planning my commute can stress me out, so I get it), and I get where people are coming from when they talk about the stress of wedding planning. Fortunately, carnivorous plants aren't all that common, there are many ways to make a wedding less stressful.
Read on to find five tips to make your wedding planning process more relaxed!
If hiring a wedding planner is an option for you, it could be useful to consider. "The pro knows how to handle glitches that may pop up that day with calm, thus making your day a breeze," founder of Blackbag Productions Kim Moss tells Elite Daily. "It's what the pro is being paid to do — deliver something stress-free and fabulous." Other experts agree, particularly for home weddings. "If you are hosting a home wedding, you must hire a planner," founder of Elegant Occasions JoAnn Gregoli tells Elite Daily. "She will take away the stresses and know what actually is needed for a home wedding — garbage removal, septic location, sprinkler timers, etc." While wedding planners can be expensive, and it might not be feasible to hire someone, if it is, you could consider using a wedding planner to make the process more seamless. And if not, there tons of wedding planning tools online, like Zola and WeddingWire, so either way, you're covered.
Getting engaged can be so thrilling, so it's no wonder you can't wait for the wedding! Still, you might be a little bit less stressed if you pick a date far enough away that you have time to plan. "Set a wedding date that will provide you with ample lead time to plan your function without losing sleep for months on end," founder of Bravo Productions, Greg Jenkins, tells Elite Daily. "For those who believe they do their best work under pressure and stress, weddings are not the occasion to test this theory." I get why someone would want the wedding to happen ASAP (the chance to wear that dress!), but having more time to plan might possibly reduce stress. If you give yourself enough time to plan, you might find that you have slightly less anxiety.
Financial decisions might be tricky, but it can be helpful to be realistic about what your budget will allow for. "If you want a TV wedding get ready to shell out big bucks," Moss says. "Platinum weddings start at $100,000 and go up from there." You don't need an expensive wedding to have an amazing experience, so don't feel pressured to spend more than you want to. In fact, in some cases, lower budget weddings might be less stressful for other reasons. "The least stressful weddings do not worry about bridesmaids dresses — they give them a color and send them on their way," Gregoli says. Saving money for the bridal party could also ease anxiety for the couple getting married. It can be useful to be aware of what weddings are within your budget, and this can decrease stress in the planning process.
One way to decrease stress could be to remember that it's your wedding, and it doesn't need to match anyone else's celebration. "Stop looking at Instagram and comparing what is there," Moss says. "Everything isn’t for everybody. Have a wedding that reflects who the two of you are and not some image of what you think your wedding should be." It can be tough with social media to not compare your wedding to other's, but ultimately, the most important thing is that your wedding be true to who you are (and I assure you — the "likes" will come).
It can be tricky when family members want to play a big role in the wedding and that makes you uncomfortable, but it could ease your anxiety if you try to be honest with them. If a family member wants to plan your wedding, but you'd prefer for someone else to do it, you can kindly let them know you're going in a different direction.
"Your aunt, sister, cousin, and friend who has always dreamed of planning events and weddings will not keep you from being a stressed-out bride," Moss says. Family members often mean well, but they might not ease anxiety. Jenkins echoes her sentiment. "One of the biggest mistakes is having too many opinions involved in the decision-making process. When mom, dad, grandmother, sisters, aunts and in-laws all have a say, it becomes complicated and stressful for the wedding couple."
Still, they're trying to act out of love, so it might be helpful to be compassionate and let them know how much you appreciate the offer. Ultimately, though, your wedding could be less stressful if you have a more stream-lined process, and this could involve telling family members that you'd like to plan it yourself or with a wedding planner.
Weddings can be a source of stress for so many people, so if you're finding it tiring to plan a wedding, you're not alone. Still, your wedding is an incredibly important day, and you deserve to enjoy yourself. The good news is that the tips above might enable you to have a more relaxing experience, which you definitely deserve. And remember — it's your special day, and you can still celebrate your love no matter what type of wedding you have!
