As a wedding planning, blogger, author, and superfan of weddings, I’ve learned plenty of tips that will make planning so much easier for you.
In this blog post, I’m sharing the best wedding planning advice tips for you whether you’re newly engaged (congrats!) or ready to walk down that aisle. These tips will help as you keep in mind what’s important — and what’s not — for your upcoming celebration.
Let’s get started. You have a wedding to plan!
1. Be careful who you divulge your wedding details to.
Choose wisely when speaking about your wedding to people. Some want to give unsolicited advice that may not be helpful, stress you out, or steer you in the wrong direction. If someone leaves you feeling overwhelmed or stressed out when discussing your wedding, avoid talking about it with them in general.
You also want to avoid sharing too many details about your wedding to guests in general. It’s more fun as a guest when you get to see everything as it unfolds on the big day.
2. Be realistic about your budget and guest list.
Maybe you can invite everyone and you have a huge budget. Or… maybe not.
Calculate your wedding budget early on and decide on your guest list as soon as possible. The two things go hand-in-hand and you’ll have a much easier time planning if you are realistic about how much you can actually spend and who you can invite to the nuptials.
PRO TIP: Utilize a wedding spreadsheet to keep your budget on track. Implement a wedding timeline to keep your schedule flowing smoothly.
3. Skip trends you don’t like.
Just because something is popular now doesn’t mean you want or need to have it at your wedding. When you look back on your photos, you’ll want to see your authentic selves, not snapshots of what social media or trends told you was “in”. :)
Be true to yourselves and plan the wedding you both want.
4. Have a one-month early deadline.
I love this trick: if you’re getting married June 17, your new imaginary deadline is May 17. Have a deadline that is one month earlier than the actual date so you’ll be ahead of the curve. Instead of stressing out and tying up so many loose ends those last few weeks, you’ll be relaxing and enjoying the ride. You’ll also have time to pamper yourself!
5. Prioritize what is important to you and your partner.
Discuss with your partner what they envision for the wedding day, what is important to them, and what is one element they absolutely must have at the wedding. Do the same for yourself. It’s important to take both visions into consideration and lose sight of what is really important.
6. Tie in your unique story with 1 to 3 elements.
To make your wedding more memorable, be sure to include one to three different elements that help to tell your story. Things like how you met, where you met, and what you like to do for fun are some great places to start.
For instance, you can include these fun-fact napkins at the bar for guests to learn more about you as a couple. You can include Table Names with numbers that are named for places you’ve visited together (or favorite bands, movie titles, etc.)
If your first date was at a cider mill, maybe you serve donuts as a late-night snack. You get the idea! Guests love these details that tell a more complete story of how you two came to be the awesome couple that you are.
7. Invest in a good planner + planner.
Get a notebook, a monthly/weekly planner, or go all-in on a comprehensive wedding planning book and organizer to keep notes readily available. It will keep you more organized and on-task.
This is my top pick:
And invest in a good wedding planner, too: a full-service coordinator or a day-of wedding planner will be priceless when it comes to keeping you on schedule with your timeline, on track with wedding-day tasks, and stress free. :)
Plus, you won’t be worried about everything staying on schedule. They’ll take care of it for you.
Prefer a video? Here’s the video!
I hope it helps!
xo
Emma
