Sure, you’re going to have those days when you just can’t do it anymore – here comes wedding planning panic! Well, we’re here to tell you it’s nothing to worry about. It’s all easily tackled with some common sense advice. Here are 10 tips on what you can do to turn it all around again.
Open a new email account just for wedding stuff
You’ve probably heard this advice before, and it’s often repeated for a good reason – it’s a real saviour for your sanity. So if you haven’t done it yet, don’t wait. Have all the planning-related emails going to that separate email, so you can manage them as easily as you can forget them. Keeping your everyday life and your wedding separate will help you manage stress and take days off from planning without being constantly contacted with updates. And once your wedding date passes, you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief, close that account and be safe from companies who’ll continue to contact you even when you don’t need their services anymore.
Don’t try to please everyone
Us girls, we’re all about making sure everyone is happy. Ok, not every single one of us is like this, but most. A caring heart is a true gem… but it can really get in the way of straightforward, tears-free planning. Many of us will take suggestions we don’t really like, but we’re so afraid to offend people, we can’t say no. Our mums will say something along the lines of ‘I always thought you’d have this at your wedding’, and we don’t want to cause disappointment, so we agree. We’re so worried about not having enough food, fun, flowers or favours, we’ll go over the budget. Sounds familiar? Remember – it’s never too late to start saying ‘thank you, what a wonderful idea, I’ll think about it’. In fact, here’s a list of magic words to use when planning a wedding to help you deal with all this.
Have wedding-free days
If you’ve given yourself plenty of time to plan, there’s no reason the wedding should consume every free moment you have. The activity will no doubt pick up as the date grows nearer, but if you started a good few months, if not a year in advance, then set aside specific days to deal with the planning. If you don’t, you may be exhausted come the big day, and wishing you’d eloped. See what real brides had to say about their big day once it was all over.
Image from Melissa & Gerard’s real wedding by Elaine Kennedy Photography
Involve your Other Half
The wedding is about two people – you and your partner. Make sure you don’t get carried away with the planning all on your own – ask your other half if he/she wants to be involved. It may not be the colour of the napkins, but it could be anything from the transport to the honeymoon. You don’t have to do it all yourself – let them help with the things they actually care about.
Ask for help
Even professional planners ask for help when they need it. You don’t have to do it all alone. When it starts to get a bit too much, deal with it the old-fashioned way – grab a pen and paper and write down whatever it is you need to figure out. You’ll clear your head, you won’t forget the dilemma by tomorrow, and you’ll have time to find the appropriate person to come to your aid. This is so simple, yet so effective. Write it down, then think ‘who’s best to help me with this?’ Done.
Ask for advice
But, there’s a little proviso here – ask only a limited number of people, otherwise you’ll get a dozen answers and not one of them will be helpful or useful. Pick three people max, and discuss any issues with them only. If you need to cast a wider net, our forum is the perfect place, because it’s full of brides who have already been through your dilemma.
Aim to be finished a week ahead of schedule
If possible, work that checklist as if your wedding was actually a week earlier. This way, you’ll have several days to simply relax and enjoy yourself. Sure, there will always be some phone calls to make and questions to answer, but it’s alright – your day is ready to go.
Image from Fiona & Alex’s real wedding by David Duignan Photography
Enjoy your new beauty routine
We’ve never heard of a woman who embarked on a lifestyle change – or a diet – completely out of the blue. There are usually some pretty irresistible triggers, like Christmas weight gain, an upcoming beach holiday, or a wedding. You already know that most best laid plans fail simply because we take on too much. It’s really hard to start exercising, eating right and stop smoking all on the same day – so be smart, and don’t do it. You’re not supposed to hate losing weight or taking better care of yourself! It’s your escape from stress, not yet another thing to tick off your planning checklist. Do things one at a time – it’ll also stop you from constantly complaining about it to others.
Don’t torture yourself with Pinterest
Observe – does looking at Pinterest make you feel kind of… bad? But when you started out with all the enthusiasm of a newly engaged bride-to-be, it wasn’t that way, was it? It’s ok, we understand. As wonderful as it is for ideas and inspiration, some of us soon use it as more of a… comparison tool with our own wedding. And that really shouldn’t be the case. If you’re feeling a bit down every time you log off there, it’s time to take a wee Pin-break and focus on your own wedding – not on perfectly styled decor that probably cost a fortune.
Keep things simple
Just remember the things that matter to your guests, and plan accordingly. Every item you add to your must-have list means more calls to suppliers, more negotiations, more spending and more fuss on the day. People come to weddings to see two people in love – and that’s what matters most. Pick your favourite thing and stick with it.
Image from Alison & David’s real wedding by Andrew O’Dwyer Photography
Main image from Niamh & Jason’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
