While there are many Pinterest blogs and advice forums that give you the facts on how to get started with Planning, we wanted to touch on the realistic, everyday pieces of advice that every couple should have before entering into planning their big day.
The real, honest truth of surviving Wedding Planning.
Step 1: Check your Ego
You and your partner might have different ideas of what this day means and what it might look like. Make sure you are listening to one another and letting the other person speak. Even if they say "I don't care - you choose", make sure to reiterate how important their opinion means to you and coax them to open up about what excites them most about this day.
Step 2: Open Communication
If you are struggling with the planning or are uncomfortable about the budget - don't keep this inside. A marriage (along with a Wedding) is a partnership and you will need to keep this open line of communication with one another. Otherwise, arguments about silly things will start to happen more and more throughout the engagement and no one wants that.
Step 3: Take Breaks
While a lot of work and social schedules might not allow for ample time to get your Wedding Planning done, make sure you are not saving everything up for 1 weekend to get every possible thing completed in this time frame. Take this in small chunks and don't overwhelm yourselves. You will start to take it out on each other and ultimately not come to any positive conclusions if you're stressed or in over your head.
Step 4: Get a Planner
Yes - we are biased on this one but it truly has changed so many of our couples enjoyment with the process and gave them the space to take time off of Wedding Planning without feeling like they are falling behind. Don't have the entire year (or more) of being engaged, subject to unimportant stressors that ultimately won't matter to your relationship in the end. Let us take care of these small "to-do's" while you enjoy your time being a "Bride or Groom to be".
Step 5: Delegate tasks
While I will be the first to admit that I tend to take over projects thinking that I can do it all on my own, trust us... this is not the way to plan a Wedding. Make sure that your partner is assigned to things that they care about and will want to do a good job on. Whether your Groom wants to just focus on the music playlists for cocktail hour or wants to focus on what the Signature drinks are going to be, these tasks will help not only your to-do list but also your relationship in the long run when the day finally comes together with your joint decisions.
Step 6: Set expectations
While Pinterest weddings are stunning to look at, make sure you are checking in with yourself and your budget to make sure you are not setting yourself up for disappointment. If you're not sure how to stretch your budget as much as possible to get the Wedding of your dreams - hire your Planner for the design portion of the planning and they can help you see where you can save, where you can splurge and where you can reallocate funds to make it count.
Step 7: Work as a Team
Remember, at the end of the day, this is an event. While this is a very important celebration, don't let this become the epicenter of your world for the entirety of your engagement. Take time to enjoy each other and your family time while everyone gets together to cheers to the happy couple. If the event(s) you are planning are more extravagant or planning isn't your strong suit - refer back to Step 4 and get a Wedding Planner to help you balance Wedding planning with your current life so not too much has to change.
All my love,
Charlie xo