Weddings are a time of momentous joy, and many people view them as the best days of their lives. It’s a bit ironic, then, that planning weddings can be very frustrating. However, feeling overwhelmed is natural. Planning your special day takes a lot of time and effort and it’s easy for the stress to build up and ruin things. As such, it’s important to know how to manage stress when planning a wedding. With that in mind, the team at City Hall Wedding is here with these useful tips for managing wedding planning stress.
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1. Get Started Early
The best way to stay on top of wedding planning is to start as early as possible. Most weddings take about six to twelve months to plan so the earlier you start, the more time you have to iron out details and the less you will feel rushed. Ideally, you will have everything ready to go a few weeks before the wedding so you and your spouse can relax and get excited for your special wedding day.
2. Find a Venue
A good first thing to tackle when planning a wedding is finding the venue as early as you can. Some venues for a wedding in San Francisco can have very long waiting lists, and you don’t want to find out that your favored location is booked out until well after your planned day. Once you have a venue selected and reserved, you can focus on other details and tailor them to the specific location.
Moreover, many wedding venues can help you with the planning process and execution. You can meet with venue coordinators, chefs, and catering teams to help you manage the big things like furniture, food, and entertainment. They can also help you find supplies and other contractors for wedding services such as photographers.
3. Delegate Tasks
One thing we have learned about wedding planning is you shouldn’t try to handle everything on your own. Trying to plan every part of your wedding without outside help is a recipe for disaster, as there are so many moving pieces to account for. That is why it helps to delegate tasks to family members and friends if willing. Maybe you can ask your friends to find a band for the night or to research caterers. Delegating smaller, more routine tasks reduces the wedding planning stress on your shoulders, so you can focus on more personal aspects of the celebration like decorations, musical selections, and the actual ceremony.
4. Stick to a Budget
One major pitfall that adds to wedding planning stress is not sticking to your budget. Weddings have a bunch of expected costs, such as venue deposits, but if you are not careful, your plans can quickly balloon out of your expected budget. You don’t want to be three-quarters of the way through planning and realize you don’t have enough money to meet your goals.
Before setting anything in stone, create a detailed budget categorizing expenses such as venues, decorations, food, and entertainment. We recommend you add an additional 10% to 15% on top of your budget to manage any unexpected costs. The extra cushion will help if something ends up being more expensive than you thought it would or if you need to add things to your budget partway through the process.
5. Make Planning a Team Event
Another way to turn the wedding stress into fun is turning it into a team event. Consider scheduling a wedding planning date night with your significant other so you can plan while having fun with one another. For example, maybe you could share a bottle of your favorite wine while looking at table decorations or make a day trip to check out prospective venues. Turning planning into date nights not only helps with the nitty gritty details but turns planning into a fun event you will remember for years to come.
6. Make Contingencies
Maybe your venue plans fall through at the last minute, or a spat of bad weather ruins your outdoor ceremony plans. In either case, having a backup plan is essential for keeping a cool head and ensuring everything runs smoothly on your big day. To that end, you need to investigate several options for things like venues or caterers so you have a contingency in case something doesn’t go your way. Few things are as frustrating as having to make a mad dash for new plans because of circumstances out of your control.
7. Work with Wedding Planners
In some cases, working with a professional is the best option to plan the perfect wedding. Wedding planners have years of experience helping couples create memorable events and they can use their expertise to guide you through the process. Additionally, wedding planners have a lot of industry contacts, so they can help immensely when finding venues, contractors, entertainment, etc. They can also go over your budget to make sure you don’t overextend.
8. Take Time for Yourself
Above all, it’s important to take time for yourself to relax and not worry about planning. Planning can’t be firing on all cylinders all the time, or you will eventually burn yourself out, and planning will become a chore rather than something exciting and fun. Make sure you take a few days every week or so to step away from the planning and focus on other things. If you get stuck on planning, taking a break for a few days can help you look at things with a new perspective when you get started again. You can also plan a groom or bridal party a few weeks out from the event so you can destress and unwind.
Wedding Planning Tips and Ideas
If you would like more tips on managing wedding planning stress, need help determining wedding roles, or want to learn more about decorating for your big day, sign up for our newsletter or contact City Hall Wedding!